Botox for burping? Doctors use injections to treat ‘no burping syndrome’

Burping is often considered a “faux pas” as it can be embarrassing and unpleasant, especially in social situations.

But for some, the inability to burp can be a problem that can cause discomfort. There is even a medical name for the condition: retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (CPD), also known as “no burping syndrome“.

The cricopharyngeus is the main muscle of the upper esophageal sphincter, the upper door to the esophagus. Without burping syndrome, this muscle does not relax, which interferes with the burping process, according to Neil Chheda, MD, associate professor and vice chair of the department of otolaryngology and chief of the division of laryngology at UF Health in Gainesville, Florida.

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“Both men and women can be affected and the risk factors for developing this condition are unknown,” Chheda told Fox News Digital.

The inability to burp is a medical condition called retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (CPD), also known as “no-burp syndrome.” (iStock)

The inability to burp may not seem like a big deal, but it can bring serious challenges, the doctor said.

“Those who cannot burp may report quality of life problems, such as bloating, gurgling, and discomfort with certain food and drinkslike carbonated drinks,” Chheda said.

Here’s why you’re bloated and what to do about the common digestive condition.

Priya Krishna, MD, an otolaryngologist in the department of head and neck surgery at Loma Linda University in California, agreed that no belching syndrome can cause “significant psychological distress“in the affected person.

“It actually severely affects an individual’s life, making social situations embarrassing because the gurgling can be loud and the flatulence excessive,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Those who cannot burp may report quality of life problems, such as bloating, gurgling, and discomfort with certain foods and drinks.”

If there are over-the-counter options, prescription medications and lifestyle changes don’t solve belching problems, patients may turn to Botox as a possible remedy, medical experts say.

Whether injected into the face for a cosmetic procedure or elsewhere on the body for a functional reason, Botox works by preventing a motor nerve from releasing the chemical transmitter that tells the muscle to contract, explained Dr. Chheda of UF Health.

Botox works by preventing a motor nerve from releasing the chemical transmitter that tells the muscle to contract. (iStock)

“When Botox is injected into the cricopharyngeus, the muscle cannot contract and therefore relaxes and allows ventilation of the esophagus.”

As a result, this can help the patient burp.

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Dr. Krishna of Loma Linda University told Fox News Digital that a Botox injection can be a very safe procedure as long as it is injected into the correct, desired muscle.

“That means having a surgeon familiar with the anatomy, like all otolaryngologists, inject the cricopharyngeus muscle,” he said.

While the inability to burp may not seem like a big problem, it can bring serious challenges, one doctor said. (iStock)

The remedy was discovered by Robert Bastian, MD, otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat physician) and director of the Bastian Voice Institute in Downers Grove, Illinois.

“I have subspecialized in laryngology (the ‘T’ in otolaryngology), which stands for voice, swallowing, upper airway, sensory neuropathic cough and inability to burp, or R-CPD,” he told Fox News Digital. “That’s why I describe myself as a ‘laryngologist.'”

Bastian said he pioneered the procedure of injecting Botox into the cricopharyngeus muscle, allowing it to loosen and allow burping.

What to expect from the procedure

According to Bastian, there are two methods for using Botox to induce burping.

The first is a brief procedure under general anesthesia in an outpatient operating room.

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“A simple ‘shotgun’ procedure allows you to see the sphincter, at the junction between the lower part of the throat and the opening of the esophagus,” the doctor told Fox News Digital. “A small needle is then inserted into the muscle to inject Botox.”

“Both men and women can be affected and the risk factors for developing this condition are unknown,” one doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)

Because of the anesthesia, someone must drive the patient home after the procedure.

The second method is to inject the muscle while the patient is sitting in a chair in a medical office.

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“A needle is passed into the muscle from the side of the neck. The surgeon uses surface landmarks and three-dimensional visualization, and an EMG device monitors and verifies the location of the muscle,” Bastian described.

The patient can drive to and from the procedure as only local anesthesia is used.

A Botox injection can be a very safe procedure as long as it is injected into the correct and desired muscle, one doctor said. (iStock)

Bastian said it has been rewarding to pioneer the Botox method.

“It has been a great privilege to be the one who ‘discovered’ and coded the diagnosis and helped spread the information to other doctors… and above all, it has been an honor to work with lovely patients who have suffered so much and for so long. this terrible disorder,” he told Fox News Digital.

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One patient of Bastian’s spoke about the effectiveness of the procedure, saying that it allowed him to burp, that “any gurgling is gone,” and that “the swelling has gone down almost completely,” the doctor shared.

The patient also noted that undergoing the procedure “dramatically” improved their daily life.

Fox News Digital has contacted the manufacturer of Botox and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for comment.