Woman unable to burp for six years reveals side effects before unusual Botox treatment
A British woman's rare condition which left her unable to burp for six years has detailed the side effects she endured before going through Botox treatment.
It was back during the Covid lockdown of 2020 when Caitlin Jones noticed she couldn't burp properly due to the muscles not releasing air in the correct way.
Instead, the 20-year-old would end up gargling and sounding like a 'frog'. Doctors initially put her symptoms down to IBS, but going private in 2023 provided her with the correct diagnosis.
Speaking of her symptoms, Caitlin explained: "I'd get a lot of pressure in my neck and chest so if a burp needed to come out, I'd get gurgles instead - like a frog noise.
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"It's to do with puberty when your muscles are changing so that's when it happened for me."
The commercial cleaner was diagnosed with retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction, a condition where the cricopharyngeus muscle in the throat fails to relax, leading to the prevention of burping.
Following that, Caitlin had 50 units of Botox injected into one side of the cricopharyngeal muscle, which cost her over $1,000.
While that expensive treatment didn't work, Caitlin returned for another round in 2026, costing her $1,300 this time, which has relieved her symptoms.
"I had 50 units on each side of the throat on Tuesday [April 7] - so double the dose of the first time," she said.
"I've burped three times since then - the first time since 2020!
"I had a small burp, then a normal one and then one lasted five seconds!
"Usually with the Botox it does eventually wear off bit whilst it's still there your body can learn to burp again - it depends on your body."
After receiving her diagnosis, Caitlin struggled in social situations, as she had become too 'embarrassed and anxious' to put herself into those places she'd previously loved.
"If I went out for a meal with friends I would always be gurgling and it was really embarrassing - everyone else could sit there and eat and I couldn't," the Brit explained.
"Sometimes I had to leave or go and sit in the car.
"The first couple of years after I found out I had it, my anxiety was through the roof, and I didn't leave the house."
Caitlin has 'learnt how to deal' with her health issue in recent times and she's hoping that the Botox treatment will continue to help her manage the unpleasant symptoms.
Callum Jones