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Avatar universal

Tampon lost for months??!!

I went to my ob/gyn today and he found a tampon that I did not know I had "lost".  Now many things are coming back to me today that should have been indicators but I thought they were related to other things.  Odor, I remember that at the end of summer a vaginal odor seemed to begin and never leave.  Strange discharge after sex, it had a reddish brown color like the end of menstration even though my period was long over.  Inability to attain vaginal orgasm, would get close but never quite "crossed the finish line".  I have been menstrating regularly and did not notice any abnormal symptoms.  My doctor did not ask how long the tampon was in there and I was too embarassed to admit that it may have been there for months.  Since I have not had any symptoms of infection or anything, am I alright now that its out?  Could the tampon have been the cause of the 3 things I listed above?
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Avatar universal
Tampon Posting

I have been on a search to find out why i started having foul smelling brownish discharges as well as why the discharge after sex smelled so horrendous and brownish in color. Its been going on for 6-7 months now and Ive been desparately searching for the answers to my questions. It lead me to several reasons, including the possibility of a forgotten tampon. I really did not think that applied to me because ive been having periods and using tampons and having sex with my husband. But finally i decided to investigate this possibility as suggested on this forum as well as other forums. I followed the instructions to stick my middle finger up my vagina and feel around. I did this in the shower. I felt something but wasnt absolutely sure if that was a tampon or just my inward parts. However, after a while of digging around i thought i felt something but my finger wasnt long enough to reach way up there where i had a sneaky suspicion i felt something. I told my husband theres a strong possibility that i may have left a tampon in there and thats the cause of this brownish stinky discharge, but i couldnt reach it. He offered to help find it but i was too embarrassed and i frankly did not feel he was qualified with female anatomy. So i decided i was gonna call my gyno the next morning and make an appointment and have her remove it if indeed it was there but i decided to give it one more try....this time on the toilet. I dug my finger as far as I could reach and felt it! I felt the string and tried to menuever it so thet I could yank it out. It took about a half an hour of agonizing but success finally came my way. The old tampon was finally removed! I was sooooo grossed out because this tampon has been lodged up my vagina for 6-7 months! I wanted to douche but I heard thats not good so I'm just going to let my body naturally clean itself out. I feel a major sense of relief now that I got to the bottom of this mystery and that I did not die from TSS or some kind of deadly infection as a result. My desire for posting this is to give others who have a similar problem hope for an answer and resolution.
Helpful - 1
3 Comments
Thankyou thankyou Thankyou  x I waa feeling so ill & the stench of rotting flesh  yuk.2 months  up there!hubby got it out!won't douch.will have a Epsom salt bath if I can brave the cold!
Did it 20 years ago. 3-4 months up a very itchy hoo haw. Smh in those pre-internet days, I thought I was alone lol.
Right, I think many of us have had this oopsie before.  You never forget it.  lol
Avatar universal
See doctor immediately ASAP now you could be getting toxic shock syndrome or have a really bad infection etc I don’t want to scare u But this is serious it’s why I don’t use tampons I had also lost one one time
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
is forgetting a tampon up there then having it taken out at all related to infertility or can it cause infertility? Has anyone had babies after this happened?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I was so glad to see someone post about this!! Just been through the mortifying and utterly terrifying experience of finding a tampon inside me, that has been there for at least 3-4 weeks.
I will detail what happened for those reading and seeking solace, but spoiler alert I'm absolutely fine, and checked with NHS 24 (free uk national phone service where you can speak to nurses).
Prior to discovering the lost tampon I'd noticed slightly brown discharge with an unusual and bad odour. I experienced very brief and light cramps, a bit like a quick localised period pain, but one that wouldn't linger. I also noticed every time I went to the toilet or "pushed" out that end, slight bursts of air would escape my vagina, I suppose like a queef! I can never queef normally haha and find it quite impressive.
So anyway, tonight when having sex my boyfriend commented that it felt different from normal inside and suggested I had a little feel around. I went to the bathroom, squatted, and felt inside my vagina with my middle finger. I couldn't quite tell if I was feeling an object or just those strange fleshy folds inside there haha. But sure enough when I pulled it came out, a terrible smelling, brownish grey tampon!!! I quickly flushed it and began hyperventilating that I had TSS (toxic shock syndrome) even though I've had absolutely no symptoms or illness in the last month.
I phoned up NHS 24 to get advice from a nurse and she reassured me that, considering I had no symptoms at all, I would be fine and didn't need to see a doctor unless I notice any flu like symptoms. I know those from other countries reading this might not have a service like this available to them, but if you're from the UK and this happens to you I strongly recommend phoning them on 111. They're free, friendly and really reassuring and helpful! It's a great service if you need 24 hour medical advice or can't get to a doctors.
Good luck to all those with funky and sometimes scary vaginal problems!! Hope this is of help to someone x
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I just had this happen to me. I was hoping it was just left from my last period. But I have had all the other symptoms of the foul odor and discharge. I am wondering how long it took your body to go back to normal As far as odor and discharge?  I'm so freaked out. Not sure if it is necessary to go to my obgyn..
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
I didn't have the discharge but mine was from the Period before my precious one. It kept hurting really bad to put a tampon in since I'm a virgin and I was laying in my bed and I kept pushing and it felt something was there so I reached in and I felt something soft and I remembered losing a tampon so it took like 20 minutes to grab the tampon cause it was just chilling there on the side but now that it's out I feel so much better but it scared the **** outta me.
Avatar universal
I'm so glad I came across this. I have had the same symptoms. I reached in and felt around, grabbed something wierd feeling, and it was a tampon. Has been in there 2 months!!! I thought i might have had cervical cancer. THank you for posting!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cant believe I didnt realize this sooner.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
This just happen to me. It was very scary! I looked up all my symptoms on the Internet and it kept telling me either cancer or STDs. The tampon just came out! I'm so glad it's over!
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1 Comments
Did you get any pains??
Avatar universal
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Such wonderful wording!
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Avatar universal
So, I just had sex with my boyfriend. Mid coitus he complained that he felt something poking his (very large, amazing) penis. I didnt think anything of it, but noticed an unusual, ungodly, ok horrifying odor. Much like a rat, or perhaps an entire herd of wild boar, crawled up there and died.
He was such a good sport. He marched with dignity through the suffering, and even managed to make me orgasm 3 times, all the while holding his breath......apparently.
Anyway, I admitted that I smelled something foul, and was very worried. Well he broke down and got honest. He said it smelled "really wrong", and that he struggled to maintain his wonderful erection.
I was sitting on the toilet afterwards, wanting to kill myself, and decided to inspect. I stuck my finger up the festering stink hole and found a Jurassic tampon.

