People are discovering they've had 'no burp syndrome' their entire life as woman speaks out

A woman who was unable to burp for over 40 years has opened people's eyes to the reality of no-burp syndrome, while also revealing exactly what helped her finally solve the issue.

Gemma Renwick went viral on social media for her explainer on RCPD (Retrograde Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction), a condition which has plagued her for all her life, causing issues such as extreme bloating, painful trapped gas and croaking noises.

Having struggled with the condition all her life, Gemma, who lives in Eastleigh, was regularly told by her GP that the issue was likely IBS, trapped wind or even simply anxiety, and it wasn't until 2024 that she finally had her diagnosis.

She said: "Everyone knows what trapped wind is like but it's like that but times a million, it's so painful. It's not just in your tummy but in your chest too.

"You get breathless and feel like you can't swallow or breathe. You cannot physically eat or drink anything else because the air is there and trapped."

After a TikTok video reached thousands, Gemma appeared on Good Morning Britain to raise awareness of the rare condition, many others are describing their similar experiences of being unable to burp, including former Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall.

Fortunately, when Gemma was researching her own symptoms and diagnosis, she came across another video which recommended botox, or 'throtox', where botox is injected into the throat muscle to help relax it and pass gas more easily.

The mum-of-two sought treatment from a private healthcare and after paying £920, her life was changed for the better.

Gemma said: "This Botox is utterly life-changing, I can't believe I waited so long to do it.

"If I knew what it was and if people knew that RCPD was a thing, and that that was the treatment, everybody could have it.

"None of the doctors have ever understood it. They basically just tell you they've never heard of it before and it makes you feel really weird because you feel like you're the only person in the world with it.

"It was a massive relief to finally feel like it's not just me. You feel very seen and heard and just a massive relief of 'oh my God, I might be able to get help for it'.

"I'd say by day four or five [after the treatment] they were coming out better and I was getting bigger burps and now I'm doing loads of burps now.

"It feels amazing and I haven't had any bloating for five weeks and I haven't had any wind down below or tummy issues."

Having endured issues for so long that often left her 'air vomiting' and struggling to socialise, Gemma is now focused on helping others who are going through what she has been through.

She concluded: "I feel like everybody needs to know about it, especially GPs. It's not their fault they didn't know what it was.

"But ultimately we need awareness just so the government takes it seriously so it's included in training for new GPs."