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8
This Woman Accidentally Left A Tampon Inside Her For A Month—She’s Now Sharing Her ‘Traumatizing’ Story
Reality star Savannah Miller revealed that she narrowly avoided a life-threatening infection after accidentally leaving a tampon inside her body for an entire month.
The 24-year-old, who appeared on Netflix’s The Circle, described the experience as “actually traumatizing” and said it could have ended in something far more serious than a health scare.
Two years ago, when she was in college, Savannah inserted a tampon to prevent any “spillage” from her period before heading to a bar with friends.
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Reality star Savannah Miller revealed she left a tampon inside her body for an entire month
Image credits: Instagram / savannahcmiller
However, the following day, she completely forgot she had used the menstrual product. “I forgot I put it in, and because there was no blood and the string had disappeared, I didn’t see it,” she told theNew York Post.
A few days later, Savannah began experiencing symptoms, including a general sick feeling, itchiness, and a bad odor.
“It smelled like a rat crawled inside of me while I was sleeping and d*ed,” she recalled.
The 24-year-old, known for Netflix’s The Circle, said the experience was “actually traumatizing”
Image credits: TikTok / savannahcmiller
Still, she assumed the odor was just an “old period” smell and kept inserting more tampons, likely pushing the first one farther up.
The reality star was examined and tested for STDs at her campus clinic, but the results came back normal.
Image credits: Freepik
Her doctors initially linked the smell to BV (bacterial vaginosis), a common infection caused by an imbalance of the naturally occurring bacteria in the vag*na.
“They thought it was just BV, but I knew there was no way people walked around with BV smelling like this,” Savannah said.
While in college, Savannah used a tampon before going to a bar with friends, but forgot about it the next day
Image credits: pashedmotatos
At her third appointment, doctors found cotton particles in her urine sample and asked if she might have a tampon inside her.
“I didn’t think so, but I was like, ‘Possibly?!” she said. “But I was desperate to make the smell go away.”
Image credits: TikTok / savannahcmiller
Ultimately, they managed to retrieve the tampon; Savannah said the doctor “had to fish it out of my ovaries,” and that it was “so far up in my cervix there was no shot I was gonna see it.”
A few days later, she began experiencing discomfort, itchiness, and a strong odor
@savannahcmillerToo toxic for toxic shock syndrome I guess. Hopefully this lands on my 85% girl following♬ I Forgot That You Existed – Taylor Swift
She showed no symptoms of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) but was put on antibiotics as a precaution.
TSS is a rare but serious condition linked to tampon use, caused by certain strains of bacteria.
Image credits: PoonTheT_1000
Image credits: BraedenSorbo
It occurs when toxins enter the bloodstream, potentially leading to severe organ damage or fatalities, according to theCleveland Clinic.
When a tampon is used, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria may become trapped in the vag*na and enter the uterus via the cervix. Bacteria may grow on tampons, especially if they aren’t changed regularly or if a super-absorbent tampon is used during light menstrual flow.
On her third appointment, doctors discovered cotton fragments in her urine
Image credits: The Circle Netflix
According to theNHS, tampons should be changed every 4 to 6 hours to reduce health risks.
Symptoms of TSS can include a sudden high fever, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, a rash resembling a bad sunburn, dizziness, low blood pressure, conjunctivitis, and peeling of the skin on the soles of your feet or palms.
Image credits: Cleveland Clinic
Savannah shared her experience on TikTok, jokingly captioning the clip “Too toxic for toxic shock syndrome I guess.”
Fortunately, she showed no signs of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a life-threaning condition linked to tampons
Image credits: washghost1
@moxiehq how do tampons get forgotten? 😳 ALWAYS READ THE LABEL AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR USE. #tampon#periodtips#periodtok#tss♬ original sound – MOXIE
The reality star admitted her story may be “embarrassing,” but she hopes it serves as a reminder to practice proper hygiene during the menstrual cycle.
In 2012, model Lauren Wasser lost both of her legs to tampon-related TSS.
