Uses of hypnosis in the treatment of uncontrollable belching: A case report

Uncontrollable belching is frequently benign in origin, but can be distressing in its psychosocial consequences. Physicians have little to offer in the way of medical treatment. This is a case report of a 71-year-old woman with incessant eructation of four months duration treated with brief psychotherapy utilizing hypnosis. The patient was symptom-free at termination, and this improvement was sustained at six month follow-up. This paper includes a detailed description of some of the hypnotic suggestions as well as a discussion of the factors that may have contributed to change.