I accidentally swallowed a live german cockroach in my last drink from a can of alcoholic beverage. I can’t stop imagining it trying to crawl back out of my throat. Approximately how long will it live inside of me?

r/

I’ve been drinking many fluids since. But I feel like maybe it’s gripping on right at the lower end of my esophagus and crawling back up between downpours. Is this plausible?

Update: I think it’s dead now. The wriggling lump in my throat was probably psychosomatic and your reassurances killed it. Thank you. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to live with that feeling before performing a self-esophagectomy.

Comments

  1. SomeDoOthersDoNot Avatar

    It’s dead. Dead dead.

  2. weaslelou Avatar

    Ugh… This is an unfortunate day to have a cockroach phobia and the ability to read…

  3. Alternative-Car-2824 Avatar

    with the way our eating tube stomach work in our body, it will not come back up. but the thought must be haunting your mind. it’s okay!

  4. whatsthis1901 Avatar

    No it went into your stomach and got dissolved by stomach acid.

  5. phoeniks Avatar

    Now you have to eat a spider to stop it wriggling and wiggling and tickling inside you!

    Seriously stomach acid has PH of about 2. It’ll be dead in seconds.

  6. katieanni Avatar

    …how do you know it was a German cockroach ?

  7. PicklesBBQ Avatar

    If your name is Gregor Samsa, I’m afraid my friend that the news is not thoroughly encouraging.

  8. Preemptively_Extinct Avatar

    Why do you think diluting your stomach acid is a good thing? They can survive being submerged for 15 minutes in cool water. Warm stomach acid would be the quickest way to kill it.

  9. ChrisBurdi Avatar

    I have to immediately purge this from my brain so I can sleep. I didn’t read this I didn’t read this…

  10. ubekidnme Avatar

    Wouldn’t that be freaky if it crawled out of your mouth while you were asleep

  11. Ok-Dependent7918 Avatar

    Most of the commenters seem to be trying to keep your worries at bay, but I’ll give you an honest answer.

    “Cockroaches are one of the very few creatures able to withstand extreme temperature differences, as well as survive in the stomachs of most animals. This extraordinary feat ensures the survival of one of the world’s most robust little creatures.”

    “In the ‘I’m A Celebrity Jungle, one contestant was made to each several live insects. Later in the same episode, ultimately cut from the series, they sat screaming is discomfort at the cockroach made its way back up the throat.”

    Quote source: Me. Fictional.

    You’ll be fine. The beast is dead. Long dead.

  12. Led_Phish Avatar

    It’s a cockroach and a German one at that, it’s doing the backstroke in his stomach acid

  13. hawkwings Avatar

    You could try drowning one and see how long it takes. I would guess between 1 and 5 minutes. Stomach acid would speed up the process.

  14. Endle55torture Avatar

    Better start getting your affairs in order. RIP

  15. Awkward-Motor3287 Avatar

    It was probably dead before you hit post.

  16. mothehoople Avatar

    Relax, this too will pass

  17. CurryLamb Avatar

    No. It’s still alive and might survive several days. Better drink every 5 minutes to prevent it crawling up and out.

  18. get_to_ele Avatar

    15 seconds maybe in your stomach acid.

  19. CompleteSherbert885 Avatar

    You’ll poop it out in a few days. Probably NOT intact. People still eat insects for protein today. Not usually alive but I’ve accidentally done it on the back of my father’s motorcycle one time. I’m still here at 65!

  20. Vivid-Intention-8161 Avatar

    I’ve never been so validated about my weird habit to swish everything in my mouth around the first time i drink something