An unexpected complication following lumbar epidural steroid injection: Hiccups
Emel Başar
, Erkan Yavuz Akçaboy
Department of Algology, Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye
Keywords: Adverse effects, epidural steroid injection;, hiccups, interventional spine procedures, lumbar spine, pain management.
Abstract
Interventional spine procedures are widely used non-surgical approaches for the management of acute and chronic pain. Although usually considered safe, these procedures may still be associated with temporary and minor complications, including hiccups. In this article, we report a rare case of a 60-year-old male patient with low back pain who developed recurrent hiccups following a lumbar epidural steroid injection. In conclusion, the exact mechanism of hiccups remains unclear, and their relationship with the level of epidural injection or the specific drug mixture used is not well established. As hiccups following epidural injections have been insufficiently documented in the literature, this case aims to highlight hiccups as a potentially under-recognized adverse effect of epidural steroid injections in interventional pain management.
Cite this article as: Başar E, Akçaboy EY. An unexpected complication following lumbar epidural steroid injection: Hiccups. Agri 2026;38(2):137-140. doi: 10.5606/agri.2026.38.