Question for girls only :)

[alex*]

Hey, I'm 17 and have pretty severe emetophobia. I first got my period 3 or 4 years ago, and I've only ever used pads for it. I know I should be using tampons, but I'm seriously terrified of getting Toxic Shock Syndrome. Some of the symptoms include v* and d*, and it can apparently be life-threatening. Have any of you had or known someone who's had those symptoms? How common is TSS and should I keep using pads until I'm "cured" of my emetophobia? Help me, please! I feel like I'm the only 17-year-old girl who doesn't use tampons, and it's really embarrassing.

[Sweetestsiin]

TSS is not very common at all.. As long as you change your tampons every 4-6 hours you will be fine. You should try them for a day or two see how you feel and go from there I have the same fear of getting TSS as well. Every month that's just another thing that adds to my worries.Hey I'm new to this website I actually just signed up because I found it on a forum hole I was nauseous at night so of course I'm up and looking for a cure for this.

[Mecca]

Hi, I'm 18 and I can't stand using tampons. I don't like having things in there for extended periods of time for that purpose. Don't feel like you 'should' be using any type of feminine products, it's all about what works for you and what you find to be the most effective.

[amieliz]

as long as you change it frequently (they reccomend every 3 hours but i do every two hours cause i bleed heavy) you'll be fine! got a couldnt be pain enough to go back to pads! tampons are so much more comfy! the only way you'll get TSS is if you forget its there.you'll be fine!

[thebetterbug]

TSS is so rare you'll be fine. I am NOT careful at all (I know, it's awful) sometimes I'll sleep for like 12 hours with one in on the weekends. You will be fine. Just use the lowest absorbancy necessary and change it every 4 to 6 hours.

[JadeNight]

I didn't start using tampons until I was 18, because my job required me to wear khaki pants so if i ever had a leak, it would be quite noticeable! Anyways, Everyone is right, TSS is very rare. I have gone 10 hours with a tampon in and have been fine. But I definitely suggest it being changed between the 4-6 hour point. It seems like it's a lot to pay attention to but it's not. It's easy to get the hang of!

[olschesky]

i agree with mecca......i didn't like using tampons becuase i didn't want all that menses staying inside of me. i used a pad all the way till menopause......never had any yeast infections, etc and i'm pretty convinced it was because of that......my girlfriends got them alot and used tampons......

[IceMaiden]

I'm 19 and had my periods since I was 11 and I have and never will use tampons quite simply because it's one less worry and I don't like the idea of them, do what gives you the most comfort!

[BreaRose]

Like others have said, don't feel like you HAVE to wear tampons. My MOM doesn't even wear them and she is CRAZY active!

I'm 23 and I pretty much started wearing tampons as soon as I got my period. Knowing when to change them, for me, really isn't that big of a deal. It FEELS uncomfortable when it's time to change and I don't think I've ever gone more than 8 hours with one in (sometimes I wear one over night so I don't have to worry about leaking on my bed). And I've never felt, nor have known anyone who has, any symptoms of TSS.

Do what feels right for you.

[missj]

It is so incredibly hard to get TSS. Unless your period is very heavy and you don't change it for awhile then MAYBE. But otherwise it's super rare.

I suggest not using tampons at night time since they will obviously be in longer, but try using them during the day. Switch them every few hours to make yourself feel safe. I don't think you'll regret it. I was scared about that, too....but now I'm so happy I don't have to wear pads 24/7 during that time.

[littleseven]

TSS is very rare, I wouldn't worry about this. They have to put those warnings all over the tampon boxes just to be safe. I probably didn't start using tampons until I was your age, so don't stress that you are the "only" one. Do whatever you feel most comfortable with.

[alex*]

I sincerely appreciate everyone's responses. I know that I am much more comfortable with pads and they work well for me. Besides the fear of getting TSS, tampons make me worry about it getting stuck and I just don't think I can handle anything inside of me like that (I know what you're thinking, but I'm asexual and therefore have no interest in sex).

So I like the advice about doing whatever feels right to me, but it's a little harder than that. My mom is really encouraging me to give tampons another try (I tried unsuccessfully before and started having a small panic attack), but I really don't want to. She keeps telling me that I should be using them at my age, and I understand where she's coming from. I mean, won't it be weird when I'm like 30 and still buying pads? I don't know, this is so difficult for me.

