Woman’s rare condition meant she couldn’t burp for six years

By Jake Meeus-Jones

A woman's rare condition left her unable to burp for six years.

Caitlin Jones, 20, has retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction — also known as no burp syndrome.

She noticed when she tried to burp after lockdown in 2020 that instead of the muscles working properly, they wouldn't release air in the correct way — meaning she would end up gargling and sounding like a "frog."

After seeing her general practitioner, Caitlin claims she was "fobbed off," where they said it was "normal" for her not to be able to burp and believed she had IBS.

She then decided to go privately instead in 2023, where she was diagnosed with the condition and had 50 units of Botox injected into one side of the cricopharyngeal muscle — costing her $1,070.

Unfortunately, this didn't work initially, but after another round in 2026 costing her $1,340, Caitlin had 100 units of Botox injected into both sides of the cricopharyngeal muscle, which has relieved her symptoms.

After years of discomfort and "embarrassing" situations, this has allowed her to have her social life back and means she doesn't have to "hide away anymore."

While it may not be a permanent fix, this allowed her to burp for the first time in six years.

Caitlin, a commercial cleaner from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said: "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.

"It's to do with puberty when your muscles are changing so that's when it happened for me.

"I went down to London to see a doctor in 2023 initially and the treatment work the first time round.

"I wanted to try it again this year after I'd been struggling with depression and anxiety.

"I had 50 units on each side of the throat on Tuesday (April 7) — so double the dose of the first time.

"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."

Caitlin noticed she could no longer burp when returning to school after the COVID lockdown.

She said: "When I first had it, I felt completely different.

"I went back to school with anxiety, and I realised I wasn't able to burp.

"I had gurgling in my throat, pressure in my chest and throat, nausea after eating or when waking up and if I'd been drinking carbonated drinks, I got more gurgles, and flatulence."

Caitlin initially turned to YouTube to try and self-diagnose after speaking to her family about her symptoms.

She said: "I was anxious when I went back to school and I realised I just couldn't burp.

"I Googled and searched on YouTube to try and find out more.

"I found a video talking about it and all the symptoms of this condition they were describing was what I had.

"My family and friends were unsure at first what was going on.

"But when I did discover it, it shocked them how unusual it was.

"They understood what I was going through."

Caitlin decided to go to the doctors in October 2020 to find out what was going on.

She said: "I told the doctors and said I couldn't burp and I had anxiety.

"It really upset me when I left the doctors that they didn't believe me — I knew something wasn't right with me."

Caitlin, who originally shared her story with Talk to the Press, struggled with social situations after being diagnosed.

She said: "It stopped me being in social situations as I was embarrassed and anxious.

"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.

"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.

"But I slowly learnt how to deal with it.

"I had to go into a quiet space to try and calm down and control it."

Now she has finally been able to burp for the first time in six years — after her Botox treatment started working.

Caitlin is now hoping that the Botox will continue to help her to burp effectively and that her muscles can re-learn the process.