Dear Lucy: I am an 18-year-old female who has a history of asthma. So—and this may sound crazy—I have had this super weird case of the hiccups for the past seven months or so, and they don’t go away. Every day since about September, I have hiccupped more than once; and even before then, I still got hiccups, just not as frequently. Sometimes, I seem to hiccup every hour at the same time or, just about every five minutes, like a clock. I did some online research to see what this may mean, but pretty much all my search results ended with alcohol addiction or cancer. I don’t drink, and I kind of doubt I have cancer. Do you have any ideas about what it might be? —Déjà vu All Over Again
Dear Lucy: Many years ago, I developed the ability to belch on cue. I still can, but only rarely do. Now I have acid reflux disease. Could the two be related? —Urrrrppp
Dear Lucy: I am curious about how our bodies produce waste. I eat a fairly high-fiber diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, and my stools almost always float. My wife, a nurse, tells me that stool density—whether stools are “floaters” or “sinkers”—is sometimes used to diagnose certain diseases, particularly conditions related to the body’s inability to use fat properly. She tells me that in such conditions, fat is transferred directly to the stool, which makes it less dense and causes it to float. Should I be concerned about my floating stools, or are they just a typical byproduct of my healthy diet? —Pooped
Dear Lucy: I have had bouts of gastrointestinal reflux for a while, especially when I exercise. I also love coffee, especially Starbuck’s. When I quit the coffee, I’m usually fine. So, I did a litmus test on Starbuck’s coffee and, oddly enough, found it to be very basic (I thought coffee was supposed to be acidic or neutral). Next I did a litmus test on myself and found that I was basic, too. Then I tried drinking coffee followed by lemon juice. No more acid reflux. Does all that sound right? I’m female, 52, and healthy—at least I think I am. I just want to exercise and have my coffee, too, but without the acid reflux. —Acid Test
Dear Lucy: When working out, especially when doing anything that includes jumping, I end up tossing my cookies, and then I feel better right away. If I continue working out, I feel like throwing up again within 10 minutes or less. This happens whether my stomach is empty or full. If my stomach’s empty, I vomit up a clear fluid at first, but after a few minutes, I get a bright yellow liquid material coming out. Can you help me determine why my stomach is so easily upset and what I can do to fix it? —(up)Chuck
Dear Lucy: There has been a lot of “hype” on television regarding colon cleansing and, of course, all the expensive products that go along with the cleansing. Should one really pay attention to these infomercials? Should we be ordering these products, or are there similar products that can be purchased over the counter? —Colonic Quandary
