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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A possible scenario: A woman presents for a simple out-patient procedure. She is never asked nor does she mention that she is presently wearing a tampon. During surgery there are complications and she is admitted, possibly unable to contribute further history as questions come up. A week later she has developed a fever and her white count is off the wall. Everyone is hunting for the origin of the infection. Now, they'll probably find the tampon before she's truly septic but all of this could have been avoided if the staff had been aware she was wearing a tampon. So current policy now is to ask every menopausal woman the date of her last period and if she is presently wearing a tampon.
Do you mean "pre-menopausal woman"?
Yeah, it has to do with tss, if complications arise and the doctors don't know that the woman is wearing a tampon, there is a chance that they won't be able to locate the cause in time. It has happened!
It is realy scarry how there are so many dangerous products on the market that can hurt women and we don't even know it. I wish there was more information for us.
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There are, of course, better and worse products from the point of view of possible health risks. If you can pronounce most/all of the ingredients list without a course in chemistry it's a batter bet, for instance. Kiss My Face and Rachel Perry both have some good products, and the Body Shop has some good stuff, too, if you like their color line. (I don't; I like cool clear colors and they go for the warm, soft colors.)
I far prefer tampons and when my first kid was born I went into emotional shock having to use a pad again! Once, when I miscarried and had to go to the hospital, I had no pads to control the bleeding so I used a tampon. Boy, did the entire emergency room staff have a fit (and my dr. too) when they found out.
Tampons hurt me. I use fabric pads. (My mother used old socks, but I prefer floral flannel. It feels more dainty. ) I tried tampons, but the pain from the cramps it gave me were incapacitating. The Dr. calls it irritable cervix, I call it hell.
Oh Misti, the image that an "irritable cervix" conjurs up is too hysterical for words. . . .Sorry, honey, Can't have sex, my cervix is irritable today. Dont mean to make light of a painful condition, its the Doctor's name for the condition which tickles my funny bone. I used to have excruciating menstrual cramps and pms but tampons never bothered me. There are some definite advantages to being post menopausal.
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I have the same problems and I always get a yeast infection when I use tampons. Yuck!!!
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It was an excellent article!.
Which issue of consumer reports was that?
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I liked it because even though there is one brand of tampon I have used and liked since I was 13 (more than 20 yeaers of brand loyalty?!) I was totally confused by the pads in the markets, and was not happy with the ones I had to wear post childbirth/miscarriage for lots longer than a period lasts. The article helped explalin the differences. To me, sanitary pads were like space alien products; I used them 2x as a teenager at age 13, with much discomfort and embarassment.
Hmm, I missed that article but it sounds interesting... Though I didn't stick with brands my Mom used, as I'm more of a tampon user as apposed to pads [though back when I used to use pads, I experimented with various brands until I discovered I liked the tampons so much better!]
My mom used tampons, I started with her brand of tampons, found them to be hell on earth, and then I switched to pads, and now I am glad. All this fascinating stuff about tampons scares me. Besides which, I find that my brand is comfortable in that it feels like an article of clothing. Mom does not always know best, I guess.
We "moms" rarely if ever say we "always" know best. But I find it hard to understand how you could prefer a pad, worn outside to an internal device. In terms of overall cleanliness and comfort, to me there was no comparison.
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time to take this to email . . .and discuss.
don't leave me out of this one, folks! ;)
Good to hear from you again Misti. I will try to remember to send you a "cc" when I write to Valerie.
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vsee this item has been dead for awhile... I hear the Village Voice ran an article on the tampon industry.... anyone read it?
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Tampon with a lit fuse? Hee!!! Actually the same thing happened with the Village Voice article. It actually showed a woman wearing a tampon.... from the side, all you could see was the string... but even VV clientele found it too rough. The editor attributed this to body shame... I read samples of letters, and she may have been right. This was in a issue of Glamour.
anyone hear of that florida woman who sold tshirts to wallmart? she had an image of margaret <from dennis the menace> jumping up with glee on them, and margaret was saying "someday there will be a woman president" wallmart sold the tshirts, until a customer complained. so wallmart took the shirts off the shelves and gave the woman who sold the sshirts the explanation of "it offends family values".
That offends me!! I'm surprised I haven't heard about this. If I see it in print, I will dash off a letter to the Walmart pres. telling him how I feel about the action.
It was pretty senseless to me as well. I would like to know what particular family value is being threatened by a woman running for president or any office for that matter.
well, i forgot her name. she was interviewed on one of those morning 'news' shows. um.. i think it was 'the today show'.
ok, the city was mirmar <i dont know how it was spelled> florida. and i just heard that now wal;lmart reversed itself and apologized for pulling the shirt in the first place. hmm.. do you think if they get another complaint, they will reverse themselves AGAIN and pull the shirt AGAIN?
