Woman couldn’t burp and could only ‘make noises like a dinosaur’ – now she’s found a surprising cure

An influencer who couldn’t burp, causing her to make ’embarrassing’ dinosaur-like noises along with flatulence, has found a surprising cure for her condition.

Lauren Petrie, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, first realized she was no longer fit to farm at the age of 17.

As a result, she said she suffered from extreme bloating, cramping and loud saurian gurgling sounds from her throat for years and also “farted a lot.”

But although she had suffered from this strange disease for years, Lauren, now 34, found herself becoming increasingly debilitating over the past two years.

A clip shared by Lauren shows her opening her mouth and a mini ‘dinosaur roar’-like sound coming out. But she found relief from a bizarre source, Botox.

Before Lauren turned to the mainly cosmetic injection, her symptoms became so severe and frequent that it “consumed her entire life,” as she began to fear going out.

She eventually developed a condition called Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction (RCPD), in which the muscle at the back of her throat cannot relax, preventing air from escaping from the stomach during a belch.

This can cause people with RCPD to experience bloating and pain in the abdomen and chest, excessive flatulence, nausea, and gurgling sounds from the neck and chest.

RCPD was only medically defined in 2019, meaning experts are still investigating how rare it is and what treatment options are available.

Lauren eventually found relief by spending £6,000 on Botox injections in her neck and throat and saw her symptoms improve dramatically.

Botos is the most well-known brand of the substance Botulinum toxin, which is known for paralyzing facial muscles with the aim of reducing wrinkles.

Although most commonly used in the cosmetic industry, Botox is used medically by the NHS for its ability to paralyze muscles which can treat conditions such as chronic headaches, excessive sweating and a variety of neurological problems.

Recalling her experience with RCPD before getting Botox, Lauren said, “It’s so embarrassing. My throat made a very loud gurgling sound. It sounds a bit like a frog.

‘It always happened in the most awkward situations you know, even at school in meetings, you know when it’s supposed to be quiet and suddenly my throat made a strange noise.

‘It was really loud and embarrassing. It sounded like a dinosaur.

‘Because the air can’t come up through my mouth, the air naturally goes the other way. The air has to come out somehow.

‘That (breaking wind) was of course also quite difficult. Luckily my friend has a good sense of humor.’

Although Lauren had given her an inexplicable biological quirk at the time, it was starting to become disruptive.

“Two and a half years ago it became a chronic illness for me, no matter what I ate or drank,” she said.

The influencer and YouTube content creator who makes videos about tattoos ultimately suffered from a condition called Retrograde Cricopharyngeus Dysfunction, in which the muscle in the back of her throat cannot relax, preventing air from escaping from the stomach during a belch .

Lauren eventually found relief by spending £6,000 on Botox injections in her neck and throat and saw her symptoms improve dramatically

‘I woke up, had a good two hours and then I had all my symptoms. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t fun.

‘Sometimes it was so bad that I felt like I was drowning in my own air, like my chest felt terrible.

‘It actually took my whole life. In my mid-twenties it got to the point where I dreaded going out all day.”

Lauren first went to her GP in November 2022, but because they couldn’t help, she went to an ear, nose and throat specialist who recommended she get Botox.

However, last year two routine Botox treatments were unsuccessful and it was ultimately decided that Lauren would have to undergo a special procedure where she would be put under anesthesia.

The operation, undertaken earlier this month, would allow a larger amount of Botox than the two previous attempts to be injected directly into her throat.

Fortunately, this latest round of shots has proven successful so far and Lauren has been given a new lease of life.

‘It feels liberating. I was so happy. This higher dose works so much better. So I pray this is the dose that sticks,” she said.

‘I haven’t been out yet, but I do have plans for November and December to go out and enjoy London.

“Do the whole Winter Wonderland thing and eat some churros without feeling miserable.

‘Yesterday I managed to have breakfast and an early lunch, something I couldn’t do for years and I thought, oh my god, this is amazing and I didn’t feel like messing around afterwards either.

‘It’s stupid that you have to pay so much money for something so simple. But I’m very grateful and lucky that I can afford it.’