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She just wants some help

Early Edition: The St. Petersburg girl who has had the hiccups for three weeks will appear on the Today show Friday.

By Times staff
Published February 15, 2007


Jennifer Mee of St. Petersburg has tried scores of remedies and seen several doctors. Still, the 15-year-old's hiccups persist.
photo
[Times photo: John Pendygraft]
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Fifteen-year-old Jennifer Mee, who has had the hiccups for three weeks, is on her way to New York City to appear on the Today show Friday. The show plans to have a medical expert appear with Jennifer to try to help her, says her stepfather, Chris Robidoux.

"That's the reason we're doing this, to try to get her some help," Robidoux said today. "We don't want to give the wrong impression that Jennifer's just going for fun."

A St. Petersburg Times article describes how Jennifer has tried numerous home remedies and visited several doctors, to no avail. The hiccups stop only when she's sleeping.

Jennifer's mother, Rachel Robidoux, is accompanying her daughter to New York "for moral support," Chris Robidoux said. They will return tomorrow.

He said Good Morning America called too, but they're sticking with just one appearance. "We didn't want it to turn into a circus; we just wanted her (Jennifer) to get help."

[Last modified February 15, 2007, 15:02:58]


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Comments on this article
by beno 10/09/07 04:37 PM
I have had chronic hiccups for 8 days after having general anestecia. My hiccups are constant throughout the day and even at night. I can't really eat or drink because it hurts and I also fell nauseated. I have tried baclofen, thorazin and nothing.
by Babs 09/04/07 03:03 PM
My husband has had the hiccups for a week now and same as jennifer stops when he is sleeping.Tried everything.He is in scottsdale hospital now trying all kinds of drugs to get rid of them.How did Jennifer get rid of them?We need HELP too.
by Benson 09/04/07 01:17 AM
Today I have never seen such a ridiculous solution to hiccups until my mom tore off a small piece (a 1 inch square) off a paper towel, and wet it with water and placed it on my sister's forehead. It worked immediately for both my sister & her baby.
by Doyle 03/17/07 09:32 PM
I have a remady that has worked 100% of the time thus far. Sub-Diaphamic pressure. I saw it on the show Emergency too many years ago to tell. So far I've never had a case that it didn't work on.
by GUPTA 03/03/07 03:01 AM
SHE GOT HICCUPS DUE TO TAKING PICKLE JUICE. SUGGEST HOMEO REMEDY. NUX VOM 30, CAPSICUM 200 AND CANTHARIS 30 (ALL 3 3 TIMES A DAY. HOPE HE WILL BE ALRIGHT IN A DAY.
by Mike 02/26/07 09:57 AM
Have her read all of these "solutions". She'll be bored to death
by Mary 02/24/07 12:19 AM
Jennifer, this works, I promise. Get a bottle of water, take 10 swallows, no less, no more, without taking a breath of air. No air. Let me know if this works.
by Chaz 02/23/07 05:02 PM
Relax and gargle with room tempature water. Gargle deeply. You will not hiccup because your brain doesn't want you to drown. It really works.
by Alvaro 02/23/07 04:42 PM
Try and apply pressure between your eyes above the ridge of your nose. Al B
by Mark 02/23/07 02:38 PM
Since physical "cures" don't seem to be working, your situation could be a psychosomatic condition - something your mind is doing to cause this. I suggest you contact a Dianeticist through the Church of Scientology or read Dianetics and try it.
by Ellen 02/23/07 02:16 PM
I hope someone will forwardd this to her. I was given a tip to pour some Roses Lime (used in bars - non alcoholic) in a glass and sip as long as you can. She may have gotten this already but it helps me. Hope it helps. Ellen
by Lisa 02/23/07 01:21 PM
It's possible this is a motor tick. She should consult a neurologist. A rare condition called PANDAS, which is a high level of step A antibioties affects the basil ganglia in the brain and can cause uncontrollable motor tics. It can happen suddenly.
by jack 02/23/07 01:17 PM
hiccups are caused by a buildup of carbon dioxide in your system, she should try breathing pure oxygen from a tank for about 15 minutes.
by Delores 02/23/07 12:44 PM
Has Jennifer tried drinking VERY WARM (almost hot) water? It always works for me. My theory is that the hiccups are a muscle spasm and the heat relaxes the muscles causing the hiccups.
by Lynde 02/23/07 12:31 PM
Hiccup cure: Run the tip of your tongue across the roof of your mouth from front to back until you feel where the roof texture changes from rough to smooth. Its way back toward your throat. Put your tongue tip on that point & press firmly 2-3 seconds
by Kerri 02/23/07 02:00 AM
