inability to burp

Hi Celts,

Have you tried maybe bending over, to one side or another (you should do this in the bathroom in case things suddenly get technicolor) -- this may push the gas, albeit not necessarily up, it might go down. It would come out, but out of the basement, rather than the attic, if yanno what I mean.

I am curious to hear if the inability to burp works with gas too.
Inquiring minds want to know, Celts34.

i kno what you're saying jespah..and once and a blue moon i can manage to squeeze a burp out if i time it just right..like if i feel the air coming and i push at the right time..but i have to really concentrate on it to do it lol..and it eventually will come out of the "basement" but that doesn't help relieve the bloating because it takes a while for the air to go through..maybe if i keep trying to burp and concentrate on it i will get better at it?? haha i dont know..but shouldn't a normal person be able to burp without having to push or do anything..

I googled burping and found this site
http://www.mywhimislaw.com/?p=1212#comments

The one commentor had this to say...
John says:
January 23rd, 2007 at 6:15 pm
I am posting my response to this problem here that I posted on HealthBoards web site. I hope this helps as I have lived my entire life with this problem, yet no help from the medical community:

I have the same exact problem. I can't burp. I try to burp, but nothing happens! It has caused me great difficulty, because eating/drinking (a daily occurence) makes the problem worse. I went to a specialist and he didn't have a clue. I have determined a few things over 40 years of this truly crappy situation. It is not GERD. It may lead to GERD though.

First, most people and doctors won't/don't understand. Its not a known disease. You'll be told you have gas. Duh! Like I don't feel that all day, everyday of my life. Everyone has gas. Its releasing the gas thats the problem/trouble. The specialist I saw determined it was psychological because he was too lazy to research and did not have an answer. Burping has nothing to do with your mental state.

Most likely, the problem is the sphincter that connects your esophagus to your stomach. In everyone else this sphincter opens to release air. Mine won't unless I induce a stomach regurgitation reflex. Its an awful way to dispel the air, but it works. I must stick my finger down my throat to make it happen and I'm sure the acid reflux caused by the contraction of my stomach is bad for my esophagus, but it is my only way to alleviate the problem. I must do it daily or suffer the consequences…

Some doctors will tell you its normal not to belch, but this is so severe, it feels like the stomach will split open. Its like the esophagal sphincter tightens when it should relax. The more gas in your stomach, the more the tightening of the sphincter!?! It is extremely not normal to have this condition. A stomach that is so full of air it could split open should allow a burp.

Some doictors will tell you to change your diet. Some will give you gas pills. These treat the symptoms, not the problem itself. I'm amazed that doctors haven't come up with a treatment or even acknowledged the problem needs more than talk and medication. There is some good news…

The problem has a diagnosis. Its called "the ring of schatzki" Google it.

I have a blood relative that had a simple procedure done in Canada to fix his problem. Turns out he was having lots of difficulty burping and had the same symptoms. The ring at his esophagus was 9mm wide. The doctor did a test with liquid and found this out. They inserted a balloon type device to the opening and enlarged the rings to 17mm or more. He can burp now.

I am now armed with a doctors name, the procedure, telephone numbers etc. so I can go back to the doctor that refused to help or do further research and hopefully get my "ring of schatzki" enlarged to burp normally.

By the way, if you try to burp by sticking a finger down your throat, a large shot of bourbon immediately prior really helps to make the reflex happen easier.

I wish all of you undiagnosed non-burpers well. It is a really crappy way to live and then have no recourse through the local medical community. There are several posts from people, all with the exact same symptoms yet no help.

Huh, found this site too
http://vbulletin.thesite.org.uk/showthread.php?s=c6342936f9db90f4d8d4eb2113cdf719&t=87760&page=2

Someone there said this:
hey man, i have the same problem.. know exactly what you go thru.. it sucks bigtime.. always sick after I eat.. Basically from researching it.. i found that what it is is basically the opposite of acid reflux.. that valve that opens up when people get acid reflux, well, it likes to stay shut with us.. i've read that they can do surgery to fix it but i've found a way to burp.. it's not a normal sounding burp and won't allow you to burp on command but it will save you for sure when you feel sick from not being able to when you need to. here's how you do it.

when you feel like you should be burping or getting the air out do this.

stick your jaw out, tilt yur head up (get the straightest passage way you can)

contract your abdominal muscles (much like you do when yur puking) and open your throat as much as you can..

practice this as much as you can and you'll do it.. trust me.. i know how it is when you ask people and no one seems to get it.. all they say is "just swallow air" that does not work.. and means nothing.. i don't get why people say that.. anyway, try that and get back to me.



