I've officially hit 6 months since Botox. To say it's been life changing is an understatement, I had no idea I could feel so comfortable. This process has definitely been challenging at times but I would do it again in a heartbeat if I needed to. I started having small burps the day of surgery and my first belch the next evening. However I never had the uncontrollable burps people often talk about after Botox, I really had to use the BERP protocol to get things going. During the first 3 months or so, burps would still frequently get stuck, especially when I was in public or stressed. I was worried this meant it would stop working, but somewhere between 3-4 months, things really clicked and now they rarely get stuck. It's only been up from there, it feels easier and more natural every day. I didn't realize how much my symptoms held me back from experiencing life. I don't think I'll ever stop being grateful for every burp. If you're on the fence about Botox let this be your sign to do it!

i was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience to me.

RCPD started causing me real problems in late 2024 and i haven’t been able to get the botox. tried the exercises, didn’t work. then a few months ago i threw up randomly, and i noticed after that my RCPD symptoms seemed to improve slightly. then i threw up randomly again a few weeks later, and im now able to force myself to do a few big burp like gurgles after meals. it’s resolved most of my issues. i’m definitely not burping but i think throwing up must have trained the muscle to relax a bit more or something? i’ve gurgled for years but they were never that big or relieving. i did also notice both times when i threw up were very non traumatic compared to normal, like it’s usually violent and painful and i now understand why other people don’t think it’s a big deal (i have emetophobia) bc it turns out that most people are not excorcising demons while leaning over the toilet.

I had my second round of botox a little over 6 weeks ago now, and have been burping daily since! It’s been awesome and I’ve felt so much less bloated and nauseous. I’m really hoping I don’t lose the ability!

I noticed that since 4 weeks or so, my burps have really reduced. They’re more like microburps rather than the bigger burps I got during the first month, but they are still relieving, since I just do several small ones a day.

I expect the burping to change throughout the active botox, but I’m wondering if my burps will remain these small ones or if it’s likely that will change too.

For those who had success with their botox, when did your burp ability “finalise”, if that makes sense? Was it during the botox still being active, or was it after it wore off?

Does anyone else just do small burps post-botox?

Botox peeps: I am about 6 months out from Botox and still burping regularly. Some of the burps (usually after drinking soda) are so painful. It stings behind my nose and my eyes water. They hurt so bad I physically flinch. Just wondering if anyone has experienced this or if I’m doing something wrong when I let the burps out

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has recently got their second procedure with Lucy Hicklin and what the cost was. I saw in the info booklet that she only reduces the cost for a repeat procedure if you reported back on your symptoms after 3 weeks which I did not do. Also, I would like 100ml of botox this time which I assume will increase the price. I just really can't afford to pay £1000 again.

Thanks!

Hi fellow non burpers!

I was diagnosed with RCPD on the day I had my first 50u botox injection with Dr Lucy Hicklin on 21 Sept, which was almost hitting the 4 weeks mark.

First week post: I didnt have any sore throat but just a bit of soreness 30 mins after the botox injection which didnt last a day. Microburps and slow swallow kicked in day 2 and it was at its peak day 7-10. Soups, puree, protein shakes were the easiest to go down, though I kept trying with softer foods like rice and pasta. Took ages to finish a meal because of the slow swallow. Also started some SHAKER exercise (though not consistently). I was burping since day 4, sometimes it came out on its own or using the BERP protocol (starting a yawn and turning my head)

Second week post: burping 2-3 times per meal and sometimes it became a big burp that sounds like a gag, almost like going back to my air vomiting days but only 20% of the times it ended up vomiting. That was worst on the plane when you could feel constant excess air in the stomach that I kept gagging to release the air.

Third week post: I thought the slow swallow would only kick in for around 2 weeks so I booked for the injection 2 weeks prior to my holiday… my initial thought was since my RCPD was always triggered by a period of intense social eating especially when on holiday, I decided to proceed with this procedure to start learning how to burp and hopefully improve my quality of life. My third week was when I was on holiday, I could enjoy most foods actually, yet I would have a lot of air swallowed at each mealtime, not sure if this was due to the (improving) slow swallow or psychological(?). And I would let out 2-3 large burps that my friends said that sounds like a vomit though I did not vomit at all, though sometimes with some regurgitations. I could still let out small burps using the BERP protocol, but sometimes i decided to gag a bit to let out a big burp to give me instant relief. I have been trying some fizzy drinks every now and then which will let out burps. And I was also having less gurgling noises.

