To think sanitary pads are the work of the devil?

[theimposter]

Just had an op and not allowed to use tampax for a while so for the first time ever having to use pads. The most uncomfortable thing ever if you actually want to move around and do outdoorsy stuff. Who actually chooses to use these?! Any tips on brands and what doesn't irritate your lady gardens gladly received. I don't wish to have to go totally bald down there to reduce irritation as re growth will be even more painful!

[StairsInTheNight]

scarletforya ibuprofen use for reducing heavy periods is well documented on the web- but IME women are not told that you can take it for this by their doctors- we should be! It dosen't work for everyone but it can make a huge difference, and its something most people can try easily.

I hate that women are expected to put up with this every month- heavy periods can absolutely ruin your life. linky

[Writerwannabe83]

They are just vile and gross!! I used them when I first started my periods and always used to feel dirty and uncomfortable too. They cause itching, sweating and smells. Yuck!

I soon moved onto tampons

[MrsWinnibago]

Tampons are really bad for you. They leave hundreds of tiny strands of bleached cotton behind in your vagina.

[MrsWinnibago]

Stairs I didn't know that! Thanks. I suffer badly some months.x

[MrsCripps]

Cant bear tampons or disposable towels- horrible.

Mooncup and washable pads for heavy days - I would never go back.
Its a huge conspiracy to sell products that will "give you a happy period" when the alternatives are so much nicer and cheaper in the long run.

[SirChenjin]

Sweating and smells? Try changing them more frequently

[AWombWithoutARoof]

They are indeed vile. Pubes covered in drying blood all day? No thanks.

[HercShipwright]

Always. Brilliant. Perhaps I'm lucky in that I only have quite light periods. But they do the job for me, and they are comfortable. Also much better for running. I only use tampax for the bath or swimming. Although they work fine too, I just don't like them.

[theimposter]

Thanks for all the brand/type advice ladies. To those who asked; yes I meant horse riding and having woken up today to find that the stupid thing is (TMI alert..) clean in the middle but leaked out the sides (how is that even possible?!) I will be going out to try and find some cotton unperfumed ones as I think the plasticky/scented nature of these ones is what hasn't helped with irritation.

It seemed quite hard to find un scented in Tesco but I was in a bit of a rush so will look harder. Do those of you who use these regularly keep your lady gardens au natural or bald may I ask?! I think the hair sticking together and then pulling is also not helping. Sorry that is so gross sounding but I'm intrigued!

To the endurance rider who suggested Sudocrem I can see why that would help after yesterday's agonies so thanks for the tip and to the lady who gets pustules etc I really really feel for you you poor thing.

[Ploppy16]

Don't like tampons at all and couldn't get used to a moon cup. I use washables, saves money in the long run and feels much better.
Both methods have their ups and downs, YABU.

[MrsCripps]

Bingo! Sir
That's exactly what the companies want you to do !!
I can go 8 hours with my Mooncup on a moderate day- 4 hours on a heavy day .
There is something wrong with selling a product that makes your normal menstrual loss smell fishy and makes you sweat so that you need to change frequently ... except that's how they make their £££££££.

[Pointeshoes]

Well I don't want to sound to much like a hippy but I use a mooncup and reusable pads. Honestly they are really easy to use. The pads I have are 'Charlie banana'.
Really absorbent, soft and comfy. As with normal pads, make sure your wear brief style pants so then they fit close to your body and don't move. With cleaning them I have a sealed small box which I put cold water and vanish in to soak them. Just open them out, pop them in. I leave them in for a day to soak, pour them out in to the bathroom sink and rinse with cold water to get the vanish out. Stick them in a normal wash , All of them come out white and fresh, can air dry as they don't take long to dry. Easy peasy.

There's a young girl on youtube who does reviews on different cups and pads. Her name is 'precious stars pads'. I'm sure she would give any one advice about which would suit them best if anyone wants it.

[MrsWinnibago]

Womb you don't have bloody pubes if you change them often! I have very heavy periods and don't have that issue. I use a baby wipe when I change too. I note that tampon users seem to leave them in for hours! Sometimes even forgetting about them...that's pretty rank and unhealthy!

[SirChenjin]

No Cripps - that's what I choose to do, just as you choose to wear a Mooncup.

[Selks]

Fucksake!! I can't believe I'm nearly 50 with a history of awful heavy periods and I've only just now on here found out that ibuprofen can reduce flow!! Why the hell don't doctors tell you this. Actually feel quite cross and a bit upset now.
Back to the point of the thread - both tampons and pads for me due to heavy and unpredictable periods. Thanks genes.

[ReadyToBreak]

I wasn't allowed to use tampons as a teenager so suffered pads. I always felt dirty and uncomfortable which inevitably made me more irritable.

It was such a revelation to use tampons. Finally I wasn't a miserable, grumpy cow bag when AF decided to visit. I felt clean and fresh all day :)

Completely feel your pain OP!

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I was so glad to find out about tampons from a friend, aged about 17, after struggling with to me always rather yucky pads for a couple of years (didn't help that my Mum would get me plain ones with on adhesive on the back so those ones never stayed put) Have always stuck with lillets since then - apart from obviously after giving birth, but that seemed OK as I looked on it that it was part of gently recovering from the birth and I was mostly at home for the first couple of weeks anyway.
But I'm trying to work out which pads are better now as dd, to my surprise, says she prefers them to tampons.
I find that slightly hard to fathom but am trying to be accepting and supportive of her choices.
It doesn't help that, like me, she prefers to be quite private about her periods apart from me blabbing to thousands on an internet forum , so we don't exactly discuss it very fully!
So, I'm thinking I may look for more natural, cotton ones, but definitely thin ones (unlike the ones we had back when I was her age)

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I was so glad to find out about tampons from a friend, aged about 17, after struggling with to me always rather yucky pads for a couple of years (didn't help that my Mum would get me plain ones with no adhesive on the back so those ones never stayed put) Have always stuck with lil-lets since then - apart from obviously after giving birth, but that seemed OK as I looked on it that it was part of gently recovering from the birth and I was mostly at home for the first couple of weeks anyway.
But I'm trying to work out which pads are better now as dd, to my surprise, says she prefers them to tampons.
I find that slightly hard to fathom but am trying to be accepting and supportive of her choices.
It doesn't help that, like me, she prefers to be quite private about her periods apart from me blabbing to thousands on an internet forum , so we don't exactly discuss it very fully!
So, I'm thinking I may look for more natural, cotton ones, but definitely thin ones (unlike the ones we had back when I was her age)

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Blabbing twice as well LOL!
Sorry, having problems with the posting bit just recently - getting the endless loop thing IYKWIM

[ReadyToBreak]

Re tampons leaving fibres in you....erm yes but this isn't dangerous. Your body flushes anything out within a day or two.

It's a myth that this is a health risk. The health risk from tampons is bacteria, not fibres.

[SirChenjin]

I'm really curious - do those of you who wear tampons never leak?? I've tried them at various points over the 34 years I've been having periods - different brands, different absorbancey levels, and putting them in correctly (I presume) so that I don't feel them 'up there' - and every time, without fail, they have leaked. The blood just wicks down the string and out.

[intheenddotcom]

If you are worried about tampon fibers just swirl a finger around to get rid of them.

Towels are awful and always made me feel dirty and bad; tampons mean I can get on with my life and feel how I always do.

[Cherryblossomsmile]

Get the thicker ones without wings. Cheapie from local chemists.

Yes its feels like a brick between your legs but they don't fold and twist like the thinner ones.

[Cherryblossomsmile]

Oh and change often.