I've been suffering from nausea/acid reflux/IBS since I was a teenager. I've been on every "purple pill" in the book, but NOTHING has helped. This is DEFINITELY an odd question, but....is anyone PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO BURP?

I cannot burp, even if I TRY to release the "pressure" that I feel. I can pretty much count on two hands how many times I've burped in my entire recollection. I get this "bubble" at the bottom of my ribs, it seems right where my stomach goes to my esophagus. And it just STAYS THERE. If I lean forward, sometimes it comes up (not as a burp, but just as a NOISE). Sometimes I have to drink water, and it comes up easier and I get relief. Burps do not come up naturally for me....and people tell me HOW to make myself burp, but it just DOESN'T.

But if the gas/reflux DOESN'T come up, I go into VIOLENT dry heaves. This especially happens in the morning...or brushing my teeth...after waiting TOO LONG to eat...and after eating too much. But lately...if I smell something that bothers me...I automatically gag. I feel like I'm "training" myself to gag.

Does anyone know if this trait could be HEREDITARY? My father (who back in the day was a frat guy at college and drank MANY a beer in his life) says he CANNOT burp either. He suffers from very bad acid reflux and is on many meds to control it. Sometimes ginger helps me - ginger chews, ginger capsules, flat ginger ale - they actually help me BETTER than any prescription med.

I don't eat any of my "trigger" foods and I don't drink soda or coffee. Gah. I've had two endoscopies, two barium swallows, stomach emptying tests. It doesn't look like my esophagus is damaged. I was on prendisone for a few months because of gastritis, but that was YEARS ago.

I was just wondering if this "gag reflex" can be controlled somehow. It's wreaking havoc on my every day life and work schedule. I read into acupuncture? Does anyone else have this "inability" to burp? Is this part of having acid reflux - something that, after all time, could've evolved into gagging? I've had the dry heaves/gags randomly for about a year, but they have become daily in the past two months.

Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

I have pretty much the exact same symptoms. I cannot burp either, instead I get these weird hiccup things. I usually take a combination of 150mg Zantac with maximum strentgh Gas-X, and that helps just a little bit.

But Sometimes the gagging feeling is just too strong, but for me, it helps if I sit upright with my knees up by my chest, and rest my head on my knees. That position seems to take some of the pressure out of my throat, and usually within an hour or so I'll start to feel better. I will also take small sips of water and that usually helps a little bit.

I posted a similar topic a few weeks ago, and a member named Harry listed some different supplements to try for help, but I wasn't able to get back on the forums to get the info again, so maybe he'll post them up again for us;)

Hope I helped you out a little bit.

I get the exact same thing !!!
I physically cannot burp and pressure builds up and I get really bad retching and lately the pressure's been sooo bad air like actual burping has started to come up but I can't control it cause I've never burped !
It's such a horrible thing - It interferes with my life and I wish it would stop .
Sometimes I get really worried that something really serious is wrong with me and I'm scared of the damage it's doing to my body .
I know I should quit everything bad for me but I love to have a drink , I'm addicted to cola (fizzy drinks ) and I've basically quit smoking but I still enjoy a few a night - I know I should quit all these things but I don't want to !
Anyway hope someone can help us find a way to help this stop ,
Reflux tabs don't even work for me .
Just relieved to find someone else to talk about it with, what a worry .

Me too. I get this weird gurgling sound instead of a burp. It is like air is trying to get out, but it physically can't. I have had this problem forever. The doctors just thought it was acid reflux, but it really isn't. The doctors I have talked to just said drink pop..this DOESN'T help. No matter the situation, I cannot burp! It really is a problem, and it hinders me everyday. I try to move to cover the sound when it happens, but it really doesn't help. Holding my breath keeps it in momentarally, however, this is probably not helping the situation. The problem got worse when I was in sychronized swimming. I think me holding my breath for so long has just continuously trapped air in my stomach, or where ever. It happens after I eat too. I don't know how to stop it because it is uncontrollable. Tums or anything like that doesn't help.

how do i post a new thread?

I have the same problem (sounds like), but infrequent, and it's meal-induced.

I think the term is "meal-induced gastric distention". I had a horrible bout last night, after eating a small amount of food including garlic. I was in agony for 1/2 hour. Stomach is so bloated, the burp reflex doesn't work.
The swallow reflex is also inhibited, but forcing myself to swallow really hard (and painful) let's out a little gas burp.

