To be worried that I can't find my tampon - what should I do?

[SorryfortheTMI]

NC for this one! and TMI warning!

I woke up with a really heavy period this morning. I put in a tampon with an applicator. I don't usually use applicators but DH bought the wrong ones. So maybe it went up further than it usually does.
I went to take it out and I can't find it! but I think it must still be there because there's no blood when I wipe (sorry)
Obviously I know about the risks of TSS so I had a good feel around (sorry again) but I can't feel it at all.
I have had a bad cough and I've been running to the loo ad coughing on the loo because pelvic floor issues, so maybe it came out itself when I coughed??
but that doesn't explain the no blood?

So what should I do? I really can not be arsed with sitting down A&E for 45 years just to have a nurse rummage around for me or whatever it is they will do
Ideas welcome and thanks so much for reading

AIBU to be worried that I can't feel it?

You need to see the practice nurse at your GP for removal or a sexual health clinic.

Would I be able to feel it if it was still there though? I am casting my mind back to being in a classroom at 12 years old and the tampon lady definitely told us that they can't get lost.

have another go trying to find, even get yoir DH to help, otherwise a trip to A and E..

I think you need to ask your DH to help. It’s fiddly reaching inside yourself at the best of times, so hopefully he’ll have more luck.

Take a deep breath and calm down, you need to reach inside with two fingers and pull it out. Relaxing is key though, if the practice nurse can do it so can you

It’s possible it’s fallen out while on the loo. But you don’t know that, so don’t take a risk. Either get DH to have a good feel around, or go to an urgent care centre.

Squat, bear down and push hard while you have a finger or two inside to see if you can feel it.

You'll soon know when there's a stench coming from down below. That's what happened with me except I'd inserted another tampon with one already there and that one got pushed up higher lodged horizontally. I only found out when I went to the doc. So wanted a lady doc but there wasn't one available. So this poor male doctor had to use a speculum to investigate, discovered the old stuck tampon and had to use forceps to remove it with the words " oh god, we learned about this at med school but I've never had to actually do it before!" I was so embarrassed. So if a pong comes along it might just be the same issue.

I get my partner to flush them out if they go AWOL. He had bigger hands than me

New fear unlocked, I knew there was a reason I’ve never worn a tampon.

I would ask your DH to fish around to see if he can get it out - if not, medical advice as they can be quite dangerous left inside which I’m sure you know but still It’ll be worth waiting for someone to get it out one way or another.

Another vote for this, it worked for me.

God, this brings back memories of when I was a teenager.

I got drunk on a night out and inserted a tampon upside down 🤦‍♀️

Took 3 days but I eventually got it out.

Got one out like this (carefully), with a pair of tweezers. The string had got bunched up at a weird angle so I was unable to pull it out.

I’m surprised they can get stuck or go in sideways! I’d bear down on the toilet, they usually pop out when I go for a 💩

Get an appointment with a nurse at your GP tomorrow.

Just be careful rooting around with anything including tweezers. I knew someone who did quite serous damage to themselves trying to find a lost tampon.

This happened to me. DH had to retrieve it - I just couldn’t get the angle myself. I had a shower, lay down on the bed in my towel and he rummaged about and found it.

Oh no OP, I remember really struggling to get one out once, I couldn't even feel it in there for a while. It was lodged upside down and super high up and took quite a few goes to reach. Bearing down as I grasped with 2 fingers helped.

I have never had one come out by itself without me being aware of it, although I did notice applicator Tampax would
gradually work their way down and almost out.

And God yes, the stench of a forgotten tampon is quite something.

You need to get into a squat position or emon the toilet with feet up on a short step. Once you've found your cervix, run your fingers around the sides of it and up slightly as it's probably low with you being on your period.

There is nowhere for it to go, the entry to your body is through your cervix so you just need to thoroughly feel around to make sure it isn't still there.

Get a partner to check for you if your struggling.

Eek! I came on here to write the exact same experience! Same as you, popped another in and forgot I hadn’t taken the last one out. I was mortified at the clinic!!

OP have a squat down and a good root round. When you feel your cervix follow all the way around with your finger. The cervix drops down when you are bleeding and it’s possible the tampon has tucked up behind or to the size, I’ve had that once or twice.

I put two tampons in as a teenager. About a week or two later it worked it's way out. There was a very bad smell before hand. I survived.

I had the same issue with a condom once. It was blue when it got lost. Then it came out a week later, in the bath, completely white.

I must have some kind of understaffed lost property department up there.

This has also happened to me but I didn't realise (very drunk and put another in without removing old one) - worked it's way out a couple of days later. Not sure what you should do - I guess get DH to help

And another vote for this. If not successfully retrieved, you'll need to get to the GP nurse or Sex Health Centre.

Happens more often than you think. Good luck 🤞🏼

It also works for misplaced condoms.....

I'd try the squatting method PPs detail above first
If that doesn't work, relax in a hot bath & try & find it whilst in there?

Failing that, DH - then GP appointment (or sexual health clinic?)

No, you wouldn’t feel it.

When people say a tampon ‘can’t get lost’ they mean that it can’t end up in your uterus or elsewhere in the body. It will stay in the vagina and will always be removable.

But they can certainly get ‘lost’ in the sense that you can have one in your vagina without being able to find it to get it out.

TSS is exceptionally rare and you almost certainly won’t get it. However, if you leave a tampon in for long enough you will end up with a horrid bacterial infection and it will also absolutely stink. It happened to one of my housemates when I was at university. Her tampon had been in for literally weeks and she had a disgusting discharge and smelled like something had died up there. I accompanied her to the doctor (she thought she had some horrific STI) and I could literally smell it myself while sitting with her in the waiting room.

In her case, she’d forgotten to take one tampon out before putting in a new one. So she’d pushed the first one up out of reach without realising and obviously it must have stayed up there when she removed the other one.