PANICKING gross tampon situation - please help I don't know what to do

[pleasemakeitallstop]

Sorry, this is revolting but unfortunately happened to me and I don't know what to do.

I removed a tampon that had been in for 4 hours, and it smelled really bad, like rotten and sulphuric? It had only been in 4 hours which I thought was ok as long as it wasn't leaking - is the smell a warning I could be developing toxic shock syndrome?

I have googled and loads of sites just say that type of smell could be a lost tampon and if you can't find it you need a doctor to remove it. But I'm sure there is nothing else in there and my actual body doesn't have the smell now - it was the tampon itself?

But could a serious infection be inside my body now? What do I do?

I have never had a smell before it is freaking me out. Badly.

Might have another one above it.

Best make a walk in appointment so somebody can check.

Call 111 rather than asking the internet on a Saturday night

No there is definitely not another one in there.

I have vaginismus and a tilted uterus so tampons are difficult for me to insert and get them comfortable, there's no way I could have 2 in at once.

If you don't have any other worrying symptoms high temp, nausea etc I wouldn't worry.
Maybe just remove it and have a bath to freshen up and then just use a pad. Blood can smell revolting at times.

Sometimes it smells differently during different times in your cycle.

I'm not in the UK.

OK if not in the UK call your version of a non emergency medical advice line.

You may have accidentally left one in place. That has happened to me before. I was shocked that it had been in place since the precious month. I would never have believed it. You need to go and get checked.

Use a pad and make sure it doesn't continue to smell

I think if you don't smell and you feel fine then I would think you are ok just keep an eye on yourself for temps etc

I would be inclined to think you are fine if you have no other symptoms, but as others have said, do also seek proper medical advice to check.

And yes, four hours is a completely normal amount of time to have a tampon in.

I don’t think you should waste the doctors time. You don’t have toxic shock. You have health anxiety.

If you aren't in the UK, do you have an urgent care open? That might give you some peace of mind without going to the ER.

Believe me, the last thing I want to do is go near a doctor. I have to have a diazepam prescription for smear tests so I do not want to "waste the doctors time".

I have never had this issue before, it's quite alarming to suddenly have a rotten smell removing a tampon when it has never happened before in 25 years of having periods.

Both my body and the current blood flow have no smell at all now, plus I have no fever or nausea, so I'm hoping as others have said that things are ok. Presumably I removed it in time.

It very much puts me off tampons going forward though.

I thought 4 hours was fine for a tampon?? I frequently use them overnight.

It might be worth going to a gp just about the smell or get a test kit to test for BV perhaps just to rule it out for your own peace of mind but toxic shock is unlikely and you have now removed it so it isn't likely to start now.

Was this the first tampon of your period and was it a late cycle this month? Could it be an early miscarriage?

Was it your regular brand? I had this once when I tried to switch to an environmentally friendly product. Never doing that again, Tampax can have my money till i have no need for them!

Yeah I always thought 4 or 5 hours was ok, have never had an issue before.

Use pads and/or period pants unless you specifically need to use a tampon (for swimming for example). Tampons are not as healthy for your body as pads/period pants.

Is it a different brand than you normally use?

No it wasn't my normal Tampax actually, it was some unidentified brand from a basket in an office loo.

I'd thought maybe it was the older kind of Tampax in the cardboard applicator and the cardboard did hurt slightly to get in but then felt completely fine - maybe I irritated some delicate parts.

I know it's awful for the environment but the plastic applicators are far more comfortable for me and my dodgy vaj.

I only use pads i think there more safer.

I use pads at home and tampons when out and about, especially exercising.

Can't wear period pants which massively annoys me as I'd love to, they really appeal to me as so comfortable, and reusable. I get constant giant clots and they just don't absorb.

Bv can make itself known during a period. If all tampons are like that, then treat yourself.

Other than that, then don't worry unless there's one you've forgot about