A WOMAN who couldn't burp has finally had her first belch thanks to a Botox injection.
Natalie Bickel, who has a condition called no-burp syndrome, said she suffered "uncomfortable" bloating and couldn't fit into her clothes due to her "stretched out"belly.
"It stopped me from hanging out with people and going to events as I felt so bloated and I didn't know what to wear," the 29-year-old from Indiana, US, said.
The only effective way she could release gas was by flatulence, which she admits was not ideal and often left her husband Jacob in stitches.
The PR specialist spent two years visiting doctors, getting tests and eliminating foods in an attempt to ease her discomfort, but nothing worked.
In May this year, Natalie saw an ear, nose and throat specialist who diagnosed her with retrograde cricopharyngeal dysfunction (R-CPD).
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According to the NHS, the condition occurs when the muscle at the top of the oesophagus (food pipe) don't relax properly.
In May, she was treated with a Botox injection into the throat, specifically the cricopharyngeal muscle.
This temporarily paralyses the muscle, allowing it to relax and release pockets of gas.
She received a general anaesthetic before the 10-minute-long procedure and paid close to $1,000 (£782), after insurance deductions.
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Immediately after the treatment, Natalie had a sore throat and was unable to swallow properly.
But within two weeks, she could burp.
She said: "I've seen improvement, but it's not been life changing.
"I can't make myself burp like other people – as in I can't force the air out when it feels like it needs to come out.
"It's funny because I gasp every time I have a burp because they're so random.
"My bloating has gone down as well."
Despite having less flatulence now, she claims to still fart more than the average person.
Natalie said: "My husband finds my flatulence funny, but it's definitely not ideal.
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"I don't want to be doing that all the time around him. But he's not grossed out by it."
Natalie plans to return for a second round of Botox treatment after her check up next month to hopefully help her learn to burp on demand.
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