I feel Vallerie Mates is very much excited about Tampoons.
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Valerie, I think it may be a cultural misunderstanding.
In some civilized parts of the world, women use cotton batting (the type sold wrapped in blue paper at the drug store, sterilized), a small ball just sort of stuffed in externally. No problems with toxic shock, less chance of nighttime leakage than pads, and you can back it up with a minipad. A piece of toilet paper (large piece) bunched up will also work, but not as long, in case you want to try out the idea without having to buy batting first. These wads of cotton batting are flushable, have no added chemicals that I know of, and probably won't cause rashes. The rashes from pads are, I would guess, more of a problem when the pads become wet than if they are just used as a backup. Instead of batting you can use small pieces of old sheet and then compost them (or trash them, if you must), rather than bothering to launder them, but they are nowhere near as absorbent as the batting. .
Actually, that's how pads were invented, I do believe. During WWII, nurses discovered that by wadding up the cotton batting and gauze they used for wounded soldiers, they could absorb menstrual fluid quicker and neater.
there now is a similar product out now, but i cant remember the name. it appears to be formed <cotton?> fiber that fits between the labia and collects fluid there. it is recommended you also use a panty liner of sorts. havent tried it yet.
There's an interesting new product out there called "Instead" that is a plastic cup that sits much like a diaphragm at the top of the vagina, and collects menstral fluid. They say it can be worn up to twelve hours, twice as long as a tampon, and it has the added advantage that it can be worn durring sex. (But it DOES NOT act as a contreceptive. It is very important to use a form of protection if you want to make sure you don't get pregnant.) It has some of the same risks as tampons as far as TSS is concerned, obviously. But the incidence is low, as with tampons. Another problem is that some women find it difficult to remove. (After all the point is not to make a mess all over yourself and your hands) Also, in women who find that tampons make their cramps worse, this is still, usually the case with Instead. I've used them, and I rather like them-- it is a little more convinent that tampons, as they don't need to be changed as often. But, I don't wear them at the start of my period, because, like just about all tampons, they make my cramps worse. It is a little more tedious to carry around, simply because they're larger than tampons (after all, if one uses aplicator-less tampons, 2 will fit conviently in a jeans pocket.) Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else has used these, and if so, what they thought. (and that's why I'm reviving an item that's been dead for over a year.)
i tried them. could not get them inserted properly for anything.
If they make cramps worse, I think I'll pass.
They make my cramps worse... but so do just about all tampons I've tried. About the only thing that has made my cramps better is a day of bed rest and heavy duty pain killers. So if you don't have a problem with tampons.... *shrug* I have a friend who swears by the things and doesn't use anything else.... who knows...
Tampons give me agony -- even the teeny tiny, you'll never know it's there kind.
Ugh, I can;t stand tampons, they make me dry, and my body tends to reject them. So I stick with the pad. .
I just hate the "you won't feel them" thing... Cause I can. Even the little ones... but I do use them when I want to swim and I have my period.
Once they get a bit full, they start to come out, and that hurts. Other than that, I don't really feel them since I always make sure I get them *past* the vaginal muscles in the front. I pretty much put it in until it hits, then push the applicator so that it retracts on the tampon...I don't pull on the applicator. I like them when I'm swimming or working since pads are annoying when you're sweating or even warm. I guess it really depends on what I'm in the mood for. I hate it in general. When's menopause? I'm ready to end this. ;-)
<grins> Kids or menopause, Sarah... <grins> If you want the first you'll have to be willing to wait for the second. They don't really hurt... I can just tell they're there, and that makes me uncomfy.
They don't bother me. I just avoid the "mega-super-absorbency" variety. Cardboard applicators I hate. They "catch" and I cannot get them to budge.
I know what you mean Bees, most of the time I do use pads except for swimming and biking. I also hate pads that have the pastic as the top layer, nothing like plastic sticking to the skin. And I am starting to notice that it is difficult to find the paper or tissue pads that keep well together and absorb. .
I've heard that diaphragms have also been linked to TSS. The impression I get is that it's very unlikely unless you leave it in for far too long, but I was curious as to whether anyone knows anything about this. Where do all of you find information about women's reproductive health issues? I would like to know more about many of the things discussed here, but things like tampon safety, TSS, endometriosis, etc. rarely seem to be discussed in the media. Any good online resources? I'd like to feel more well-informed than I currently am about my own body...
that's it! a new pr superhero! TAMPON SAFETY MAN! /emote puts on his tights, and TSM tanktop
some of the best places are either bbses, web sites and even the companies that make the pads and tampons as well.
