To not expect an earwig in my inhaler - yes, AN EARWIG!!!!!

[PurpleLostPrincess]

Couldn't sleep last night and was up late (Friday night etc...).

Rolled over and thought I'd do a few puffs on my inhaler as I was slightly wheezy, so I took the lid off, inhaled, then sputtered. I thought there was a bit of wood in the back of my throat...

I took it out, ran to the toilet as it made me gag...

When I came back, I realised it was an earwig... AN EARWIG!!! And,

IT WAS ALIVE!!!!!!!

I then got a tissue, put it down the toilet, threw up a few times, then brushed my teeth and gargled mouthwash a few times...

AIBU to feel totally traumatised by having a live creature in the back of my throat? Oh my goodness, it was utterly horrible and I can't get it out of my head!!! I thought it was a bit of wood or something as it was all spikey.

Thankfully, DH comforted his woman and took my mind off it all, helping me to settle to sleep nicely. When I woke this morning, it hit me again and I have to consciously stop myself gagging when I think about it!!!!

Fab idea about the guard! I'm thinking a plastic/tupperware type thing to put it in - a bit like those banana holders perhaps.

DrinkYourWeakLemonDrinkNow - I'm sorry to say the cap was on, so it must have got in through the top . BTW, do you drink lemon tea then? I happen to drink it and have it really strong...

OP - I feel for you! I seem to get a lot of earwigs at home (south east england - not exotic at all) and am not keen at all. I find them everywhere even in sealed jars. They really are a pain.

I'd be more than happy to come and help, but does it have to be alive...? Maybe with a bit of counselling I could face my deepest darkest fears and do it.

I'm an asthma nurse.

I always advise patients to keep the cap on their inhalers to prevent them getting clogged with fluff or getting moisture in them.

Now I have to remember to tell them to keep them in a tupperware pot to avoid EARWIG CONTAMINATION!!!!!

Omg fair play to the trauma, earwigs are totally ewww.

My DP managed to 'inhale' a penny that had found it's way in his ventolin whilst in his pocket, was a scary moment till he hacked it back out

Ye gods I bloody hate earwigs! Im so going to check my inhaler carefully for visiting critters from now on.

veryconfusedatthemoment : You just had to tell me that they can get into sealed jars and things. Thats gonna just increase my paranoia about them TENFOLD!

OP : I feel for your utter torment and disgust.

OK, so I thought I'd see what's out there... I found the puffapouch and these American things but they don't look like they are sealed at all, meaning there is a gap in the market!!!

Or ask your nurse for a <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=bricanyl+turbuhaler&num=10&hl=en&biw=1272&bih=604&tbm=isch&tbnid=-cDSayP15GPtPM:&imgrefurl=www.finlandiapharmacyonline.com/products/Bricanyl-Turbuhaler.html&docid=jrkSF-4gG9ZoWM&imgurl=www.finlandiapharmacyonline.com/product_images/p/786616__53865.gif&w=268&h=300&ei=ZGytTq2dB4Gs8QOYxY2-Cw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=291&vpy=124&dur=94&hovh=238&hovw=212&tx=84&ty=126&sig=111847251985417917599&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=127&tbnw=113&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Turbuhaler- no openings for earwigs to crawl into!

It has been a bumper earwig year.My chickens have been happy,they love to snack on crunchy little earwigs.I found one in my food mixer,it was in bits in the cake mix...erggh.There was one nestling in the paper bag my bread was in this morning,and every time I open a window they fall out of the sashes.Wales is awash with the blighters.

This happened to me too! Years ago, though. My own fault for never keeping the hygienic cap on.

Dh just found an earwig in his salad on holiday in Mallorca. I know that's not worse really but it actually seemed worse to me at the time. It had drowned in the grease from the roast chicken accompanying it.

B
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A
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I had this happen YEARS ago, puffed in the middle of the night without turning the light on and an earwig hit the back of my throat. I had exactly the same reaction, gagging, throwing up, the works.

I now pull the metal cylinder out of the plastic thing, and inspect it before I puff. Every single time.

I am obviously scarred for life.

Did you know that when DC's accidentally stand on one,a long thin wiggly bit comes out and writhes around.'Tis disgusting.
Also the wriggly bit continues to writhe around when put in the cat's water.

(Disclaimer:DC's are not encouraged to hurt any creatures,this is purely observation.)

countess I read your last post and thought you meant stand on an inhaler

Just tried it Mandy2003 and a long thin wiggly bit definately didn't come out when I stood on my inhaler...

Went to get a bit of kitchen roll a few minutes ago though and an earwig appeared as I unwound it......

Oh my good god! I've never, ever worried about creepy crawlies in my inhalers ever before and now this is all I can think about!

Bloody hate earwigs they seem to love my porch as there was about 6 on the wall last night........ Any tips to solve this problem would helpful

Wow, it would seem it's not that uncommon then, how bizarre!!!

Have hardly thought about it today, unfortunately DD2 (4) fell off a chair and broke her collar bone so have been up to A&E and obviously totally distracted from it...

countess - interesting observation there! Laughed out loud when I read that!

Oh Purple I do hope DD2 will mend soon. I bet that was a shock for all concerned.

Thanks countess, yes I can't believe it, bless her! She's watching rugrats at the moment... another drama in a long list of dramas in this house!

i have an inhaler and before use i always take off the lid and take the cylinder out of the inhaler and blow into it so any stray bits of anything (from inside handbag or what not) gets blown out and then i look in it.

Too many times have i sucked on my inhaler and chocked and thrown up on a piece of paper or what ever crap has being in my handbag.

yuk, everyone has been going on about spiders but we have bloody earwigs everywhere. Never noticed so many before, especially in the house. was munching on some left over popcorn the other day and when I got to the bottom of the bag there was an earwig waving at me, little shit!

I am really sorry that this happened to you, and terribly empathetic, but glad that you shared it with us because there has been an earwig in the bathroom for two days now, and now I am going to check my inhalers before I use them. Creepy beyond belief.

On a related note, has anyone else noticed a massive upswing in the amount of ladybirds around recently, or is it just our street?

We were in the woods yesterday and there was a huge cluster of ladybirds in the cracks of an old log, I have never seen so many in one place! Like this but more of them. It was very pretty actually but I didn't have my camera with me.