Apparentley you are not alone.....

My sister does this chin out, neck tall, head tipped technique to let out long outgasses. I think she can burp, but sometimes, she can't burp fast enough to let out the gas in her stomach (which is apparently filling it up fast!). She'll get out a dozen little nurps and then let out what almost sounds like a soft sigh for up to 3-4 seconds.

I knew a kid back in high school who could burp the alphabet up to the letter P with one burp.

But i'm sure thats not helping.

can't burp either!
OMG! I have the same exact problem. I am 40 years old and have never been able to burp. I am so miserable!! I have had lots of endoscopys, 2 colonoscopys and blood work. I just had that done about a week ago and I might have Celiac disease too. I've had GERD for a very long time as well. I feel like I have one of the most messed up stomachs in the world! I so know how you feel!

Similar Situation!
I get a similar problem with my stomach, especially after eating and drinking. i do burp but only VERY occasionally iv burped only twice in the past 18 months to 2 years! (its amazing what you remember when its a rare occurence!) i am crippled for hours if i drink a can of coke or other fizzy beverage (so no lager!) due to this i have to drink bitter or stout on nights out! my body does seem to attempt to release gas with this strange gurgling in the back of my throat (i call it belly bubbles) i have found a technique that seems to help a little which is to press my fingers into my belly in an anticlockwise motion (which unfortunately causes me to expel the gas from below... but better an empty house than a bad tenant eh?) hope this provides a little relief for some of you guys too!!

OMG thank you guys... I really really thought I was a weirdo, no one I know gets it. They think I'm being ridiculous when I talk about this, and that I've lost my nut when once or twice a year I get super excited over a tiny millisecond of what I am sure is a burp. I swear, its funny how insanely elated I feel over reading all of this.

wow..I have the same problem.. I want to go see a doctor and get rid of this problem as well..I am 21 and over the past few months I have found that Rolaids MULTI SYMPTOMS work! They have to be muli sympton and take like 4. You wont burp..but you will release all the gas built up out the other end..Nasty but you will feel better!

This thread is kinda old but I thought I'd respond anyway since I have this problem. In addition, I can't vomit. One time I had the stomach virus I dry heaved ALL day because nothing would come up. It was excruciating.
Back to the inability to burp... I also get an uncomfortable throat "growl" when I think I need to burp, then it goes back down. And it happens over and over and over again. I've tried "throat opening" technique and get nothing except maybe a gag reflex. But I did discover two things that help! 1. Lying flat on your back (which I discovered in a desperate attempt to stop the throat growl embarrassment while kissing a new boyfriend on the couch, post dinner date!) seems to alleviate the throat growl a little bit. And 2. you can buy these new fast dissolving gas-x minty strips that dissolve on your tongue. They are WONDERFUL and they make your breath fresh! Just don't take them if you are pregnant, since I think I remember hearing once that the active ingredient in gas x, simethicone, is teratogenic... not entirely sure, but better to be safe than sorry!

I ALSO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. & NOBODY CAN UNDERSTAND THE PATHETIC SITUATION OF OURS WITHOUT EXPERIENCING IT. WHAT I GENERALLY DO IS--- BRING YOUR LIPS IN POSITION LIKE YOU ARE PRONOUNCING 'U' OR 'O'. ROLE YOUR TOUNG FROM SIDES. EXTEND YOUR LOWER JAW. NOW SUCK AIR FROM MOUTH TO STOMACH. TRY FOR FEW TIMES. AND YES A BLOW OF AIR WILL COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH. ONLY PROBLEM IS PEOPLE AROUND YOU STARTS WATCHING AT YOU. BECAUSE OF LOUD SOUND LIKE VOMITING

OMG! I am 46 yrs old and can count on one hand how many times in my life a piddly little burp has snuk out, and of course it's never when I need it to..and not being able to drink carbonated sodas or beer and never knowing how miserable you are going to be after you eat. You just can't explain it to people. They have no clue. It's like the air gets stuck between my stomache and the top of my throat...I call it "Getting the gurgles" and though it isn't so much painful as it is just miserable and uncomfortable.....I am so glad to hear that there are others like me out there. I mentioned it once to my doctor, she looked at me funny and snickered...that's all I ever got out of her.