[NotEvenTheRain]

I was never aware that pads had an age restriction! I'm 22, and I use both, tampons when it's heavy because I hate the feel of a messy pad, and pads or liners when its not. And always a pad at night. I am on birth control right now because of nausea associated with my period, so I hardly ever even need a tampon anymore, but I keep them around just in case. It's impossible to go swimming on your period without one!

My mom was the complete opposite of yours when I started using tampons when I was 15, because I started my period right before camp, and she was dead set against it. She wasn't sure if I was responsible enough yet to remember to change them, plus she is very old school and didn't like the idea of a virgin using one, lol. She used them occasionally when she was young, but actually stopped around the age of 30. My sister is 27, and never uses them. She's tried, but just doesn't like them. I've never heard anything about starting tampons at a certain age, it's just a very personal choice. Not to offend you or your mom or anything, but being "too old for pads" is just plain silly!

It is your choice whether you use tampons or not. If you do use them, it should simply be because they are convenient and comfortable, not because of your age or what your mom says. If you don't, it should be because you just plain don't want to, certainly not because of the fear of TSS because the chances of you getting that are about as slim as winning the lottery. They have to put that disclaimer on the packages because women have gotten TSS from tampons before, mainly because they left their tampons in for days at a time.

Sorry if this response is long, but I feel bad that tampons have made such an impact on your life. They are no more extraordinary than pads, and if they bother you to the point of panic attacks, you shouldn't go near them, because they're not worth that! Next time your mom approaches you about it, respectfully tell her that you don't want to use them, that you've tried and don't like them, and to please stop pushing it on you like it matters whether you do or don't. Because it doesn't. If she still nags you about it, say ok and take the proffered tampons without another word, just don't use them.

[Tristesse]

Hey there, I have actually had TSS. I am 25 and I had it in 2008. I was dizzy and hot more than anything. I did v* (but I'm not afraid of v*ing personally, just others for the most part). I did not get d* from what I could remember. I felt like I was going to die though. It was pretty bad.

I was "allowed" to start using tampons again about a year later. I use mostly natural sea sponges and Instead Cups now, have you considered those options? Or a DivaCup?

These things are more "work" than tampons but I love them. The instead cups are like a diaphram and you throw them away afterward. Sea Sponges and DivaCups you clean and reuse. I use boiling water and tea tree oil with my sea sponges.

The Instead Cups is most convenient in public because you just throw it away. But IMO it's a ladies bathroom and me rinsing some period blood out in the sink is probably the least of anyone's concern (though I do only do it when it's empty :P) I do not know if the DivaCup needs to be rinsed out between uses, as I have not personally used one in many years but I know several who have and love them.

If you have any more questions about tampon alternatives, let me know I'm always happy to help. I understand your fear of TSS completely.

[alex*]

NotEvenTheRain, I really appreciate your help and support. I'll try talking to my mom about it the next time she brings it up, but it's just so hard. She keeps making me feel really childish by saying "No one uses pads anymore". But it makes me feel a lot better when I know that I'm not the only girl/woman that will be using pads into adulthood.

Tristesse: Aha, so I wasn't completely over-reacting with TSS. It is possible and I just don't want to take that risk. I've looked into the alternatives that you've given me, but I'm not sure that I'll use any of them. Just like with tampons, I'm afraid of putting anything up my vagina (it's kind of a second phobia for me) and I'm not comfortable with changing/rinsing things out in public.

I really just wish I wouldn't get periods in the first place, and not just because of this dilemma. I absolutely hate children and am never going to have any, so I don't see the point in having a period every month for nothing. It's pointless, if you ask me.

[Tristesse]

I know YOU have a phobia of putting things inside but have you thought about an IUD? If you get Mirena it's a lower chance of having periods. You could also think about birth control pills, there are some that are mild and wouldn't make you sick. I never got nauseated on bcp at all and I was on them off and on for 3 or 4 years.

Your mom is wrong by the way - I LOVE washable pads. They are so much more comfortable and you get less cramps. And I'm 25.