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Forgot Tampon
I have just discovered that I forgot to take out a tampon but have had my period this whole week so have been using a tampon on top of the old one. I had noticed a very bad odour and when I took the left one out its was horrific!! This morning I woke up feeling like im getting flu and im worried its TSS. If anyone has done something as silly as this before and has advice please let me know. Im reading all sorts of things about it being life-threatening etc. I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks so much for all of these posts, ladies -- I just turned 50 and should be DONE with all this by now, shouldn't I?? I've been using tampons since before some of these posters were born! But I couldn't go quietly into menopause without my own story of a lost tampon. I'm so glad everyone described their experiences -- I had the exact same symptoms!! The odor was embarrassing, and I had watery, strange, discolored discharge. I had fished around earlier in the week, and didn't feel anything out of the ordinary, but I knew the smell wasn't normal. My boyfriend told me he had noticed it, but because he's a kind man, he had not mentioned it. So last night, I went fishing again (just on the potty -- but I bore down, like was recommended) and then realized a "light days" tampon was stuck, string backwards. Managed to pull it out with my finger and nearly vomited from the smell. Really terrible. It was in something like 4 - 5 days -- maybe more? I have rarely used light days tampons, and I'll never use one again! I called my OB/GYN, and she told me that once the tampon is out, and if I don't have any signs of infection (fever, cramping, etc.) my vay-jay would take care of itself. No douching or antibiotics necessary. I did take a nice, hot bubble bath. She said that would be fine, too. I'm so grateful for all of the informative posts, ladies!! I feel MUCH better knowing that this is not an uncommon occurrence. Fortunately, I won't have too much longer to worry about this problem!
I've never left a tampon in and used a second one with it by accident, but I did leave a tampon in for 10 hours. I'm the type to worry over everything, so I'm freaking myself out about it. I'm actually on antibiotics for a sinus infection, so I figure that TSS isn't likely to occur if only because the bacteria isn't likely to have built up in my system enough to cause it, but I'm freaked out about it nonetheless. I feel nauseous (it's only been a few hours since I removed the tampon), but I was hungry and haven't eaten in about 5 hours, and I think I'm also literally worrying myself sick. I've read some of your posts and just pray that I don't have TSS, but it seems the best thing to do is watch for the symptoms. If they present, go to the doctor or ER, right? Being on a penicillin antibiotic, don't you think I would be even LESS likely to develop it, or am I just deluding myself?
I have found reading all of these stories very helpful. This has just happened to me as well and I'm relieved that as I was reading each of these experiences all of my symptoms were making sense. Most of them I didn't even realize were related. I have googled the heck out of this and this is by far the most informative thread I have found. Thank you everyone for sharing your stories! I'd like to share mine too as there are a few things that weren't common, maybe it'll help someone else.
My mother had told me once that she had forgotten a tampon and had to go to the doctor to have it removed. She hadn't given me any details so I assumed she meant she put one in, forgot, then immediately inserted another, felt discomfort and ran off to the doctor. After my experience I gave her a call, found out it was in there for about two weeks, and it happened to her twice!
Even though I didn't actually understand her story until now it still made me paranoid about inserting two tampons at once and I have been diligent for the 25+ years of tampon use to make sure I remove every single tampon within the 8 hour window. I also knew someone in high school who got TSS so that secured my diligence.
My forgotten tampon was inserted at minimum 4.5 weeks ago.
About three weeks ago I noticed my odor was unpleasant. I had recently been diagnosed with several nutritional deficiencies and was on a whole host of new vitamins so I didn't really question the change too much. I noticed some watery leakage. Since I have battled minor incontinence my whole life I didn't really question it beyond the fact it was more frequent than I am used to. Since bladder leaks smell awful (your underwear can seem to smell as rancid as an outhouse if you don't have a liner or can't change right away) I wasn't too worried about the intensity of the odor, the change in odor I had attributed to the vitamins. Thank you so much to the lady who mentioned that she also thought the watery discharge was a bladder issue, I was really embarrassed that I had made that mistake!! (lovemylildarlin)
I was surprised to hear how many people also had sore throats and infections! Although my sore throat was not quite the same as most of you mentioned, I now think it may have been related. I have never experienced anything like it! It started about the same time as the odor, about three weeks ago. A couple of places on my gums hurt, like I had something stuck in them. Then about two weeks ago I woke with canker sores in those spots on my gums and a few inside my cheeks and my lymph nodes were HUGE! Over the next couple of days I kept getting more sores on my cheeks, tongue and gums. Since a family member had tested positive for a strep infection in her throat the week before which included severely swollen lymph glands we were all (including my doctor) convinced it was strep. When the strep test came back negative he just said to wait and if it didn't clear up to come back. It did clear up in just under a week so I didn't worry about it anymore.
