“People underestimate how much not being able to burp impacts your quality of life,” Ayla Cardinal, who has RCPD, tells PEOPLE
NEED TO KNOW
- Ayla Cardinal has retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (RCPD), which prevents her from burping
- After getting Botox, the 25-year-old was finally able to burp for the first time and revealed what her post-operation burps sound like in a viral TikTok
- Cardinal tells PEOPLE about her experience with RCPD, her Botox treatment and the reaction to her viral TikTok
Ayla Cardinal has never been able to burp — until now.
For her entire life, the 25-year-old Canada native has had a condition that prevents her from burping, called retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction (RCPD). Also widely referred to as “no burp syndrome,” it is “a rare condition in which people are unable to burp or belch,” per Yale Medicine.
Cardinal — who lives in Edmonton, Alberta — has “been dealing with it ever since I can remember,” she tells PEOPLE. But dealing with it became an entirely different beast after she found others with the condition online and a doctor who treats it in person, she says.
After a Botox injection in her throat, she is now able to burp, a feat she demonstrated with a viral TikTok, where she goes by @theburpbarbie. She now considers herself “self-proclaimed spokesperson for the non-burping community,” according to her bio on the platform.
Telling PEOPLE about her experience with RCPD, Cardinal says that as far back as she can remember, “I would experience gurgling noises in my throat, extreme bloating and abdominal pain.”
@theburpbarbie
#noburp #botox #rcpd
♬ Relaxation in the Multiverse (Remix) – Saymon Cleiton
“Sometimes, if I drank too much carbonation or alcoholic beverages, I would get very nauseous and would essentially need to trigger my gag reflex to ‘vomit’ the air out,” she adds. “I was uncomfortable most of the time, no matter what I ate or drank.”
After hearing about RCPD online, Cardinal asked her physician about it, and after a “swallowing test” indicated no issues, she went without treatment for a few more years.
Then, through Reddit, she learned of an ENT doctor near her who treats the rare condition and got a referral. The new doctor diagnosed her with RCPD and recommended a procedure to treat the condition: Botox injections in the cricopharyngeus, a sphincter muscle located at the base of the throat.
Essentially, Cardinal explains, “This relaxes the muscle around your throat enough to let air out.”
She had her first treatment in September 2025. The procedure, in which a surgeon injected the Botox via laryngoscopy, only took around 30 minutes, Cardinal says. And it changed everything.
Four days later, Cardinal had her first burp and, though it was admittedly “small,” her reaction to it was not. “I cried and so did my best friend,” she tells PEOPLE. "I was so happy."
@theburpbarbie
be nice to me I’m new at this. With the help of @Coca-Cola Diet Coke cherry #rcpd #botox #noburp #burp
♬ Welcome To The Store (STEM pad) – Homegrown / BMGPM
But the effects of the procedure “wore off” not long after that. “I was only able to get a small burp out a couple times per week,” Cardinal says, adding that she was also “still experiencing lots of gurgling noises.”
A second treatment was required, she learned at a follow-up appointment one month after the initial injection. The dosage for the next injection, which took place on Jan. 30, was also upped, Cardinal says.
“The first time, they injected 60 units of Botox in my cricopharyngeus, and the second time, they injected 75 units,” she recalls. “The day after, I began burping like crazy. This was so exciting for me.”
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“My surgeon explained to me that I need to keep drinking fizzy drinks and practicing burping lots so I can train the muscle and hopefully not require any further treatment,” added Cardinal.
@theburpbarbie
This burp did not want to fully commit. I did not realize how many people have the misfortune of not being able to burp. FAQ coming soon for all my fellow on burpers. In the meantime, comment your favourite fizzy drink recommendations 🤍🤍. #noburp #botox #rcpd #burp #bubly
♬ Healing Water – The Meditation – Red Blue Studio
She even documented the training with a video, demonstrating her new burping abilities by swigging a soda and, well, you know. “Pov: you've never been able to burp before getting throat Botox and now they come out like this,” she wrote alongside the TikTok, which amassed over 1 million likes.
Since the second treatment — and her viral moment — Cardinal says, “I no longer feel bloated after eating or drinking carbonated beverages as I am able to release excess air by burping.”
“For a couple weeks, following each procedure, I did experience slow swallow where it takes longer for food to move down your esophagus,” she adds, noting that it was “uncomfortable, but wore off eventually.”
Since sharing her story, Cardinal says she has found even more people with RCPD.
“I didn’t realize how many people out there struggled with this condition!” she tells PEOPLE. “I had thousands of comments on my video reporting that they struggle with the same thing, and it is difficult to get treatment for as many doctors are not aware of the condition.
“People underestimate how much not being able to burp impacts your quality of life.”
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