Hi all. I was so pleased to read all this as I've never met anyone else who ever described this inability to bump and particularly the 'throat growl" that just repeats and repeats without getting anywhere. I don't get it all the time but its a regular problem especially if I get nervous. I will try out some of the recommended remedies. Thanks

Hi again- I wonder if an inability to vomit is connected. I have rarely vomited and have also resisted vomiting particularly when I was a child. Have other people the same experience?

Hi I am a fellow nonburper. It truly effects every aspect of my daily life. I started with stomach problems at the age of 15. I had nver been able to burp, but it had never been a problem. As far as I can tell I do not swallow air and avoid carbonation, yet I constantly produce massive amounts of air in my upper stomach( not my intestines). I have had my esophagus tested and it tested normal, meaning I should be able to burp. I am tired of having test and getting no help. It seems to have gotten worse over the years. I am 33 now and have to stop several times each day to lay on my left side. As a RN, knowing the anatomy of the stomach I have figured out a technique that helps move the gas from the stomach to the intestines which will within 30 minutes to 1 hour allow you to pass massive amounts of gas. Because air rises if you lie on your left side, the gas in the stomach will rise up through the fluid in the stomach and start to make it's way out into the doudenum(small intestine). You may hear lots of stomach noises as this occurs. Even doing this for 5 minutes can provide some relief. It often thakes me about 30minutes to totaly debloat as I have so fondly named this coping technique. It may cause lots of lower GI bloating and discomfort as the gas that was meant to come out as a burp, travels through the intestines, but relief will come as it finally finds a way out. It sure would be much easier just to burp, but I have learned to be thankful for the time spent on my left side and blessed to have a husband who loves me no matter how gassy I am. Blessings!
SWW

My son is 14 years old now and had never ever been able to produce a single burp. Until he was like 2 years of age he couldn't swallow something that was a hard to chew, so he would keep it in his mouth and then just spit it out because it he tries to swallow he gags. I don't kow if it is connected with his inability to burp, but he swallows just fine now. He does complaint of too much gas in the stomack but otherwise no GI problems whatsoever. I tried to research it, but there is nothing out there with a scientific explanation to this phenomenon. I'm just happy to find out that he is not the only one with this. He gets jealous that his 4 yearold brother can do it and he is not....

I also cannot burp. I tell people "I can't drink soda because I can't burp" and I will literally be incapacitated for hours if the symptoms start. They don't always happen, but when they do, I get a gurgling in my esophagus that seems to rise, then go back down after a while. It's like a huge chest pressure just pushing out, but I am unable to relieve this pressure. Laying down is usually the temporary remedy, but often I am not in a situation where that is appropriate. There have been countless times when these symptoms have literally ruined entire moments. I played through an entire orchestra concert for 2 hours with the symptoms growing worse and worse, and the gas eventually forced itself out in a very LOUD, uncomfortable burp that let out a little food as well (which I swallowed quickly...)

I've told all my relatives, my parents (I'm still a teenager), my doctor...I had an endoscopy, but they checked my stomach (which I don't think is the source of the problem) They diagnosed acid reflux, but I know that that is not it. It's just as if some valve between your esophagus and mouth is closed, and the gas trapped in my esophagus is unable to escape.

My relatives all think its just a mental ailment, because if you do tell people, it really does seem pretty pathetic. BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFYINGLY INCAPACITATING. It renders me absolute useless for hours. I cannot do anything because it is so incredibly uncomfortable. All those burping techniques people are proposing, unfortunately they do not work for me.

But let it be known, you are not alone. I am a teen and I have the problem. And it often seems to trigger when I am anxious or nervous. Which is often the worst time for it to start. When it does start, I have to stop all activities and just lie down for a while, which alleviates the symptoms.

I really wish that doctors would find a solution to this. The problem is, any time you tell a doctor your symptoms (ESPECIALLY if you are an adolescent), they don't really bother to listen. They diagnose something more commonplace, but they don't stop to really think about what you are experiencing. I knew for a fact I didn't have acid reflux, but my parents and doctor proposed having an endoscopy and they put me on antacids.

I read in a post above about the Schatzki ring, and I read that they were usually able to detect that through the liquid barium x-ray test. I also have had this test, but it supposedly did not reveal anything. It may, however, have been because they were only looking for acid reflux that time. I could do that barium x-ray test again and have them look for Schatzki ring, but I'm still really unsure of what to do. Does anyone have any other thoughts on this?