Abstract
AIMS: Preclinical studies indicate that magnetic stimulation may be an efficacious treatment for intractable hiccups in post-stroke patients. This study aimed to investigate repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) potential efficacy and safety for treating intractable hiccups. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial randomly assigned 60 patients with stroke with intractable hiccups to receive rPMS (n = 30) or metoclopramide (n = 30). The control group received a 10 mg metoclopramide injection intramuscularly twice daily, while the experimental group underwent daily repeated magnetic stimulation at 5 Hz with 1,200 stimuli using a round coil transversally positioned below the xiphoid process. Metoclopramide or rPMS was administered until the hiccups were entirely ceased. The efficacy of the two groups was evaluated after 1 week of treatment. RESULTS: All 60 enrolled male patients completed the study. The proportion of patients achieving complete cure was significantly higher in the magnetic stimulation group than in the metoclopramide group (23/30 vs. 15/30; p = 0.032). However, total response rate (cure + improvement) did not differ significantly between groups (29/30 vs. 28/30; p = 1.000). No significant differences were observed in recurrence rates (p = 0.052). Just one case of fatigue and one case of dizziness were observed in the metoclopramide group. CONCLUSION: Magnetic stimulation may be superior to metoclopramide in achieving complete cure of intractable hiccups after stroke, though both treatments show high overall response rates. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://www.chictr.org.cn/, ChiCTR2200060435.