My periods are not perfectly regular due to a medication I took many years ago. (It contained hormones - which I was not informed of until I stopped taking it 4 years later and my periods came back). The timing and the flow are still not consistent so when I began spotting a watery dark brown a week ago it was not unlike the beginning of many other periods. However the spotting lasted a week, which is unusual for me. Then my real period started a few days ago.
The stench was unimaginable. I have had the unfortunate experience to have smelled a decaying animal in my past and this odor was very comparable! For the past few days I have been certain that I am emitting a horrible odor that everyone around me must smell because I can smell it almost constantly! My spouse won't use the washroom after me because it's intolerable! Though she has been very kind, helpful and supportive and hasn't actually said so, I've noticed her sneaking in before me. She just has a bad gag reflex. (not a typo, I am in a same-sex relationship)
So of course I googled it. I was very surprised when page after page mentioned forgotten tampons. I couldn't even begin to believe I could have forgotten to remove a tampon!! But something about it made sense. Maybe I was just hopeful that's what it was because the alternatives were worse?
I vowed to make a doctors appointment as soon as my period was done.
I also had experienced some dizzy spells over the past week so when I read that in your stories I was surprised at that similarity too!
So, today I went to change my tampon but decided to shower before putting in a new one. I forgot to put in the new one and I laid down for a nap (I am a student and work two part time jobs so I nap every chance I get! lol). When I woke up I realized I had forgotten and rushed to the washroom worried about the possible mess. When I got there I was surprised to discover something slightly protruding from my vagina. Sorry for the descriptiveness but it was extremely slimy and difficult to grip, even though it was already sticking out a little. I don't know how you ladies who reached in and pulled it out did it!! It took a few attempts but I got it out. I examined it. I was very surprised to discover the string was on the other end, which has never happened to me before, so it somehow went up there and got turned around. The color was very very dark, like a purple-black with a grayish quality to it. It looked kind of mushy and there is no way I could begin to describe the odor!!! It's been a few hours now and the scent is still stuck in my nose and no amount of washing has gotten it completely off my hand!! It was also followed by numerous clots.
I almost immediately felt a relief in my abdominal area. Like a pressure has been relieved. Even though I wasn't aware of the pressure in the first place. I don't really know how to qualify this statement with an explanation but my body feels "happy", kind of like when you're wearing super tight pants (anyone else remember the 80's jeans we had to lay down to zip up??) and then you take them off at the end of the day, the relieve and comfort that washes over you, it's kind of like that.
Thanks again to everyone who posted. I know my post was lengthy, hope it helps someone else like all of the others helped me! :D
My mother had told me once that she had forgotten a tampon and had to go to the doctor to have it removed. She hadn't given me any details so I assumed she meant she put one in, forgot, then immediately inserted another, felt discomfort and ran off to the doctor. After my experience I gave her a call, found out it was in there for about two weeks, and it happened to her twice!
Even though I didn't actually understand her story until now it still made me paranoid about inserting two tampons at once and I have been diligent for the 25+ years of tampon use to make sure I remove every single tampon within the 8 hour window. I also knew someone in high school who got TSS so that secured my diligence.
My forgotten tampon was inserted at minimum 4.5 weeks ago.
About three weeks ago I noticed my odor was unpleasant. I had recently been diagnosed with several nutritional deficiencies and was on a whole host of new vitamins so I didn't really question the change too much. I noticed some watery leakage. Since I have battled minor incontinence my whole life I didn't really question it beyond the fact it was more frequent than I am used to. Since bladder leaks smell awful (your underwear can seem to smell as rancid as an outhouse if you don't have a liner or can't change right away) I wasn't too worried about the intensity of the odor, the change in odor I had attributed to the vitamins. Thank you so much to the lady who mentioned that she also thought the watery discharge was a bladder issue, I was really embarrassed that I had made that mistake!! (lovemylildarlin)
I was surprised to hear how many people also had sore throats and infections! Although my sore throat was not quite the same as most of you mentioned, I now think it may have been related. I have never experienced anything like it! It started about the same time as the odor, about three weeks ago. A couple of places on my gums hurt, like I had something stuck in them. Then about two weeks ago I woke with canker sores in those spots on my gums and a few inside my cheeks and my lymph nodes were HUGE! Over the next couple of days I kept getting more sores on my cheeks, tongue and gums. Since a family member had tested positive for a strep infection in her throat the week before which included severely swollen lymph glands we were all (including my doctor) convinced it was strep. When the strep test came back negative he just said to wait and if it didn't clear up to come back. It did clear up in just under a week so I didn't worry about it anymore.
My periods are not perfectly regular due to a medication I took many years ago. (It contained hormones - which I was not informed of until I stopped taking it 4 years later and my periods came back). The timing and the flow are still not consistent so when I began spotting a watery dark brown a week ago it was not unlike the beginning of many other periods. However the spotting lasted a week, which is unusual for me. Then my real period started a few days ago.