Well, I have to admit, I was relieved. I thought maybe it was a miscarriage that was just chilling near my cervix.........being born, and dying at the same time. Hence making my vagina a putrid rotting death tomb.

Will the smell go away? Thanks.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
That was hilarious!!! Was it that boring of a time that she fell asleep waiting to climax? I'm in hysterics at the moment...sorry!
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143952 tn?1237864541
the tampoon in the butt story is priceless.  

i remember a girl in high school forgetting to remove her last tampon of her period.  she finally remembered when she started smelling something "funny" and realized it was she.  i've got to admit, it made me a little paranoid for awhile about wearing tampons :)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm actually surprised your partner didn't feel it during sex! It must have been well hidden! It's amazing that you didn't develop an infection whilst it was in, but that's not to say that one hasn't already started to develop even now that it's out. Did you OB take any cultures for testing?
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156714 tn?1254712157
I had that happen, where it was a couple of days where it was in there, and when I got to the doctor I was so embarrassed and the nurse told me a funny story about a girl and her boyfriend who were playing around and the girl put a tampon up his butt. Well, I guess they forgot about it and about a month later the guy went to the doctor complaining that he was constipated and he was really bloated.  Well, they did the x-ray and saw the tampon, clear as day in his abdomen, and found out that the tampon had gone up inside of him and was absorbing all of his poop.  So they had to go in rectally and remove it.  He was okay though.  I thought I'd share that, cuz it made me feel better at the time.
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Avatar universal
haha i needed a funny story. stressed out.
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Avatar universal
I too am shocked nothing else happened. This same thing happened to my friend, not for month's, but a few weeks. She is fine too. I would say that all the problems you listed were caused from the tampon. Glad you got it out. Maybe now you can finally have an orgasm again. Have fun!
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Avatar universal
I wouldnt think it would have been lost for months specially if you didnt have TSS or anyother things.  But who knows strange things do happen.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
That is very much probably the reason for the symptoms listed. Its amazing that nothing worse happened. My mother works for an OBGYN and I have heard horror stories of that very thing happening...and was terrified of "losing" one cause of it. If your gyno didnt express any other problems associated with it, im sure you are fine.
Those things are scary huh!
Helpful - 0
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