To think DD(14) should not be wearing a tampon if she's asleep for 14 hours?

[MyballsareSandy2015]

She thinks I'm being a fuss pot but I'm worried about toxic shock, which you don't seem to hear much about these days. She certainly hadn't heard of it.

Yes Mooncups are better as they won't give you TSS. I can say this for sure as a tampon will make me ill within about half an hour.

Is it still a thing? What is it? How do you know you've got it?
With me, both times, I fainted. Then the second time I had severe vomiting and diarrhoea.
Yes it is 'still a thing' just like allergies are still a thing!

I would think it is rather rare because whenever a doctor sees that I have had it then they get rather excited.
However, there are three of us just on this thread who have had it, in my mind that is quite a large percentage.

My neighbour's teenaged daughter almost died from TSS. She was in intensive care for days. Since then I've never worn tampons overnight and change them every 4 hours or so. It's just not worth the risk. And I'll be making sure my DD knows to do the same when the time comes.

I am amazed at those who swap to a pad at night. I would wake up in a blood bath, or have to be getting up every 2 hours to change it.

Yes but Pretend, we aren't talking about you. We're talking about op's dd who is a typical 14 year old who can sleep 14 hours a night.

Cleaty, I double up on snug fitting pants. Seems to do the job!

Cleaty - I have to change tampons or pads every 2-3 hours anyway. I prefer pads at night.

Im pregnant at the minute so currently getting a little respite from horrendous periods.

I change mine every 4-8 hours, 14 hours would scare me.

As for lowest absorbency, what do you do when even the lightest is too heavy?! Mine is never "full" even the tiny ones!

@cleaty: I almost always have accidents with pads, but I put a towel under the bedsheet to not stain the mattress. You get used to it. To me, it is preferable to the risk and discomfort of tampons.

@TaliZorah: Get tampons made from natural fibres (cotton?), I suppose. That is if you don't switch to something else entirely. I think the high risk tampons are those that are made of special fibres / treated with chemicals to be extra absorbent.

VestalVirgin I'm not sure what mine are made of, I'll look. I don't like pads because they feel weird to me and I'm scared a cup will move. If there's no risk with regular/light ones that makes me feel betterc

Yes Mooncups are better as they won't give you TSS

Why do they give a warning on their website then?

I never wear tampons when my period isn't heavy. I do think a pad is much better when it is lighter.

I used to think I had heavy periods then I talked to other people and realised apart from one or two horrible ones mine are stupidly light. Like could wear one panty liner all day if I wanted light (not that I would). I'd wear pads but really don't like the feel of them

Amazed at all these experiences of TSS. I thought it was almost urban myth - as in a risk but that it practically never happened

Why do they give a warning on their website then?

If I use a tampon I will become ill with TSS with about an hour.
I have used a Mooncup for about 15 years without it giving me TSS.
I asked them about it before I started to use it and they said that they are unable to say that it won't give you TSS because they cannot prove that it won't. However I can tell you that tampons DO give me TSS and my mooncuo doesn't.

they said that they are unable to say that it won't give you TSS because they cannot prove that it won't.

And therefore you can't say that it won't. Only that it hasn't.

The problem with tampons seems to be that they absorb liquid, and that makes your vagina dry out, and that probably leads to tiny wounds that enable bacteria to get in there.

That just cannot happen with the mooncup.

The only thing I'd be worried about with a mooncup would be the blood staying in there too long. On the other hand, it also stays inside while you're asleep if you use pads. So unless you just forget the mooncup is in there, you should be fine.

What I can say is that a tampon does give it to me, and a moon cup doesn't. I guess that can only be said for me and I can't say it for other people.

I genuinely don't mean to scare monger.
I had surgery for endometriosis 10 years ago. My consultant was a research doc and one of the theories he was investigating was prolonged overnight tampon use. Relevant with gravity.

That's not to say he published findings, I never went searching for his research and have forgotten his name now.

My endo was in pouch of Douglas (between rectum and vaginal walls).

Heavy periods are wearing the maximum absorbency and having to change every hour.

Even then there are posters on here who have bled all over tesco, which I haven't (thank god)

I don't see why it might be a problem talking to teens about menstruation and all its associated problems. I've got two DDs and we can talk totally openly about it all, how we feel and how we each deal with it from both a comfort and a health point of view.

Where I am totally out of touch is with anyone sleeping for 14 hours straight. I don't think I've ever done that and neither have any of the grown up DCs and I wouldn't go and turf them out of bed either.
They might have very occasionally managed a 12 hour overnight, but it was a real one off.

Dung - three opa for endo now, never use tampons. Not denying any research, but pointing out that sometimes stuff just happens. Endo is thought to affect 1 in 10 - it really is very common. I think people will only find contributing factors before the true cause(s) can be identified.

Heavy periods are wearing the maximum absorbency and having to change every hour.

For some, or if considered in isolation. However, heavy for some people may be an increase in pad use, at any level. I only say it because changes in your periods can be important - if it's heavy for you for more than a few cycles, consider mentioning it to a doc. Sorry, soapbox moment over.

I want to add my voice to the few here who have had TSS. I had it at 18 and it damned near killed me. Am 32 now. I was in HDU and my parents had the worst week of their lives. I was so out of it I didn't know what was happening. It was awful. And it is a real risk. Low risk, but deadly. I haven't used a tampon since. I daren't. My mooncup and I are very happy together :)

at those who are able to just use a pad a night. Especially at the 'gravity only' suggestion, jeez that is so far from my experience! For my heaviest 3 or 4 nights I need to change a super plus extra in the night and use a pad it has been good to read this thread though, I have become too blasé about TSS I think.

If the 20 cases a year relating to tampon use is accurate (and only 2 deaths) even taking under reporting into account, I'm the risk is still greater for driving a car, crossing a road, living in a city (pollution), playing a sport, eating processed or red meat etc. Yet how many people give up car driving, hobbies and become vegetarian to reduce risks?