Image credits: Instagram / savannahcmiller
In 2023, Javon Johnson, a mother from Indiana, issued a warning after two of her daughters were hospitalized with sepsis caused by TSS infections.
Her 21-year-old daughter, Devine, fell ill after using a “super-plus absorbency” tampon, as per The Post. Shortly after finishing her period, she developed flu-like symptoms and became unable to walk without assistance. A month later, her 17-year-old daughter, Jaya, received the same diagnosis.
Experts recommend changing tampons every 4-6 hours and using the lowest absorbency necessary
Image credits: The Circle Netflix
Image credits: Instagram / savannahcmiller
A doctor told Javon that her daughters’ infections were caused by the “higher potency chemicals” in super-plus absorbency tampons.
In addition to changing tampons regularly, the Cleveland Clinic recommends using a tampon with the lowest absorbency required for your flow and using sanitary pads at night.
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Nikki Spears Gross 3 months ago (edited)
Unfortunately, this can happen, especially to younger women and is a lot more common then you think. I spent 14 years in the Healthcare Industry and was fortunate too befriend a wide variety of people in different medical fields. I primarily dealt with Doctors, Nurses, Lab techs and Hospital Blood Centers across a multitude of Departments, but it was mostly the Emergency Room, Trauma Units/Centers, Surgery and Blood Centers, OB/GYN, ICU/NICU, that I interacted with most of the time. You hear stories... Lots and lots of stories. One of those things is women that either forgot or were unable to dislodge a tampon, for some reason or another. That is one of the MANY reasons why I've ALWAYS stuck to using pads.
Nikki Spears Gross 3 months ago
Due to extreme health issues, I've ALWAYS had to wear pads or pantiliners and that hasn't changed even with Menopause. That is just one of the reasons that for me, tampons were never an option. Instead of criticism, condemnation and making fun of, or roasting people, we concentrate on educating women. Unfortunately, discussing our periods and the various conditions that women can suffer from PCOS and Endometriosis is still considered a "taboo" topic, especially in certain cultures, religions, age group, etc., the list goes on and on. Instead of tearing each other down, we need to help and look out for each other, because let's face it if we don't then no one else will do it for us.
Load More Replies...
TruthoftheHeart 3 months ago
As a woman who despises the feeling of my tampons and only uses them because I can't stand the feeling of sitting on blood that pads cause I really can't understand how you could just forget for a whole month that you had a tampon up there. I mean it does have a string dangling and everything and they typically move a little bit when walking and stuff.
Nikki Spears Gross 3 months ago (edited)
Unfortunately, this can happen, especially to younger women and is a lot more common then you think. I spent 14 years in the Healthcare Industry and was fortunate too befriend a wide variety of people in different medical fields. I primarily dealt with Doctors, Nurses, Lab techs and Hospital Blood Centers across a multitude of Departments, but it was mostly the Emergency Room, Trauma Units/Centers, Surgery and Blood Centers, OB/GYN, ICU/NICU, that I interacted with most of the time. You hear stories... Lots and lots of stories. One of those things is women that either forgot or were unable to dislodge a tampon, for some reason or another. That is one of the MANY reasons why I've ALWAYS stuck to using pads.
Nikki Spears Gross 3 months ago
Due to extreme health issues, I've ALWAYS had to wear pads or pantiliners and that hasn't changed even with Menopause. That is just one of the reasons that for me, tampons were never an option. Instead of criticism, condemnation and making fun of, or roasting people, we concentrate on educating women. Unfortunately, discussing our periods and the various conditions that women can suffer from PCOS and Endometriosis is still considered a "taboo" topic, especially in certain cultures, religions, age group, etc., the list goes on and on. Instead of tearing each other down, we need to help and look out for each other, because let's face it if we don't then no one else will do it for us.
Load More Replies... TruthoftheHeart 3 months ago
As a woman who despises the feeling of my tampons and only uses them because I can't stand the feeling of sitting on blood that pads cause I really can't understand how you could just forget for a whole month that you had a tampon up there. I mean it does have a string dangling and everything and they typically move a little bit when walking and stuff.
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