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.

I'd stick to using a familiar brand next time. I used some natural sanitary towels once and the smell once used honestly made me gag... I nearly went to the GP as I was convinced I had something horribly wrong.

Maybe it was the different brand? If the blood isn't smelly, then it will be fine.

Could you use a known brand for a couple of hours then see how that smells when you change it? If all is back to normal then it can be put down to the new tampon brand. If ut smells odd too then seek medical advice.

I see you posted about wanting to be more eco conscious, have you ever tried TOTM products? The applicator is cardboard but I find I can use them with a little bit of lube to help insertion. My cramps are nowhere near as bad when I use this brand - no plastics, dyes etc (I have a tilted uterus and vaginimus too. Can’t even spell it lol)
As for the issue in hand, as others have said keep an eye on temperature, flu like symptoms etc but if you feel well in yourself you should be grand.

This happened to me once. The tampon must have been in for about a week. The smell was awful.i was fine afterwards no ill effects x

Have you considered a menstrual cup? It takes a little while to get used to getting it in and out, but once you have the hang of it, much better than tampons.

Mumsnet at its finest - some posters laying in to the OP because she has asked a health question on a forum instead of ringing 111, and others laying into her for thinking about wasting a doctor's time when she "obviously" just has health anxiety.

OP, it was a perfectly reasonable question to ask and I'm really glad you got some sensible answers from posters who actually want to help and not point score.

Ah ok. Try a diva cup ! They are fab

https://divacup.com/insertion/

How do you change and clean the cup when out and about in public loos though?

That's when I use tampons, as I find pads uncomfortable when doing a lot of walking and physical activity.

I have never tried a cup due to vaginismus.

Don't use random tampons that have been lying around in public for God knows how long. It could have been a damp mouldy tampon. Just use pads for the moment to let your body clear itself out.

The tampon was not damp and mouldy. It felt and looked perfectly normal when I unwrapped it.

Ok then don't feel up random tampons before you insert them into your body. You can introduce bacteria by doing that.

Re changing the cup in public - clean your hands first, then tip contents of cup into toilet. Then reinsert. If there is no sink in the cubicle I use a bit of toilet paper to open the door and then wash hands in the sink in the common area.

I too have a tilted uterus but nevertheless once managed to get a "lost" tampon up there (and to continue inserting and removing others as normal); eventually there was a lingering nasty smell, a visit to the doctor's, she found it and removed it--all a bit embarrassing, but no bad consequences. Please see a doctor!

Dame does a reusable plastic tampon inserter, picked one up from Boots years ago. Makes it a bit cheaper to then buy the no applicator tampax

I love my cup and use it alongside pads or tampons depending on need or how i feel. Think maybe you might've reacted to something in the different tampon? BV testing kit sounds a good idea though

Um, what.

I washed my hands after using the loo, and went back into the cubicle to pop in a fresh tampon, like I have done for many years.

My hands had to touch certain parts of the new tampon as sadly I cannot control inanimate objects via mind control.

I was not "feeling up random tampons".

Hi OP, just some reassurance for you. Don’t worry- toxic shock develops with symptoms such as headache usually not smell- sometimes our period just smells more foul some months and there is no reason for this. However, if the smell is bad, a period can change our PH balance and cause bacterial vaginosis otherwise known as BV- once your period is over, if you still have smelly discharge that is milky then you can attend your local sexual health( it’s not a STI) and get a swab and get treatment- it doesn’t sound like you have anything to worry about, I would only seek medical treatment if you develop a headache/flu like symptoms/severe muscle aches/skin rashes xx

Have you taken any other meds? I smell different after taking cold and flu tablets and it's worse when on my period.

If you feel fine, put it down to a freak tampon.

The odour you describe makes me think of BV, something you might have got come a different brand of tampon/the one you used being compromised in some way. You can get something to treat it from the pharmacist.

You are probably fine: https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/well/health/toxic-shock-syndrome-rare-heres-what-tampon-users-should-know

Your body seems to have reacted badly to that particular tampon (unless you already have an underlying infection). If it reduces your anxiety use pads for the rest of your period. When I had really clotty periods I found that incontinence pads and pants really reduced the amount of leaking I'd get

OP you will be fine. You have done nothing wrong. Just wear a pad tonight and tomorrow is a new day.

Are you perimeno at all Op? It's just I have noticed that it can be a bit wiffy with tampons down there because I'm peri (I asked my GP and it's the flucuating hormones and cos I was getting to HRT). All normal but not pleasant. I changed back to a mooncup(I had some weight changes, so needed a new one, hence tampon use). I have a tilted womb as well.
Hope all is ok.

Did you use the toilet while the tampon was still in? It could be the smell of urine if so.

Use a pad so you can sort of keep an eye on what's happening, keep checking on it and smell the next time you change it. If there's no smell and you feel fine, I wouldn't worry. If you have another smelly sanpro, I'd suggest getting a bv/thrush test.

I had this in my 20s, the smell was horrendous (sorry TMI), went to Dr and I'd had a 'lost' tampon in for god knows how long, its easily done

If it was just a one off when you used a different brand of tampon to normal, everything was normal before that and since using it you haven't felt unwell, had any other symptoms or had the same thing happen since then I'd just put it down to a reaction to the rogue tampon. It may be something as simple as a brand that uses bleaching agents on their tampons which has reacted with your period blood, especially if you have a lot of clots, to cause the strong smell.

I only use certain brands of both pads and tampons because whenever I have used others they have either given me a rash, caused irritation or seem to smell really strongly (compared to my normal products) when I come to change them and as I have PCOS I often have very heavy/clotted periods so I don't like to risk using products I don't 100% trust unless it's a real emergency.