The stench was unimaginable. I have had the unfortunate experience to have smelled a decaying animal in my past and this odor was very comparable! For the past few days I have been certain that I am emitting a horrible odor that everyone around me must smell because I can smell it almost constantly! My spouse won't use the washroom after me because it's intolerable! Though she has been very kind, helpful and supportive and hasn't actually said so, I've noticed her sneaking in before me. She just has a bad gag reflex. (not a typo, I am in a same-sex relationship)
So of course I googled it. I was very surprised when page after page mentioned forgotten tampons. I couldn't even begin to believe I could have forgotten to remove a tampon!! But something about it made sense. Maybe I was just hopeful that's what it was because the alternatives were worse?
I vowed to make a doctors appointment as soon as my period was done.
I also had experienced some dizzy spells over the past week so when I read that in your stories I was surprised at that similarity too!
So, today I went to change my tampon but decided to shower before putting in a new one. I forgot to put in the new one and I laid down for a nap (I am a student and work two part time jobs so I nap every chance I get! lol). When I woke up I realized I had forgotten and rushed to the washroom worried about the possible mess. When I got there I was surprised to discover something slightly protruding from my vagina. Sorry for the descriptiveness but it was extremely slimy and difficult to grip, even though it was already sticking out a little. I don't know how you ladies who reached in and pulled it out did it!! It took a few attempts but I got it out. I examined it. I was very surprised to discover the string was on the other end, which has never happened to me before, so it somehow went up there and got turned around. The color was very very dark, like a purple-black with a grayish quality to it. It looked kind of mushy and there is no way I could begin to describe the odor!!! It's been a few hours now and the scent is still stuck in my nose and no amount of washing has gotten it completely off my hand!! It was also followed by numerous clots.
I almost immediately felt a relief in my abdominal area. Like a pressure has been relieved. Even though I wasn't aware of the pressure in the first place. I don't really know how to qualify this statement with an explanation but my body feels "happy", kind of like when you're wearing super tight pants (anyone else remember the 80's jeans we had to lay down to zip up??) and then you take them off at the end of the day, the relieve and comfort that washes over you, it's kind of like that.
Thanks again to everyone who posted. I know my post was lengthy, hope it helps someone else like all of the others helped me! :D
hi im only 13 years old and i dont have my period yet. but i think i have had PMS im not really sure, i think ive had discharge(well looks like it anyway.) so i put in a tampon just in case i got my period and when i took it out it looked all brownish and disgusting. so i waited a lil longer to see if i could feel my period coming but i couldnt feel anything...... so now im wearing a pad. any advice?
I have cracked up at some of these stories. It is truly relieving to know I'm not the only one! I cannot even blame it on alcohol but more likely CMS (Cannot Remember Sh*t). I'm 47. I google EVERYTHING. I googled "black vaginal bleeding between periods" and came up with a lot of information on perimenopause. So, I chalked up the mid cycle, black bleeding to perimenopause (hormonal) issues. I go shopping with a friend last weekend. She kept mentioning a foul smell. While I realized I was spotting "black" and my underwear smelled, I didn't put two and two together. Understand, I broke my nose when I was 19 and have a partially deviated septum so I do not have a strong sense of smell. I didn't think the odor was coming from me because I had showered just two hours before picking up my friend for shopping. We finish shopping and I go home. I went to pee, wiped and felt something "lump" bulging from my vagina. Because I had "large babies" 18 and 21 years ago, I thought my innerds were falling out. Initially, I was quite alarmed. I reached "down there" and found the old tampon that had apparently worked its way out. Even with my very dulled smelling senses, it REAKED. I didn't think much more of it but had a little red spotting so called my doctor. She saw me today (Monday...two days after finding the wayward tampon). She did a culture and I should have the results in a couple days. Meanwhile, she prescribed a cream antibiotic to be inserted once a night for the next five nights. I think it is probably better to be on the safe side and go ahead and see your doctor if this happens to you. I'm past the baby rearing age but would rather not risk a serious infection. I've read so many of these posts and have cracked up. I have shared my story with a limited few friends. It's too funny not to laugh at.
I got back from the Sexual Health clinic today having gone in because I was worried about a horrible discharge and they discovered a tampon. It must have been there for at least 7 days, however I actually feel fine. Nurses removed it and doctor gave me a large dose of antibiotics just incase of infection. Thing is I had no idea at all, hadn't felt uncomfortable at all.
I would advise anyone who is concerned to go to a doctors or a walk in clinic ASAP just to double check. According to the nurses it is actually really common as well.
I would advise anyone who is concerned to go to a doctors or a walk in clinic ASAP just to double check. According to the nurses it is actually really common as well.
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