I retched up some bubbly saliva (no food) several times, and reasoned that my stomach was pouring out juice like a faucet, and the hydrochloric (or peptic) acid was making a gas, keeping me inflated like a balloon.

I know a little biochemistry, and know that digestive juice production is an immune reaction to the food, and you can shut it off with a stomach acid pill.
I had some Prilosecs from a few years ago, and swallowed one. Instant relief!! I mean, we're talking about like flipping a switch.

Now, I'm going to carry one in my wallet, and whenever I feel the "can't burp" attack coming on, I'll down one.

If any M.Ds can chime in, please do. It would help to know the medical term for "can't burp". Gastric distention isn't specific enough.

One thing I've noticed over the last couple of weeks is that, when I get this feeling, and I take a small sip of water, the pressure in my throat feels better for about a minute, then comes right back. I don't know if this is significant in any way, but thought some one might have some insight on it.

P.S. I know the easy answer would be, "well, just drink more water", but I can't, because my stomach already feels super bloated, and drinking the water makes my stomach feel worse.

Ohhh ! It's so good that there's other people I can talk to about this !!
No one I know feels this way ... Keep the info coming ! :)
given2fly - I know exactly what you mean about the water -
peebee10- I will be looking up meal induced gastric distention on the net now.
You know what I hate , all the docs I've been to say it's acid reflux but none of the meds for acid reflux helps me - think I'll be on the search for some prilosecs but have never heard of them !

- think I'll be on the search for some prilosecs but have never heard of them !

You can get Prilosec OTC at any super market

I've been sufferring from this gagging or dry heaves for two years now. Symptom gets worse when stomach is empty. Sometimes I can burp, sometimes can't, and feel like air is trapped in the food pipe. As the pressure buildup I would gag very hard to the degree I can hear my chest bone click. Drinking or eating only provides temporary relief. Antiacid drug doesn't help at all. If I take 0.25mg Xanax I can get about one day of relief but it makes me feel drowsy. I plan to try motilium as I guess it may be motility problem but unfortunately this drug is not available in US. Doctor only gives you Reglan which I heard has very bad side effect. Very frustrated.

If your symptoms get worse when you get hungry, try carrying some Zantac's around with you. I have the same problem, if I get too hungry, I get bad stomach aches, and that pressure in my throat, so if I know I won't be able to get some food quickly, I'll take a Zantac 150mg to neutralize the acid that builds up when you're hungry with an empty stomach. Helps a little bit, not much, but enough so I can at least still function. So far Zantac 150 is the only medicine that even feels like it slightly makes a difference.

Oh thank goodness! I'm not weird! I'm 19 and I can never burp either, and the gurgling noise is horribly embarassing. Thanks for posting and letting the meek among you know that we're not alone!
From what I've read, this is a symptom of gerd. I also read that there are ways of fixing the issue permanently. Does anyone know details?
I've also found ways to limit it a little though nothing really works, and it always happens at the WORST time possible. Still, I'll offer my all-but-useless tips:
-Don't eat too much sugar at once, especially late at night.
-Don't chew gum, especially mint flavors
-If you're really trying to silence it (say you're at a quiet symphony hall, like last night, thank you very much) hold your breath or breathe very slowly. Suck in a bit so your diaphragm drops. It won't help the problem go away, but it will silence it.

I have this problem too -I can't burp! I'm 16 and this first started happening about 5-6 months ago.

After I eat (a meal, or even sometimes something smaller), for about an hour and a half after I have these little "sounds" coming out of my mouth, they don't sound like burps, but they are uncontrollable, it really sucks because when I'm explaining something to someone I have these sounds coming out of my mouth and when im in a ceremony or something I had these...


there is no pain involved of any kind, just these little annoying "burps"!

I haven't taken any pill of any kind, neither have I gone to the doctor, I do have a doctor appointment this sunday so ill ask him about it.

any suggestions?

hi guys.

check out this forum. you'll find there are a lot of people with the same problem as you and hopefully we'll find answers and solutions soon..

http://www.mywhimislaw.com/cantburp/

Some exciting news:

A dedicated website is being set up to raise awareness and support
people with this condition. Until recently, there was no central place on the
internet to discuss this issue.

The new site, GURGLES.ORG, is now being constructed, but the discussion
board is now up and running and ready for use:

COMMUNITY: http://community.gurgles.org
MAIN SITE: http://www.gurgles.org

Please take time to visit, as we are hoping to help consolidate discussion of
this condition so that information about it can be more easily accessed,
searched, and readily available.

Thanks!