Fizzy drinks and positions
Quick summary
- Some people practise burping by having a fizzy drink, then using a position to help the air up.
- But for many people with R-CPD, fizzy drinks make symptoms worse (opens in a new tab).
- Lying on your left side for about an hour gave some people short-term relief (opens in a new tab). It doesn't make you burp, but it can ease the pressure.
Do fizzy drinks help you burp if you have R-CPD?
Usually not on their own. A UK specialist found symptoms are worse with fizzy drinks and beer (opens in a new tab). In a study of children, all 5 got worse with fizzy drinks (opens in a new tab).
So why do some people use them? A 2026 review says patients online use a fizzy drink to bring up gas on purpose, then practise letting it out. Burp training means learning to time the opening of the throat with gas reflux induced by drinking a carbonated beverage (opens in a new tab). In other words, the drink gives you a gurgle to practise on.
How do people practise with a fizzy drink?
- Pick a time when you can relax, at home, not before a big event.
- Sip a small glass of a fizzy drink slowly. Don't gulp a whole can.
- Sit up straight and wait for a gurgle.
- Try a position from the list below, and relax into the burp.
- Stop if it gets painful. If the air won't come up, lie on your left side for a while (see below).
Which positions help air come up?
These come from a US voice clinic, a speech therapy study and patient posts:
- Tuck your chin down towards your chest.
- Turn your head sharply to one side, then the other.
- Lower your voice box as if you're starting a yawn.
The clinic says some tuck the chin, turn the head sharply to one side or the other, lower the larynx as if yawning (opens in a new tab). A speech therapy routine in a US study also used laryngeal lowering, jaw protrusion, head turn and tuck, and torso anchoring (opens in a new tab). That means lowering the voice box, pushing the jaw forward, turning and tucking the head, and keeping the body steady.
Does lying on your left side help?
It might give you a break. In a UK study, some people got short-term relief by lying on their left side for about an hour (opens in a new tab). The air moves down instead and leaves as wind. It won't teach you to burp, but it can ease the pressure on a bad day.
What do people with R-CPD say?
“It finally clicked one afternoon after I had been humming and drinking sparkling water (to help build up more pressure).”
“sit up straight, kind of tilt my head slightly down, open my mouth about halfway, and breath in while i feel it coming”
“I cured my R-CPD by focusing on body and neck posture and positioning. The steps I took: Make sure my posture (body, neck, head, tongue) were perfect while gurgles occurred.”
“I took it into my own hands and intentionally drank sparkling water so that I could try to burp, by focusing on the muscles and force my throat to adjust.”
“I saw the advice of turning your head to the side when the gurgles start because it can move the muscles just enough that a small burp can escape.”
Patient reports. Short quotes, linked to the original post. We leave out usernames.
What does the evidence say?
- Fizzy drinks often make R-CPD symptoms worse (opens in a new tab).
- Lying on your left side gave short-term relief (opens in a new tab) to some people in one UK study.
- Positions like a head turn helped 6 of 7 people (opens in a new tab) in a small US study, but they also had Botox. Nobody has tested positions alone for R-CPD.
Frequently asked questions
Does lying on your left side help with trapped air?
It can ease the pressure for a while. In one UK study, some people with R-CPD got short-term relief (opens in a new tab) from lying on their left side for about an hour.
Should I drink fizzy drinks if I can't burp?
Be careful. For many people with R-CPD, fizzy drinks make symptoms worse (opens in a new tab). Some people use a small sip to practise burping, but stop if it hurts.
What position helps you burp?
People try tucking the chin, turning the head to one side, or lowering the voice box as if yawning. A US voice clinic says some tuck the chin, turn the head sharply (opens in a new tab).
Sources
- Karagama 2021, Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol (free full text) (opens in a new tab)
- Hoffman et al. 2022, Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol (opens in a new tab)
- Lehmann and Kahrilas 2026, narrative review (free full text) (opens in a new tab)
- Keltz et al. 2025, Laryngoscope (opens in a new tab)
- Laryngopedia: What to expect after Botox for R-CPD (opens in a new tab)
Other things people try
- Shaker exercise (head lift)Lie flat and lift your head to look at your toes. The exercise people mention most.23 of 120 people mention it
- Relaxing into the burpNotice the gurgle, relax your throat and let it come up. Don't force it.78 of 120 people mention it
- Side neck sit upsLie on your side and lift your head towards the ceiling. Often done with the Shaker.12 of 120 people mention it
- Throat massage and pressureGentle massage around the voice box. Never hitting or squeezing your neck.21 of 120 people mention it
- Back, chest, yoga and postureGym work, yoga, physio for the back, and sitting up straight.23 of 120 people mention it
- Fizzy drinks and positionsLying on your left side, chin tucks, head turns, and practising with a fizzy drink.47 of 120 people mention it
- Swallowing airA few people gulp air to practise. It can make bloating worse, so read the warnings.25 of 120 people mention it
- Diet: less gasLow FODMAP, fewer fizzy drinks, eating slowly. Can ease symptoms while you try other things.7 of 120 people mention it
- HypnosisThe only non-Botox, non-surgery case in the medical papers so far.Backed by one published case
- Speech therapy and physio (BERP)A therapist teaches you positions to let a burp out. Tested in a small study.7 of 120 people mention it
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