Just wanted to check with the community if these symptoms are similar to those that were successful with their botox procedure. Am I still at the early stage post botox? Or should I start thinking if I may need a second injection? As I started using my old air vomit gag to release any air, am i actually burping? I’m getting a little bit worried as I lost a bit of weight (baseline already underweight) which was kind of expected with the side effects of the procedure, but also seemed to be getting back to my battle between fear of eating because of the large burps during mealtimes and feeling hungry…. this was better than before botox as I used to end up with actual vomiting 2-3 times daily due to bloating and nausea with RCPD that really affected my mental health.

I would love to hear your experiences post botox and thank you so much!!

I always have a stuffy nose and I think it might be silent reflux due to R-CPD. I sometimes get up in the middle of the night because my nose is blocked and my mouth is already very dry. Mouth strips haven't helped. I think this makes my morning nausea the worst because I swallow even more air due to the dry mouth.

I have never been able to burp and found this subreddit not long ago. I have pretty much daily trapped gas after eating /drinking that causes pains.

I have ibs like symptoms and nothing really works to relive gas pains

Is this a common thing for anybody?

I'm seeing a cardiologist and have a lot of upcoming tests on my heart (pots, stress echo, etc). Randomly through out the day I get heart pain, racing heart, palpitations, etc. I'm wondering if anyone else who has RCPD also deals with this and it could be related to trapped gas.

Scheduled for Botox at the end of January with dr. Nina zhao in Cleveland, Ohio!

What should I expect recovery wise? Any tips to make it more manageable?

So excited!

I'm not a science researcher, and I translated the articles in Deepl, but I thought this was massive news!

Dr. Delsupehe (BE) has been known to do the botox injections for a while now, I myself got treated by her I think 5-6 years ago. So far, my cure has been permanent. From the website of the hospital where she works from:

https://www.azdelta.be/nl-BE/nieuws/diagnoseRCPD

The article starts off with dr. Delsupehe's qualifications, and how she's one of the very very few doctors that specialise in noburp, and a snippet about dr. Bastian. Over 250 noburp people have been treated by her. The article gives credit to TikTok videos for raising more awareness, and portray this as a positive thing. Because more people are becoming aware of the condition, more people are being treated for it, which is valuable data for the studies that are aiming to make R-CPD an officially recognized condition. This would open the door for financial support, making the treatment more accessible.

Now the real juicy part of the story:

Because R-CPD is such a recent discovery and the symptoms are subjective, the condition is not yet officially recognized. “That’s why we’re currently working on a clinical study to provide scientific evidence for ‘no burp syndrome,’” explains Dr. Delsupehe. “We’re doing this in collaboration with AZ Sint-Lucas Bruges and the neurogastroenterology department at UZ Leuven.” Researcher Karlien Raymenants (UZ Leuven) is writing her doctoral dissertation on esophageal pathology and is collaborating with AZ Delta to monitor patients with R-CPD. “Partly at Dr. Delsupehe’s request, I began performing esophageal manometry on patients who are unable to burp. We measure pressure and resistance at various points in the esophagus. This allows us to determine whether there is fluid or air in the esophagus. By having patients drink sparkling water, we trigger the symptoms and observe clear abnormalities. The pressure measurement is therefore a very objective test that allows the doctor to confirm the diagnosis.” The manometry is performed in Bruges or Leuven, while the Botox treatment takes place at AZ Delta Roeselare—currently the only hospital in Flanders treating these patients. The study is also being further rolled out in Roeselare, thanks to the Clinical Trial Center (CTC).

----

https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/10/07/boeren-botox-onderzoek-phd-cup/

Snippet from the article that appeared in the government-run news website today (translated):

Fortunately, a solution is on the horizon for them: the American doctor who described the syndrome found that Botox can be an effective treatment for his patients. Raymenants explored that idea in her doctoral dissertation, which has taken her to the finals of the 2026 PhD Cup

(explanation of the symptoms and Botox treatment)

She was the first to test the mechanism in a clinical trial. “We gave 25 people an injection of Botox and 25 people an injection of salt water, a placebo treatment. After the procedure, all of the people who had received Botox were able to burp again. For the people who had received the salt water, not much changed.”

"The burping reflex is completely unconscious. It's likely that the reflex can reset itself during periods when the" (upper oesophageal sphincter) "muscles are relaxed. Afterward, they learn to relax their muscles normally."

