Persistent hiccups due to aripiprazole in an adolescent with obsessive compulsive disorder responding to dose reduction and rechallenge

Abstract

Our case involves persistent hiccup arising in an adolescent with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) who was using aripiprazole as an augmentation to fluoxetine and whose hiccups remitted with dose reduction and rechallenge. Treatment suggested that aripiprazole might lead to hiccups. Antipsychotics are also used for the treatment of hiccups, but recent case reports suggest that they cause hiccups as well. Within 12 h of taking 5mg aripiprazole, the 13-year-old girl began having continuous hiccups, which lasted for 3-4 h. The hiccups resolved when the dose of aripiprazole was reduced to 2.5 mg. To achieve augmentation, aripiprazole was replaced with risperidone 0.5 mg/day for 1 month, but excess sedation was observed. As a result, aripiprazole was restarted at a dose of 2.5 mg/ day, and 1 week later, it was increased to 5 mg/every other day. No hiccups were observed.