Persistent hiccups are described as a recurring troublesome series of involuntary inspirations accompanied by glottic closure, lasting longer than a month. Recently, baclofen, the most effective treatment for intractable hiccups was found to be a useful drug for the management of chronic hiccups, and that substituting gabapentin for baclofen can be effective. Moreover, gabapentin was used successfully in combination with baclofen. We report here on three patients with persistent hiccups, where gabapentin was used successfully as an "add-on" with baclofen.
Baclofen* ; Hiccup* ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Essential hyperhidrosis is a pathologic condition caused by excessive secretion of the eccrine sweat glands. This is an embarrassing condition, which severely reduces the quality of life and may result in psychological disturbance. Our purpose was to determine the therapeutic efficacy of oral glycopyrrolate in term of its strength, safety, and side effects. METHODS: Oral glycopyrrolate was given to 104 patients, 53 men and 51 women with a mean age of 24 years. Patients controlled the dosage of glycopyrrolate for a week. Attention was focused on patient satisfaction, onset time, duration, degree of reducing perspiration and side effects. RESULTS: Ninety eight of 104 patients (94%) were satisfied with their improved condition. The most common maximum dose/day was 2 mg. The overall mean onset time was 2.3 hours and the duration of the effect was 7.4 hours. Dry mouth occurred in 40 patients. Sixty eight of patients (65%) experienced reduced excessive sweating caused by oral glycopyrrolate. CONCLUSIONS: The administration of oral glycopyrrolate is a safe and effective method of treating essential hyperhidrosis, and appears to be an acceptable therapeutic option in any form of hyperhidrosis.
Female ; Glycopyrrolate* ; Humans ; Hyperhidrosis* ; Male ; Mouth ; Patient Satisfaction ; Quality of Life ; Sweat ; Sweat Glands ; Sweating

Gustatory hyperhidrosis is facial sweating usually associated with the eating of hot spicy food or even smelling this food. Current options of treatment include oral anticholinergic drugs, the topical application of anticholinergics or aluminum chloride, and the injection of botulinum toxin. Thirteen patients have been treated to date with 1.5% or 2% topical glycopyrrolate. All patients had gustatory hyperhidrosis, which interfered with their social activities, after transthroacic endoscopic sympathectomy, and which was associated with compensatory focal hyperhidrosis. After applying topical glycopyrrolate, the subjective effect was excellent (no sweating after eating hot spicy food) in 10 patients (77%), and fair (clearly reduced sweating) in 3 patients (23%). All had reported incidents of being very embrasssed whilst eating hot spicy foods. Adverse effects included a mildly dry mouth and a sore throat in 2 patients (2% glycopyrrolate), a light headache in 1 patient (1.5% glycopyrrolate). The topical application of a glycopyrrolate pad appeared to be safe, efficacious, well tolerated, and a convenient method of treatment for moderate to severe symptoms of gustatory hyperhidrosis in post transthoracic endoscopic sympathectomy or sympathicotomy patients, with few side effects.
Administration, Topical ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Cholinergic Antagonists/*administration & dosage ; Endoscopy/adverse effects ; Female ; Glycopyrrolate/*administration & dosage ; Human ; Male ; Sweating, Gustatory/*drug therapy/etiology ; Sympathectomy/adverse effects/methods

Granular cell tumors involving the esophagus are rare tumors. Since Abrikossoff first reported five cases of granular tumor of the tongue in 1926, fewer than 200 cases of esophageal granular cell tumors have been reported in the world. The granular cell tumors usually were seen in tongue, skin & breast. it has rarely been noted in the esophagus. The treatment of this tumor was not established well. Therefore, we report a case of granular cell tumor of the low esophagus, which was resected by polypectomy following 'O'-band ligation. This 56-year-old male patient was transferred to our hospital because of abnormal endoscopic finding on the esophagus at local clinic. There was esophageal polypoid lesion on the low esophagus. After polypectomy, the lesion was revealed as granular cell tumor in histopathologic examination.
Breast ; Endoscopes ; Esophagus ; Granular Cell Tumor* ; Humans ; Ligation* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Skin ; Tongue