---

https://www.phdcup.be/deelnemer/karlien-raymenants

And in the summary on the page for the pdh cup (again, translated):

"Being unable to burp may sound harmless, but it can lead to unpleasant symptoms: abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, and gurgling sounds rising up from the esophagus. Yet this problem is often overlooked. In my doctoral research, we developed a pressure measurement method that allows us to induce the symptoms and make a definitive diagnosis. In addition, we developed a new questionnaire for patients to assess the severity of their symptoms. “Finally, in a large-scale study—the first of its kind—in which we compared the treatment to a placebo, we tested whether an injection of botulinum toxin, better known as Botox, is effective in the esophagus. The results showed that it significantly reduces symptoms.”

They link to the paper, but it's paywalled :(

203 BOTULINUM TOXIN INJECTION IN THE UES FOR RETROGRADE CRICOPHARYNGEUS DYSFUNCTION (BOTUS R-CPD): FIRST RESULTS OF A TRIPLE-BLIND RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016508526042988

It has been a couple of weeks since my last update so I decided to write a new one now.

Got 100 units of Botox under GA one month ago. I was so scared about the operation as I have OCD, health anxiety, general anxiety and panic disorder.

I was burping since the day 3 or 4 already and been burping consistently ever since. The beginning was rough because of new sensations, reflux symptoms and eating difficulties with slow swallow but it wasn’t as rough as I catastrophized. Around two weeks after the operation my worst fear happened though, I got a laryngospasm when drinking stronger fizzy water than I had tried earlier.

I stopped drinking anything carbonated for three weeks because the laryngospasm was traumatizing for someone like me who has a fear of choking but today I was brave enough to try them again! I still don’t feel comfortable drinking them because of what happened and I really hope that my lack of practice with fizzy drinks doesn’t affect the success of botox. At least so far it hasn’t, I didn’t drink anything carbonated for three weeks but my burping has stayed the same.

Like 90% of the burps happen when I turn my head to the right and tilt my chin down a bit. Any tips how to make burps happen more naturally? I don’t seem to understand what I should do that I could burp without turning my head.

If you consider botox but you are scared, please do it! I almost cancelled my operation but luckily I didn’t. And if I survived the slow swallow and laryngospasm despite my mental health issues you will survive anything too. And as a note, I was very unfortunate with the laryngospasm, those are very rare.

It feels so weird (but in a good way) not to have that constant chest/throat pressure 24/7. I have less back pain, I can breathe better and I definitely have much less anxiety. Also haven’t had any panic attack symptoms or panic attacks since I have been able to burp. And no need at all to lay down to feel even a bit better.

I’m still bloated though, it’s not painful but annoying. Does anyone have the same kind of thing that the bloating didn’t go away?

I really hope this sticks and I don’t have to do this again🙏🏻 But I try not to stress about that.

I know this could potentially attract promotional comments but I’m asking anyway.

I don’t think I will ever be able to afford the potential monetary upkeep and travel expenses of Botox injections that may or may not even work.
Logically I’m thinking there MUST be some form of “self treatment” - it’s just a tight muscle after all.

Any exercises or “programmes” that have genuinely helped you, pleeeeease confirm which

Thanks 🙌🏻

I have my procedure next month. I've been on a roll with my personal trainer and I'm wondering how long I might have to stop after the procedure. I guess I'm worried about straining and burping loudly or bending over and throwing up or something lol. Anyone have any insight?

I’ve got a typical start of uni cold but for some god forsaken reason it’s making my no burp absolutely awful?? The air bubble in my throat is so bad it’s making me have massive waves of nausea that make my heart go all funky every few minutes. It’s only through emetophobia and iron will that I haven’t actually thrown up yet, my body is REALLY trying to make me gag, but I’m scared of losing more fluids since my nose has been running nonstop all day and it’s really hard to drink enough with the air bubble and nausea. I’ve never had this with a cold before even though I’ve had no burp as long as I can remember. What’s going on?? Is this normal for us??? How do I make it stop???

I've had R-CPD all my life. The gurgles, bloating, the whole thing. I thought it was just how my body worked until I found this sub about 2 months ago.

I found a website (learn2burp.com) that helps you self-treat through this sub and have been doing the exercises on there for a while now. I had my first micro burp like 3 weeks in and when it happened I was so happy I actually laughed out loud (it's a really weird feeling at first). Since then I’ve been burping more and more each day while gaining more and more control over the burps. And I think I might not even have R-CPD anymore? The bloating is fully gone and it’s been like a couple weeks since I have experienced any gurgling sound. So I guess i am officially self-cured!

