Advice please - left tampon in

[Autumnchill]

So for background I'm 47 so periods have started getting a bit patchy. I came on for 3 days then off and 2 days later it started up again for 1 day and I think I must have put one in to get through the night just in case.

The past couple of weeks I've been leaking uncontrollably, just dribbles but enough that by the end of the day I have a 'female' smell and I've been quite conscious of it so much so that last week I got pantry liners in my weekly shop and resigned myself to losing bladder control plus my urine has been cloudy despite drinking nearly 2 litres a day.

I've been quite worried about it and last night after an exercise class in which I felt like I virtually peed my way through it I ended up on google and convinced myself I had all sorts. I'm booked in for a smear next week so decided I would leave it till then and pluck up the courage to talk about bladder control and facing up to it. As I was going to bed last night I leaked again so grabbed a tissue and wiped and it smelt without me even holding it to my nose (as you do!!).

Today was awful at work, I could smell me whilst driving home so when I got in I went straight to the toilet to clean up and felt something pushing so I felt for it and there it was, a 14 day old tampon. How the hell has it stayed up there that long?

So now I'm really worried, relieved that I know what it is but worried about possible infection as it smells like something died in me. I have no temperature, headache etc, feel fine in myself other than this smelly leak but should I be concerned? All the online articles refer to just leaving it a couple of hours too long, not 14 days! My wee is now slightly red like the end of a period and still cloudy.

Sorry if this is too much information! Anyone else experienced same and survived! At school we were always told about TSS and the fear of God put in us about it.

Not sure if I should seek medical advice or just be grateful I know what the problem is. Advice please

I would ring 111

Drink lots of water and call 111

Has the leaking stopped?

Personally I would have a shower and see what I'm like tomorrow if I felt otherwise well.

Ring 111.

If your pee is cloudy and red and you can 'smell' yourself, you may have an infection.

Drink plenty of water to help flush things out but as the tampon is vaginal (not bladder), it's best to get checked out

Omg this has happened to me before!!
I was in shock (not toxic shock just actual shock!) I couldn’t believe I had done it!
I was fine, never felt ill or anything just couldn’t get over the disgust 😂 and now I only use pads out of fear!
This year about 7 year ago, see how you feel tomorrow but may be worth a call to 111 for piece of mind xx

Oh God! I did that. It was the end of my period and used to go overnight without one. One night I forgot to remove it (there may have been alcohol involved ). Then put another in in the morning. Removed it later and assumed AF was all done. Well, as you describe I noticed something was amiss. My GP had the pleasure of discovering it. She said it happens all the time. Its more common than you think. You should seek medical advice. I had antibiotics as a precaution but I am fine to this day.n

Be a bit smug you have good muscle tone op!!

GP's see this all the time, I bet.

I would seek medical advice and keep an eye on your temp

I have a friend who did this, didn't realise and her GP found it after she'd noticed similar symptoms to you. She needed a course of antibiotics. I'd go and see your GO first thing tomorrow if I were you!

Is it stuck now or could you get it out? It happened to me once (1 week) and it stank like a dead person (or what I imagine a dead person to smell like!).

I ended getting it removed at A&E (years ago and I wasn't near my GP). I'd highly recommend trying hard to get it out yourself if possible. It was beyond embarrassing - the nurse gagged...

In or out of though you def need to get to the dr tomorrow, and I'd keep a v close eye on temperature this evening.

This happened to me when I was in sleep deprived baby days. Had no idea a tampon was in there but became aware of an odour. When I went to the loo I felt a really odd launching sensation and to my surprise I birthed a rotton tampon 🤮 No ill effects after.

Oblomov21 is right - this is something I come across frequently as a GP. I have never ever seen a case of TSS from it though. If you feel unwell, seek medical attention, but usually once the tampon is out, everything else settles.

Thanks everyone! It came out when I found it but my God the smell, it truly is like somethings died. Bloody cat won't leave me alone so I'm going in the bath and clean myself up and put a pad on tonight to monitor anything that comes out and I'll ring GP in the morning to see if I need antibiotics.

I am so relieved that I know what the problem is as I was thinking I was going to have to bin any light coloured clothes and yes, quite impressed my muscles held it for so long #stillgotit 🙂

Also grateful I'm not alone in doing this, don't feel so stupid now

Thanks @MissisBee

See a GP. You may need antibiotics.
You won't be the first or the last patient who has had this problem.

@VaVaGloom that's exactly it! A launching sensation, extremely odd, glad it was just a tampon at my age!

I had this when my periods went very light, a small piece of tampon got left behind and the smell was horrendous, the GP had to remove it, I was given a course of metronidazole and then it happened again twice over the next 9 months and I switched to a mooncup, you will definitely need antibiotics I think

Go to the GP tomorrow. Call first thing.
I had this happen when I was a student (put one in when drunk and forgot about it).

The smell was BAD. But after seeing GP I was prescribed something. It was 1 pill, I took it at the pharmacy and within a few hours I was right as rain.
I can't remember what it was, I think a v strong antibiotic ? But I wished I'd gone sooner, it was so simple to solve - all in the same day.

Reporting in! No dribbles and fragrant free. Going to ring Drs though to be 100% sure.

Thanks everyone for your advice

I went to doc with unpleasant discharge - turned out to be a piece of tampon. He removed it and that was it. Not sure how long it was in. We are quite self cleaning in there.

I've done it op. I had the exact same symptoms as you but no idea why so I booked a GP appointment.

GP got a speculum to have a look and I'll never forget her words. 'OK, well done, I'm just having a look. Well there's no swelling or redness, it...hang on... there's something in here!' 😂😂😂

I was like 'what?! What's in there?! What is it?!'

Mine must have been there for at least 3 weeks though, since my last period ended, I had no idea. GP gave me antibiotics just in case because the smell when it came out was horrific. The GP was assuring me it was common but retching at the same time, and was mortified and kept apologising for retching 🙈🙈

Oh god! I did this and couldn’t get the tampon out. I had to go to A&E to have it removed. The worst bit is that it was recorded on my medical records as “foreign object in vagina”

The smell is like no other!

Loving foreign object 😂

@Autumnchill- Did the Dr give you antibiotics? How are you now? I've just done the same, thought period had ended and must have put another in!