Your gyno should have some literature in their office, too. There are some good resources online, but you have to be very careful since not all of them are true medical sites.
(Okay, admittedly I have no experience on this topic, but I find it surprising that jiffer lists the companies themselves as a good source of info. Do you really find that the information they give is trustworthy?)
The companies do not want to be sued, so it is to their benefit to tell you about TSS and how to prevent it. I went to Tampons' and always' sites, and they do have pages where they talk about it. Check them out. http://tampax.com is one example.
I shall explore. Thank you.
I'm going to shout out my personal fave reproductive health site: plannedparenthood.org It doesn't deal a lot with menstural issues, but they have awsome info on contrecetives, and a couple other women's health issues that are just great.
I recommend visiting the museum of menstruation website at http://www.mum.org/. Personally, I just started experimenting with "the Keeper" which is a reusable menstrual cup. It is similar to the Instead but has some key design differences. I have only used it during light days but it went really well. I understand there is a learning curve though (re: leakage problems), but there is a support e- mail list to help trouble-shoot problems.
Okay i just saw this item on the list and it really appealed to me.I read all the responses and decided that i should respond to this item. At first when i started having periods at 14, i was using pads until about 5 months ago. I am very happy that i made the switch and i have one person to thank for it,my sister rachel.I am happy for the following reasons that i made the switch: 1.they're more comfortable. 2.they're more sanitary. 3.they're easier to dispose of. 4.they're more absorbent. I have tried 2 brands to see which i would like better (tampax & playtex) and i liked playtex better. They are very comfortable, and very easy to insert.
Yay!!! Always has come out with pads designed for women who are over a size 14! This means I don't have to play the "how far forward/back do I put this thing?" game. Yay, Always!!! Now to put them to the test and see if this alleviates front/back leaks. (Yes, they have wings)
I am well over a size 14 and I have *never* had a problem before - I can assure you - I won't be buying plus-sized pads.
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Actually, I have always thought of it as a flow issue... I have a heavy period when not on the pill, so I always wear the overnight types (which are long and wide), and I get the cottony dry, ultra thin kinds... they work well.. even if I still have to change them every 1-2 hours....
Re #102: My mom warned me that wearing tampons might hurt at first since I was a virgin when I first started wearing them. She didn't see the possibility of a tampon breaking my hymen as ruining my virginity. She was more worried about a boy doing that. :)
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I am a plus size women and have found that lots of brands make "longs" so it isnt that Always is doing something new. They just have the good sense to market the things to us fat women.
Even the longs are kinda iffy. I think the big problem is that my job requires me to get in and out of a car 20-25 times per night, bend, squat, and twist. This is why tampons are a blessing. :)
Oh yeah, I have to wear tampons while at work but they arent very comfortable so at home, it is a whole 'nuther story.
Oh, and I recently found out about a silicone version of the keeper called a mooncup. http://www.mooncup.co.uk/ I think I will stick with what I have though. I am even happier now than when I first posted on this thread in May. I used to wear tampons and sometimes tampons+pads (an always brand fan as well :-) but I don't think I'm ever going back. I have had no problems with leakage from the cup and although tampons were tolerable most of the time I experienced leakage and dryness problems that were very annoying. The keeper seems to work better for me.
I may have a look at the new Always pads to see if they work for me ... but several years ago I gave up on pads entirely and went to Depends. OK, so they aren't marketed for that use, but they hold plenty, they have elasticized legs and they *never* leak. I had gotten so tired of using three pads -- one in front, one in back, and one across the middle, and then finding that I had blood stained the furniture and my clothes ... but the pads had slipped out of the way and were quite clean. <bleah>
Arent the Depends kind of expensive. I have thought about getting some for nighttime. I suppose they are cheaper than ruining sheets!
I don't find them unreasonably expensive ... especially when counted against all the ruined clothes and extra laundry they prevent...but that would have to be based on yourt budget. ;)
This thread is mighty old, but I thought I'd post anyway. :) I can't stand pads. I loathe them. *laugh* I'm definitely a tampon fan, specifically OB tampons, applicator free. They are shorter than other tampons, and they expand around instead of getting wider at one point or longer. I cramp less with tampons, and my periods are shorter, which is really good, since my periods last between 5 and 7 days. I've never leaked with OB tampons. *laugh* I sound like a commercial! I would only use something other than OB in a real emergency.
Well, O.B. tampons are the best. That is for sure. I prefer the kind with the applicator but have been having a hard time finding them lately. Luckily drugstore.com has them. ;) I like the kind without applicators for when I am out someplace because they fit so well in a pocket. I have leaked with OB tampons but only rarely. They are definitely the best ones as far as leaks go.