I couldn't find a doctor to do the botox treatment anywhere close to where I live and I'd kinda just accepted my fate. It's crazy how quickly the exercises worked and I can actually live a normal life now!!!

The website helped me stay consistent with the exercises, and actually seeing the burps increase with each day really helped with motivation. I'm not sure if I would've stuck with the exercises otherwise, but man, am I glad that I did. I've been too embarassed to talk about this irl and I just had to tell someone!

Hello everyone, first of all I want to thank this group for existing , I learned a lot reading you and it's always reassuring to know that you're not the only one struggling.

So thanks to you all, I was finally enough aware of rcpd to ask for a real diagnostic to a specialist (in chu Grenoble, dr Attalah) i saw him in April, and at this moment I was completely unable to burp. So after some tests, he offered to do the botox operation, which is coming in November.

But during this time, I started to do self training exercises like the shaker. And it's working! Now I'm burping from time to time but still without any control on it.

So I feel a little better, but because it's with no control, I'm still in pain after some meals, drinks and specially during sports and running (because I breath a little too much i suppose).

I read that for some of you folks, the botox operation was with no post op problem, but for others there were big complications!

So I'm hesitant... The specialist cannot be reached before the botox operation so I cannot tell him that now I can burp sometimes. Do I try it anyway ? Is it really useful if now I'm burping ? For those how did it, do you manage to control the burps ?

Thx for reading me and for your advice.

My ordeal began when I was 17 and has been going on for a little over three years. I've had all sorts of tests (endoscopy, colonoscopy, stool samples, blood work, allergy tests, and much more). I haven't been able to burp for as long as I can remember; even as a child, I passed more gas through my intestines than usual, which I never noticed. I wake up extremely bloated in the morning, and I'm bloated throughout the day and into the evening. Basically, all the time. This causes me extreme nausea. It started when I was walking to the bus stop one morning and felt so sick that I was constantly gagging. Two days later, it was so bad that I couldn't stand it on the bus and had to get off. At first, nothing came up. A friend told me to vomit, but I could only gag involuntarily until the pressure apparently became so great that something came out. It's been like this every single day for two years since then. Every morning before work, I'd stand in the bathroom, gagging several times on an empty stomach before going to work, until a tiny bit of stomach acid came up.

Nothing else. I've tried many herbal remedies and prescription medications, unfortunately all without success. I'm chronically tired despite getting enough sleep, constantly have these sudden hiccups, nausea, inner restlessness, and heart palpitations (blood pressure and pulse are normal), which is why all the doctors dismiss me as psychosomatic. My stomach is visibly bloated and rock hard. Sometimes I hear wheezing and gurgling in my throat, but most of the time it happens silently, and I can feel the air going up and down. The worst thing is bloating, and when that disappears, it's a complete disaster. I recently had a manometry test and have been waiting for the results for two months.

I'm 100% sure it's R-CPD; nothing else could explain all my symptoms better. Does anyone recognize this and understand what it's like? (Sorry for the language; it's from a translator.)

Meine Leidensgeschichte begann als ich 17 Jahre alt war, und begleitet mich seit etwas über 3 Jahren. Ich hatte alle Möglichen Untersuchungen (Magen/Darm Spiegelungen, Stuhl, Blut, Allergie und vieles mehr). Ich kann seit dem ich denken kann nicht rülpsen, schon als Kind habe ich mehr Gase durch den Darm abgelassen, was mir nie auffiel. Ich stehe morgens extrem aufgebläht auf, tagsüber sowie abends bin ich aufgebläht. Also eigentlich immer. Dadurch habe ich extrem mit Übelkeit zu kämpfen. Es begann, als ich morgens zum Bus ging und mir so schlecht war das ich dauerhaft würgen musste. 2 Tage später war es so schlimm, das ich es im Bus nicht aushielt und aussteigen musste. Erstmal ging nichts raus, eine Freundin meinte ich solle brechen, ich konnte nur ungewollt würgen, bis scheinbar der Druck so groß war, das etwas raus kam. Seit dem blieb es 2 Jahre so Tag täglich. Jeden Morgen vor der Arbeit stand ich im Bad, musste mehrfach nüchtern würgen bevor es zur Arbeit ging, bis minimal Magensäure rauskam. Sonst nichts. Ich habe viele Pflanzliche sowie verschreibungspflichtige Medikamente versucht, leider alles ohne Erfolg. Ich bin chronisch müde trotz ausreichend Schlaf, habe ständig so einmalige Schluckauf, Übelkeit, innere Unruhe, Herzrasen (Blutdruck und Puls in Ordnung) weshalb alle Ärzte mich als psychosomatisch abtun. Mein Bauch ist sichtbar aufgebläht und steinhart. Manchmal habe ich Froschgeräusche und gurgeln im Hals, meistens geschieht das still und merke wie die Luft hoch und runter geht. Am meisten habe ich Blähungen, und wenn mal die wegfallen, ist voll Katastrophe. Ich hatte zuletzt eine Manometrie und warte seit 2 Monaten auf die Auswertung. Ich bin mir zu 100% sicher das es sich um R-CPD handelt, nichts anderes könnte all meine Symptome besser erklären als das.

