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I've been hearing lately about the possible role of tampons in the increasing rates of endomentriosis, and thus inability to conceive in the current generation. I knew that they made me cramp something awful...but does anyone have any information on other health effects of these infernal contraptions?
114 responses total.
Toxic Shock Syndrome comes to mind right off. I haven't heard of a case lately, but that doesn't mean it isn't happening. Is it?
Toxic Shock Syndrome was linked to the ultra super tampons, Rely in specific (I was very upset when they took it off the market, it was the only one I had found that would let me go more than 1-1.5 hours away from a bathroom during my heavy flow days). None of the tampons out today are as absorbant as the Rely super was. This was the problem. Rely imbedded little pieces of sponge in the cotton. This super absorbancy caused super dryness which allowed whatever buggie that cased Toxic Shock to flurrish, and because it was so absorbant a lot of woman didn't change it often enough which compounded the problem. I hadn't heard of the endometriosus link, are there references I can look up?
I love the darn things... sigh.. I suppose they are bad for me though
They are saying now that you can wear a Tampon up to 8 hours, while you're sleeping...I don't think it's safe though...
Have been doing it for almost 20 years with no problems (and I sometimes sleep more than 8 hours).
I've heard from both professional and non-professionaly sources that tampons actually increase flow, as well as increase this risk of Toxic Shock. But, I can't experiment. Any comments/?
Can't really say. I've used tampons since my 2nd or 3rd period. The napkin materials used waaaay back then caused me to break out in a horrible rash so Mom asked the Dr if it was okay for me to switch. The only time since that I have used pads instead was just after the kids were born. Still got the rash, but not quite as badly as before (thank GOD, after birth evacuation lasts for weeks rather than days).
After the outbreak of TSS the Food and Drug Administration required manufacturers to lower tampon absorbency. There is even an FDA regulated definition for how many grams regular, super-absorbency, etc. can absorb. \I recently researched tampons in connection with dioxin. I have found the since the TSS outbreak of 1980 there really hasn't been any research done regarding women and tampons. (If I missed a study please let me know about it, I haven't given up on the article.) The theory I am aware of regarding tampons asserta that the tampon can block the free flow of fluid from the uterus. When the uterus contracts the fluid backs up and goes into the fallopian tubes where it can leave behind bits of endometrial tissue. The bits of tissue remain and respond to the chemical changes in a women's body as if they were in the uterus. When the bodies signals for the tissue to secrete the fluid and detach itself, the tissue in the fallopian tubes responds causing pain and other symptoms (endometriosis) to the women, as fallopian tubes weren't designed with that in mine. Severe cases cause scarring of the tubes as the body build scar tissue over the tissue. This lessens the pain since the tissue doesn't receive and can't respond to chemical messages and interferes with conception. The `learned' men of our society believe that endometriosis is caused by not having children early in life, and there does seem to be a link. But the same generation has worn tampons most of their life. Although this affects 50 - 70% of U.S. women (_Ms. Magazine 11/12 1992) tampons have never been seriously studied. Please excuse the length and the typos. Next!
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I just learned recently that there have been some medical studies done on women, tampons, and endometriosis which supports the theory I listed above a _a_ possible cause of endometriosis. I also learned that there is a type of endometriosis called renegade endometriosis which is more rare. Renegade endometriosis is when the endometrial tissue leaves the fallopian tubes and enters the blood stream floating around until it attaches itself someplace in the body separate from the repro- ductive tissue. It is possible for it to attached itself just about anywhere, though probabilities vary. Again, this is a rare type of endometriosis.
Re#1 Toxic Schock Syndrome (TSS) still happens. Since the
FDA regulated tampon absorbency the incidence has
fallen 93%. A litle more than half the cases are in
menstruating women. The menstruating women are usually
between the ages of 15 - 19 yrs. old. (I don't know
why.)
TSS is caused by bacteria. tampons make a great environ-
ment for it to grow, as do diapers. Remember men, babies
and women have all contracted TSS.
I didn't mean for this to read like a Public Service announcement
I just didn't want people to think of it as solely a women's
problem.
Is that worded correctly? They have all contracted TSS?
Re#12 If I read it right, craig, dana didn't say that men had contracted TSS.
If she/he had, there would be a comma before "men", not after it. Has
anyone heard of men contracting TSS?
Sometimes those things have to be figured in by the reader, as I don't know how to edit my responses.
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I interpreted it to mean "Men, remember: both women and babies can get it."
OK, Men, women and babies can get TSS. bye
Actually, it's worded correctly to be an address to "men." The actual problem is that it seems to say that all babies and women have contracted TSS. If it was including men, it would have said, "Remember: men, babies...". The word "all" is confusing to the reader.
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The "important information" insert on my box of tampons says "TSS also occurs, however, among men, children, and non-menstruating women." And FWIW, after going-on-twenty years of using them, I had laparoscopic evidence that I did _not_ have endometriosis -- that was about 10 years ago.
While we're on the topic, I can now vouch for the comfort and efficacy of the re-usable cotton mentrual pads. They're made of a soft, pretty flanel that seems to absorb just as well as the paper pads I had been using. And they just keep getting *softer* as they get washed, if you can believe that!
Yes, but does the darn thing have wings?
re #21 - I've never even seen these. Where do you get them? Every time I find a tampon I can deal with, they take it off the market for one reason or another.
I've seen ads for the re-usable cotton pads in about 4 different magazines. The PFC also carries them at the Packard store. As to wings -- since you fold them to fit, if you want wings, you get wings.
They are also available at Whole Foods.
Gosh. What goes around comes around. I believe that the reusable substance (hence the term "on the rag") method was the preferred method for hundreds if not thousands of years prior to this century.
Not buying all the disposables you can do is a crime against God, Nature, America, and the Everest Landfill Company. Shopping is more fun than doing laundry, too.
You can get the flannel pads at the Peoples Food Co-op in Ypsilanti too.
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I hate tampons. I swear by "Always" dry-weave napkins. I have used all cotton pads before... but they are not absorbent enough. Not fluffy cotton but more like "cotton rag". And I *like* the ones with wings! They definitely work much better. Now if they'd only figure out a way to avoid leaking in front or behind I wouldn't have to sleep on my sides all the time.
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#30 Make your own napkins from "cottong rag". Make them
really long with wings. It wouldn't even have to
look real nice. It would just have to be functional.
That's an idea.
My mom works in an operating room. Girls have died from wearing tampons and not telling anyone when they're getting an operation. Frankly, that scares me enough to not want to put anything inside of me that could possibly kill me. About the plastic layer on most pads, there are brands, I can't remember right off, that are "earth friendly" and the top layer is cotton, they absorb great. Speaking of absorbing, if anyone still reading knows, for the cloth ones, do they absorb well? Do you just throw them into the washer? can you wash anything else wiht them or do you have to save them all up until the end of the week when you have them all?
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I use nothing but the cloth pads these days. I like them, and I've had some "humdingers" just lately. I wash them in whatever cold water load I'm doing when I need them. So far they haven't stained anything else or done anything else regrettable. (I do rinse them as I remove them, and then store them in a little bag of vinegar water til then.
I'm sorry, but it's not clear to me exactly why wearing a tampon during an operation would cause one to die. Could someone politely explain?
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