Woman Shares Terrifying Experience After Forgetting a Tampon for Over a Month
She found herself in the emergency room with fever, abdominal pain, nausea, muscle aches, dizziness, and confusion.
A woman has gone viral after revealing the horrifying symptoms she developed when she accidentally left a tampon inside her body for more than a month, leading to toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
Most people who menstruate are warned from the very start: tampons should be changed every four to six hours. The dangers of leaving one in too long are serious, with TSS being one of the most frightening risks.
According to the NHS, toxic shock syndrome is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition caused by bacterial toxins entering the bloodstream. It can develop quickly and requires urgent treatment. Early symptoms include high fever, muscle aches, dizziness, nausea, and a sunburn-like rash that feels rough, similar to sandpaper.
How it happened
The woman shared her story on Reddit, explaining that she forgot to remove her tampon before having s*x with her boyfriend, and then inserted another one afterward. When her period ended, the forgotten tampon remained inside her body.
Weeks later, she started feeling unwell. “A couple weeks later, I was showing signs of a UTI,” she wrote. After visiting her doctor, she was prescribed medication, but the symptoms only worsened. Soon, she found herself in the emergency room with fever, abdominal pain, nausea, muscle aches, dizziness, and confusion.
Doctors treated her for what they thought was a bacterial infection, and her symptoms improved. Looking back, she realized the antibiotics prescribed for the UTI were the same ones typically used in the early stages of TSS.
A woman has gone viral after revealing the horrifying symptoms she developed when she accidentally left a tampon inside her body for more than a month, leading to toxic shock syndrome (TSS).
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A shocking discovery
Even though her symptoms eased, she noticed a lingering foul smell after s*x but dismissed it as part of her infection. Weeks later, things took a dramatic turn. “This week, I started feeling really crappy and had pain in my lower abdomen,” she explained. “I thought I had a head cold, until I was cleaning myself after s*x and I felt something grainy, almost like wet paper, up in my vagina.”
What she discovered left her horrified: “Immediately, I freaked out and spent 30 minutes digging it out, to which I found the grossest tampon I’ve ever seen. I threw it away and cleaned myself five times over again, almost puking from disgust.”
“I started feeling really crappy and had pain in my lower abdomen,” she explained.
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Her experience is a stark reminder of just how dangerous it can be to forget a tampon. While it may seem like a small mistake, the consequences can be serious. Experts advise setting reminders on your phone or keeping a mental checklist during your period to avoid accidental overuse.
he NHS recommends that you change your tampon at least once every four to six hours
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Better Health and the NHS recommend several safety steps to lower the risk:
- Change tampons every 4–6 hours, and never leave one in overnight.
- Use the lowest absorbency needed for your flow, and avoid super-absorbent tampons.
- Only unwrap a tampon immediately before use and wash your hands before and after insertion.
- Be gentle when inserting and removing to avoid irritation.
- Switch to pads or panty liners during the lighter days of your period.
- Avoid wearing tampons when you’re not menstruating.
While toxic shock syndrome is rare, it can be life-threatening. The woman’s terrifying story is a powerful reminder to stay vigilant and prioritize menstrual health — because a simple oversight can have serious consequences.