Recurrent persistent hiccups after epidural steroid injection and analgesia with bupivacaine.

This case report presents a patient who developed persistent hiccups after epidural administration of dilute bupivacaine on several different occasions. Substitution of saline for the dilute bupivacaine during epidural steroid injection did not result in hiccups; however, subsequent postoperative epidural analgesia with bupivacaine caused a recurrence of the hiccups.