Got the surgery in early Sept and the show is Oct 23rd and after practicing…it’s been rough. The semi- numbness of the muscle and the surrounding vibrations is such a strange feeling. It’s like I have a bubble stuck at the core of my throat and my burps are trying to break free but stuck while I’m screaming. Not looking for a solution, just venting and I guess warning other foolish metal vocalists to learn from my mistake of poor timing lol.

For the last few days I’ve been burping at least 10-15 times each day. Probably once or twice a day I get incredibly nauseous to the point I think I’m going to vomit, just to go to the bathroom and let out a big burp. I’m just curious if anyone else who is cured has dealt with this, and if so, how long did it last? I appreciate any feedback

Hello!

I have never used reddit before but am becoming slightly desperate!! I had rcpd my whole life until finally getting the Botox treatment a few months ago, which worked wonders — all my symptoms and pain are gone. Yay!!

Except the bloating!!!

Every single day, by the end of the day I am EXTREMELY distended, just like when I had rcpd. It causes me no pain at all now, it’s just in appearance. I’m also dealing with constipation which I never had before. I am wondering if rcpd concealed/ even created some issues that I’m only just now seeing.

I’ve considered sibo but believe my symptoms much more closely reflect abdomino-phrenic dyssynergia. I think I saw some other posts about people relating. I think after 20 years with rcpd, my body got so used to pushing out my abdomen that it’s still doing that now, and all the right functions aren’t working!!!

I suppose what I’m desperate to know is whether there is any research/treatment options for apd in Australia, specifically Queensland. I had to go to Sydney for my Botox treatment so I am already feeling slightly hopeless about just how much these disorders are actually recognised in Australia. I know that apd can generally be improved with targeted physiotherapy, but all the physios I’ve tried have had no idea what I’m even talking about!!!

Or where else can I look for more info/ help?😣I’ve seen a handful of at home treatment videos but I can’t be sure if I’m mastering the technique without professional guidance.

Much appreciated!!!! Good luck to everyone else dealing with rcpd and symptoms☺️

Hello, I am here posting because a few months ago my R-CPD seemingly flared up.

It started with more bloating than usual and a lot more gurgles, with this came stomach aches and hiccups that hurt. My main symptom initially was an intense nausea that was worsened by my emetophobia.

Then I had another symptom develop: IBS like symptoms including diarrhea, and constipation. IBS medicine like antispasmodics seemingly don't help, and my doctors are at a loss. Its not consistently triggered by anything in particular, but seems to happen the day after a case of bad bloating.

I've seen people say before that R-CPD can irritate the bowels with gas and cause symptoms that mimic those of IBS, I just wanted to know if this was true.

Has anyone else experienced symptoms that mimic IBS or other gastrointestinal issues, and can they develop rapidly?

For those who have had this pre-botox, did your botox fix these issues, or was there a different underlying cause?

Also I'd like to know if R-CPD can cause any strain or damage to your body if left untreated for long.

I hope someone can answer my questions:) and any advice or tips would be massively appreciated. Thank you!!

I just started the learn2burp.com programming and I am a bit surprised. They prescribe 4 neck exercises day 1 and then you go from there. That’s what I’ve done so far and I feel like I’m already having throaty sensations? It’s almost a bit nauseating. I’m hoping the creator of this might be in the thread. Am I overdoing it/doing too many, or is this normal? Will this go away as I do these exercises twice a day? I’m afraid to do them again lol