The most common signs of a stuck or forgotten tampon are a foul-smelling vaginal discharge, pelvic discomfort, and pain when urinating. These symptoms usually develop within a few days of the tampon being left in place, and they get harder to ignore the longer the tampon stays. The good news: a tampon physically cannot travel beyond your vaginal canal, and most people can remove one at home once they realize it’s there.
Why Tampons Get “Stuck”
A tampon doesn’t usually get stuck in the traditional sense. What happens is that it gets pushed deeper into the vaginal canal and the string becomes difficult to reach. This often occurs when a second tampon is inserted before the first one is removed, during sex, or simply because you lost track during a busy day. The vaginal canal is only about 3 to 4 inches long and ends at the cervix, a firm, narrow opening that connects to the uterus. A tampon cannot pass through the cervix or get “lost” inside your body. It’s always in the same canal, just higher up and potentially compressed against the walls.
Symptoms to Watch For
The earliest and most noticeable sign is a strong, unpleasant odor. A retained tampon creates an environment where bacteria multiply quickly, and the smell is often described as rotten or fishy. It’s distinctly different from normal period odor and tends to worsen each day.
Other symptoms include:
- Unusual discharge: Often brown, green, yellow, or gray, sometimes with a watery or thick consistency that doesn’t match your normal pattern.
- Pain or pressure in the pelvis: A dull ache in the lower abdomen, below the belly button and above the genital area.
- Discomfort when urinating: The tampon can press against the bladder or urethra, making it painful or uncomfortable to pee.
- Pain during sex: If the tampon is still in place during intercourse, you or your partner may notice something feels off or uncomfortable.
Some people don’t have obvious symptoms right away, especially in the first day or two. If you’re unsure whether you removed your last tampon, the best approach is a quick physical check rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.
How to Check for a Retained Tampon
Start by washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water. Trim your fingernails if they’re long, since sharp edges can scratch delicate tissue. Then insert one or two fingers into your vagina and gently sweep around the walls of the canal. Your middle finger or ring finger will give you the best reach. Feel for the tampon itself (a soft, compressed cotton mass) or the string.
If you can’t feel anything in one position, try changing your stance. Squatting opens the vaginal canal more than standing does. You can also try lying on your back with your knees bent, sitting on the toilet, or placing one foot up on the edge of a bathtub. Bearing down gently, as if you’re having a bowel movement, can push the tampon lower and make it easier to reach.
If you feel the tampon or string, grip it between two fingers and pull slowly and steadily. It may feel compressed and larger than you’d expect, but it will come out. Slight discomfort is normal if the tampon has been in for a while and dried out, but the removal shouldn’t be intensely painful.
When You Can’t Remove It Yourself
If you’ve tried multiple positions and can’t reach the tampon, or if it feels wedged and you’re unable to get a grip, a doctor or nurse can remove it quickly. This is a routine procedure at urgent care clinics and emergency rooms. A clinician will use a speculum (the same instrument used during a Pap smear) to hold the vaginal walls open and retrieve the tampon with a small clamp. The whole process takes a few minutes. There’s no reason to feel embarrassed: healthcare providers see retained tampons regularly.
You should seek medical help promptly if you have symptoms like fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or a widespread rash alongside a suspected retained tampon. These could signal a more serious complication.
Toxic Shock Syndrome: What to Know
Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is the complication people worry about most, and while it’s rare, it’s worth knowing the warning signs. TSS is caused by toxins released by certain bacteria, and symptoms typically develop within 3 to 5 days in people who are menstruating and using tampons. The onset is sudden.
Key symptoms include a high fever, a drop in blood pressure (which can cause dizziness or fainting), vomiting or diarrhea, muscle aches, confusion, and a rash that looks like a sunburn, most often on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Redness of the eyes, mouth, and throat can also occur. TSS is a medical emergency. If you develop these symptoms and suspect a retained tampon, go to the emergency room immediately.
For context, the FDA recommends changing tampons every 4 to 8 hours and never wearing a single tampon for more than 8 hours. Forgetting one for a day is not ideal but doesn’t automatically cause TSS. The risk increases the longer the tampon stays in, which is why prompt removal matters.
After Removal: What to Expect
Once a retained tampon is removed, the foul odor typically resolves within a day or two as the bacterial overgrowth clears. You may notice some unusual discharge for a short period afterward, which is your body’s normal cleaning process. If the odor, discharge, or pelvic pain persists beyond a few days after removal, that could indicate an infection that needs treatment.
To prevent this from happening again, some people find it helpful to keep a simple log of tampon changes during their period, set a phone timer, or always do a quick check at the end of each cycle. Choosing tampons with a string that’s easy to locate also reduces the chance of losing track.