Help: I left my tampon in way too long by mistake!

The symptoms occur very fast (within a day), and are really severe (vomiting & diarrhea, high fever, rash, fainting etc.)

If you experience anything like that, you obviously should go to the ER immediately. But, statistically, you're most likely fine. TSS is quite rare, although that doesn't mean you shouldn't be more careful in the future.

 

TSS is very dramatic- like a very rapidly occurring flu-like feeling with a rash and a high fever. If you were having the onset of a staph/strep infection to the extent that it causes TSS, the rapidity and severity of the illness would be very apparent.

While TSS can occur with normal tampons, it is more common in the superabsorbent very occlusive tampons. Most of those were taken off the market because of their association with TSS.

You might read through the information about moon cups on the forum. They are a safer alternative to tampons.

 

Sorry to bring this topic up again but...what sort of job prevents bathroom breaks during the day. I might bring that up with Human Resources because I'm pretty sure that's illegal....unless as you said it "doesn't allow" and you just mean you don't have the opportunity to go to the bathroom during the day. If that's the case...well I'd still see if there's some way to change that.

 

I know that in the work that I do I'm lucky to get a lunch break when I work long shifts. I work in electronic media, so if something goes wrong during setup, there goes your lunch break, or your bathroom break. It's just something that I have become used to.