Rhiannon Ingle
Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a rare but life-threatening condition that all women need to be aware of.
We've all heard the horror stories over the years, but it can still be easier than you'd imagine to forget to take out your tampon, which is why it's so important to be aware of the symptoms.
One woman who accidentally left her tampon in for a month and a half has shared her experience, including the red flag that made her realise something was seriously wrong.
Taking to Reddit, she detailed how her period ended like normal, and a few weeks later, she got the contraceptive implant, which stopped her from bleeding.
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The user explained that she and her boyfriend had sex, and she forgot to take her tampon out beforehand, simply inserting another one once they'd done the deed.
She penned: "Eventually, my period ended, with the tampon still in. A couple weeks later, I was showing signs of a UTI, which I chalked up to our unprotected sex, and I went to the doctor.
"They gave me meds for the UTI and sent me on my way. A couple days later, I had a fever, pain in my abdomen, muscle aches, nausea, dizziness, and disorientation so bad I went to the emergency room."
However, doctors reportedly told her it was just a bacterial infection from leaving her UTI untreated for so long. She was prescribed an antibacterial, and the symptoms went away.
"Now being aware of the old tampon, I realise I was showing all of the symptoms of Toxic Shock Syndrome, and the drug they prescribed me for the bacterial infection is the same they would give me for early toxic shock syndrome," she explained.
The woman added that the symptoms all went away except for 'a very faint smell that followed after sex' which she and her boyfriend assumed was the bacterial infection coming back.
"It was no big deal, and I thought nothing else was wrong," she said, until she started feeling 'really cr*ppy' with pain in her lower abdomen.
"I thought I had a head cold, until I was cleaning myself out after doing the deed and I felt something grainy, almost like wet paper, up in my vagina," she shared.
"Immediately, I freaked out and spent 30 minutes digging it out, and I found the grossest tampon I’ve ever seen. I threw it away and cleaned my vagina five times over again, almost puking from disgust."
She concluded the graphic Reddit confession adding: "I don’t even know what else to say other than ew."
For anyone not in the know, Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a rare but life-threatening bacterial infection that affects around 40 people every year in the UK.
Anyone can get TSS, but it is most common when linked to tampon use or menstruation.
According to data collected from NHS Trusts through the Freedom of Information Act by Midland Health, at least 15 confirmed cases of Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) linked to tampon use or menstruation have been identified across the UK in the past five years.
But it's important to note that such a figure is expected to be much higher in reality, with many NHS Trusts saying they were unable to provide full data because these cases are not consistently recorded.
In particular, there is no specific NHS coding that routinely identifies when TSS is associated with tampon use or menstruation.
Dr Rupa Parmar, GP and Medical Director of Midland Health, told Tyla: "As with anything, prevention is key, so knowing the symptoms and risk factors is crucial. Though Toxic Shock Syndrome affects just a few people each year, it is still something to be aware of."
Symptoms of TSS appear 'quickly and severely', and they include high temperatures, feeling extremely hot or extremely cold and shivery, muscle aches and pains, a raised sandpaper-like skin rash, and flu-like symptoms.
Meanwhile, symptoms of a tampon still being inside include unusual brown or bloody discharge, a strong and unpleasant odour, itching, or pain during sex or urination.
"If you cannot remove the tampon yourself, seek medical help as soon as possible, especially if you have a fever," the expert urges.