Hiccups were featured on "untold Stories of the ER" a few weeks ago. The remedy worked on my husband, who had the hiccups the next night. Lay back and have someone press with thumbs above your eyebrows. Press and hold until hiccups are gone. Works!
by John 02/22/07 11:57 PM
Place the fingers of both hands against the abdomen, below and at least 1 inch to the sides of the sternum. Slowly exert upward pressure on the diaphram and slowly exhale. Continue to exhale until you can no longer fight the urge to breath. Repeat
by dan 02/22/07 08:10 PM
Jennifer, I know this may sound xrated but I am not kidding when I say that I have tried everything and the 100% sure remedey is...masturbate. Now, I am a guy so I don't know if it works for girls but, try it. It can't hurt.
by Kari 02/22/07 03:42 PM
These cures always work for me. Drink the largest glass of water you can find and don't stop swallowing until it is gone. Breathe only if you absolutely have to. Another cure is stare at something above for several minutes until you are in a trance.
by Wendi 02/21/07 05:20 PM
Get Alkaline!!! Eat an apple before bedtime. Get away from processed foods. Eat alkaline forming foods (fruits & vegies raw). Look up acid-alkaline food chart online and balance your diet.
by Wendi 02/21/07 05:14 PM
This remedy cured a longer case of hiccups for someone who was in the Army in the 1930's. It works everytime for me (instantly) and anyone I have told. It's my Father's most memorable military story. Drink a 1-2T of vinegar, Apple Cider, preferably.
by john 02/21/07 04:38 PM
Take a wedge of lemon and take out the pits, place a teaspoon of sugar over the lemon with a half of a teaspoon of Angastora Bitters over that and eat that recipe. Always works, God Bless
by Bev 02/21/07 03:35 PM
It always work for me. Lift your drink up slowly with your straight arm from a table. Bend your arm and drink slowly. Again, Have your arm straight with your drink and put it down on table SLOWLY. All these movements are needed to be slow.
by Dusty 02/21/07 03:18 PM
Here is my cure: Take a very deep breath and hold it. You must swallow your own saliva three times before the next hiccup. As slowly as possible let your breath out untill your lungs are empty than exhale more. Breathe in very slowly like you exhaled
by Sue 02/21/07 02:08 PM
Witeny has the answer. That remedy has always worked for my kids and grandkids. The easiest way to do it is to drink (any) liquid from a straw while blocking both ears completely. As many swallows as possible work best. Guaranteed to work.
by Doug 02/21/07 10:29 AM
mayeb she needs to get on a roller coaster at Busch Gardens or Universal studios to get a physical 'jolt', or that ride at Universal Studios that launches up really fast.....seems far fetched, but maybe worth a shot.
by Lisa 02/21/07 10:10 AM
G'ma gave us heaping tablespoon of sugar, if that didn't work full tablespoon of pnut butter. if 1 tbls don't work take another tbs of either right behind it.
by Michael 02/21/07 03:59 AM
Jeninnfer if you have someone block the VENAL-NERVE,by applying hard pressure,using the both thumbs at the begining of the eyebrows next to your nose bridge(one thumb per eyebrow,take a couple of mins.)Pls.try it,let me know, michaelpham99@yahoo.com
by Steve 02/21/07 02:10 AM
Pour 2 - 3 oz of cold water into small glass. Drop a lighted match into water. Drink immediately. Sounds crazy, but it always works.
by Linda 02/20/07 08:14 PM
Years ago I worked for an anesthesiologist and one of our patients under anesthesia got the hiccups and the surgeon couldn't progress. The anesthisiologist used a rubber nasogastric tube to tickle the nasopharynx and they stopped. I was wowed.
by Whiteny 02/20/07 07:58 PM
I know i way to help and it is Hold your ears(really tight)and drink some water while you are holding your ears If that does not work then get someone to say to you in a real mean vocie saying Stop Hiccping. but look at them in the eys hope it works.
by Enzo 02/19/07 03:43 PM
I need to mail to Jennifer Mee some homeopathic remedy as: Hyosciamus niger, Stramonium, Ranunculus bulbosus, also try - Ipeca or Ipeka. Enzo from Italy
by Luciano Laici 02/19/07 03:35 PM
In piedi, mani congiunte dietro la schiena, capo all'indietro, un'altra persona deve dare tre sorsi d'acqua con un bicchiere. Ripetere dopo 5 minuti per tre volte.Di solito funziona
by Suzan 02/19/07 02:25 PM
I have been a bartender for 25 years and have cured more hiccups then I care to remember.The cure...As soon as you light a couple of matches put them out very quickly in a glass of water. I was told it is the sulfur from the match that makes it work
by Ping 02/19/07 11:18 AM
drink HOT WATER worked for me
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