Can you actually 'lose' a tampon - sorry TMI

[kizzie]

Hi - 3 days ago went to the loo thinking I had one in. It was a v heavy period - lots of clots (sorry ) so theres a possibility that it 'fell' out and i just didnt see it in the loo but cant be sure.

Anyway have seen the advice on internet about crouching and then bearing down to see if you can find it - but cant find anything.

Should i just wait and see if any signs of an infection crop up?

Appreciate any advice - thanks x

Unless you normally have a problem with them falling out I think its unlikely that it has. I "lost" one once, but I knew it was still up there somewhere, the GP found it for me.

Ha ha....been there!

Spent a couple of days thinking I was going to die from Toxic Shock Syndrome.....then years later read something in a magazine (so it must be true , that it can't go "up".....the opening is way, way, way, way too small.

So what happened in the end Indaba - had you just forgotten that youd taken it out? I honestly dont think I have.

Oh VivaleBeaver tahts what i was hoping someone wouldnt say

I think it would work itself down. I had one in for a few days (forgot I had one in and then put another in, took the 2nd one out but not the first as forgot I'd not taken it out). Sorry if tmi but there was a horrid smell and I thought I'd got something like bacterial vaginosis (?sp) but no it was just a forgotten tampon. It came out by itself then I went to the gp for abs. Totally gross. Am very careful since.

Thats useful to know ladylush (that you did actually get a sign that there was still one there) and that that it worked its way down.

Ive always been v careful - been using them for 25 years. But will be even more aware from now on.

Yes I'd forgotten.

How can you forget whether you took it out or not?

Unless you are very er...deep! then you should be able to feel the end of the tampon.

I thought I hadn't...tried to find it...got worried when I couldn't.

Lord almighty I hope no one is eating whilst reading this

I don't know but I'm certainly not deep - even after having 2 dc! I think they can just hide

Where is PouchofDouglas when you need her?!
There was an ilarious thread about this once. "The nurse had to open the window" PMSL

It comes out by itself eventually.

Yes you can (GP) - they can, but don't always, work their way out. Usually you'd eventually get an offensive discharge. You may need to have yourself checked and the tampon, if still there, removed. It is the most appalling smell if you leave it - so it'd be better done sooner rather than later. It can't actually 'go' anywhere, but can sometimes be out of fingers' reach.

I don't think you can really lose them, can you? How could they possibly go "up"?

I have had one slip out during a really heavy period -- I definitely had one in, then went to the loo, then later realized I didn't have it in anymore and it must have dropped out.

If you Already have a feeling that it came out into the loo and got flushed away, and you have checked for it and can't find it, I wouldn't give it another thought.

They can hide far up in the vagina behind the cervix and can be out of fingers' reach. So while they can't migrate any further (eg they can't go into the womb) they can get stuck in an awkward position that makes removal without a speculum difficult. Especially if they're moist; they can get quite squashy and hard to grasp.

Try lying in the bath and reaching up and back. This is the only way I can feel my coil strings so I now it gets further up as it were than squatting etc (well for me anyway)

This happened to a friend of mine many years back. It didn't come out by itself, but became very smelly! That was after a few days.
Maybe you should go to the GP or see the practice nurse for a hand?

This happened to me with a sea sponge tampon.

I thought I'd taken it out, period had finished, DH and I got, ahem, friendly, and it got lodged out of reach.

Had to go to A&E - such an embarrassing experience in every respect. At the reception desk I had to explain in front of all waiting area what had happened, then a nurse attempted to retrieve it but couldn't, so then had to get a doctor to come and do it. He got it out and starting waggling it around on the end of a giant pair of scissor/tweezer things, examining it close up. I couldn't believe it - it absolutely stank as it had been up there for days and he had it right up by his face

Then he asked whether I wanted it back. Needless to say I didn't.

Go and ask the nurse to have a look, honestly it can't be more embarassing than having a condom removed 3 days post-shag and being asked all sorts of questions like "didn't you wonder where it had gone, didn't you look for it etc..." at the tender age of 17

Its only a tampon, go get it sorted you will feel much better.

Omg Im rotflmao at this thread '!!!!

ESP at bettybutterknife !!!!

oh HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH A
oyu are all having a reet old laff

I've tracked down several "missing" tampons, condoms, foreign objects....the joys of being a nurse. Your practice nurse will be able to have a look.

Yes BadgersArse, what of it?!
[mischievous]