Hiccups and heartburn; usually harmless, often annoying, but sometimes downright crazy and weird. While most of us deal with a few seconds of hiccups or the occasional regret after eating something we shouldn’t have, some people have faced these issues in extreme, even life-altering ways.
From a man who hiccupped for nearly 70 years to heartburn so intense it was mistaken for a heart attack, these are the wildest and worst cases ever recorded. These stories go beyond the usual remedies and land squarely in the “you’ve got to be kidding” zone.
Brace yourself for a mix of medical oddities, and embarrassing moments, all thanks to two of the body’s most stubborn nuisances.
1
Heartburn mistaken for heart attack
A woman rushed to the ER with crushing chest pain, convinced she was having a heart attack. But after a battery of tests, doctors found no cardiac issue, it was a severe case of acid reflux.
2
Hiccups for 68 years
Charles Osborne holds the world record for the longest case of hiccups; from 1922 to 1990. He hiccupped up to 40 times per minute at first.
3
Ghost pepper challenge
After trying a ghost pepper burger during a spicy food challenge, a 47-year-old man developed such violent heartburn and vomiting, he tore a 2.5 cm hole in his esophagus.
4
"Hiccup girl"
In 2007, 15-year-old Jennifer Mee made headlines after developing a bizarre case of uncontrollable hiccups, up to 50 times per minute, lasting for over five weeks.
5
Hot wings gone wrong
A man entered a hot wing eating contest and consumed extremely spicy wings coated in capsaicin-rich sauce. Shortly after, he began experiencing intense chest pain and difficulty swallowing. Thought it was just heartburn, turns out he developed a condition because of the food.
6
Not my hiccups
One mom recalled her crazy pregnancy experience, near the end of her term, her baby girl got hiccups constantly, inside the womb. It wasn’t painful, just incredibly distracting.
7
No more smiling
Some GERD/heartburn patients needed to get full dental reconstruction after wild symptoms.
8
The hiccup warning sign
A man went to doctors after suffering uncontrollable hiccups for several months. Standard remedies didn’t help, and deeper investigation revealed the shocking cause: a brain tumor.
9
Can't sit down
After undergoing stomach surgery to treat an unrelated condition, a man developed severe, chronic acid reflux as a complication. The result? He had to eat every meal standing up.
10
Hall pass for hiccups
In 6th grade, one student couldn’t stop hiccuping during English class. Every time they hiccuped, the class burst into laughter—until the teacher lost patience and sent them into the hallway. So there they stood: hiccuping alone.
