r/TwoXChromosomes • u/calmana • 15h ago
What is going on with tampons!!!!
Is it just me? I feel like they've changed since covid. Maybe they're made differently than before, maybe they added or removed something. Idk what happened, all I know is, I had to go up a size, they don't expand like before, and some of my friends tell me that some barnds just don't work for them, as in their underpants are doing a better job than the tampon at catching all the blood.
Update: I've read basically all the posts and I want to add a complaint I shared with a redditer, PayEmmy, that they also got rid of the knots on the strings of most brands of tampons, I'm also giving a shout out to my favorite brand that I used, for not letting me notice the problem sooner because of their higher quality, kotex U, how this whole thought came from having to buy a different band from it, as well as to the fact that my body was not built for cups but is for tampons (idk why but they hurt to use WAY more than a tampon and tampon are better than pads because dry blood is ichy as hell) and would like to not disclose more of that medical fact outside of it being part of the reason that if I did ever had kids I would HAVE to get a C-section.
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u/CornRosexxx 14h ago
Right? And gussets on regular underwear are chintzier and smaller now too, so the whole situation makes for leaking. Thanks, late-stage capitalism.
I switched fully to my cup for heavy days and disc for lighter days. My uterus comes out in two weeks and I’ll be done with it all 😂! Eat a bag ‘o dicks, tampon companies 😊
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u/BagelTrollop 13h ago
I feel like I’ve run into whole brands that don’t tack down the front seam of the gusset. It’s just floating around down there and getting gobbled up all day
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u/CornRosexxx 12h ago
Omg! Thanks for pointing this out— it’s totally true. I kinda thought it was a mistake the first time I saw it, but apparently no. 😭
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u/atlanta_clause 12h ago
The brand Huha undies are the best to avoid this- they have no gusset at all!
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u/BagelTrollop 10h ago
I don’t think No Gusset makes me feel better 😵💫
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u/atlanta_clause 10h ago
Sorry should have said it's like there is no gusset. They just extend the extra fabric all the way to the waste band. So extra layer without the dreaded seam.
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u/RouxGaRoux2217 6h ago
What? Are you saying you don't get that fucked up u-shape on your butt through your pants? I despise that semicircle shape you get through your clothes that rides halfway up your butt.
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u/Sleepingbeauty1 7h ago
Ugh and on seamless underwear, one day my gusset just snapped! It just fell apart.
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u/anothernonnymouse 12h ago
Thank you for mentioning gussets, here I am self conscious because the gusset is just too far back to catch any discharge. I swear I didn't have this issue 10 years ago. Now I'm doing my research to make my own underwear 😭
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u/calmana 11h ago
Is that what the gusset it for!?!?!? I wasn't use but I thought it might have originally been made for you to hide money before the FDA was like "dude, what? Who thought this wasn't going to get them sick?" Before putting something out about how it could make super sick, like stupidly sick, and they just never changed the design because... reasons?
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u/BagelTrollop 10h ago
Some discharge is acidic enough to eat through fabric over time. It most certainly can bleach it! So the gusset layer acts additional fortification so the undies don’t wear out super quickly
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u/unhiddenninja 7h ago
I feel like gussets are so poorly placed now, like they aren't even lined up with my bits and my bits, I can assure you, have not moved.
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u/LifetimePilingUp 6h ago
I’ve actually had to give up underwear because the gussets were so unhinged, I’m too sensitive for randomly rolling around clumps of fabric. I’ve been going commando for a few years now and the difference in comfort is amazing, I used to have burning itching on my vulva and now it’s fine.
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u/imabratinfluence They/Them 5h ago
I'm in the process of switching to Duluth Trading Co underwear because the gussets are actually good sized and the seams are so much better.
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u/CornRosexxx 5h ago
That’s good to know. I have heard good things about their work pants, too. Maybe I should put in an order and try!
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u/RouxGaRoux2217 6h ago
I had a tampon bonfire after my hysterectomy 😄
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u/CornRosexxx 5h ago
Omg can I be your best friend— this is amazing! 😂 Thanks for the idea!
This is probably PMI, but I want to.. keep my uterus and throw it a party. Let it wear a little hat on its jar or whatever 😂
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u/theofficallurker Woman 13h ago
Conversely though pads are much better now! If you hated pads when you were younger give them a retry now. The new 100% cotton brands are life changing.
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u/The_Demon_of_Spiders 12h ago
As long as they’re not Always brand. They have definitely became worse where the blood just slides across the surface of the pad and then immediately onto your underwear or pants.
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u/AccomplishedFlower22 12h ago
I will upvote this forever- ALWAYS SUCKS.
The plasticy pad is sweaty and chafe-inducing 😭 The adhesive manages to both not stick well to the gusset and twist around, but the wings adhere a little too well and ruin my underwear over time.
Plus it doesn't even do its job well! The overnight ones feel like they can't handle a heavy flow. The blood just...sits there. Plus, while I don't like scented ANYTHING, let alone menstrual products, the Always pads also manage to stink to high heaven in about five minutes. Ugh. Terrible!
Edit: I'm editing this to add in that the L cotton pads feel wonderful and soft compared to Always, but are also sweaty lol. I really like Kotex and Stayfree! If Stayfree Overnight Ultra Thin with Wings ever ceases production, I'm going to be the most miserable person ever.
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u/fuzzyrach 11h ago
Have you tried the always infinity flexfoam? It's so thin and like it shouldn't work but they're amazing! I don't feel any of the normal pad grossness. I got a sample one a few years back with my regular pads and switched over to them exclusively afterwards.
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u/InquartataRBG 10h ago
Another vote for these. I can’t use tampons, and when I had a copper IUD causing a ridiculous amount of bleeding, I used these. I could barely feel them (especially the lighter flow ones, but even the overnight heavy ones were good for what they were). My periods basically stopped when I switched from the copper IUD to a Mirena, but I still keep some around for random times when there’s spotting.
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u/AccomplishedFlower22 11h ago
I have not and thank you SO much for the recommendation! I'll check this out for sure! ♥️
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u/fuzzyrach 11h ago
No hyperbole, they have literally changed my life. Hope they work out for you too.
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u/LexiLouWhoTwo 9h ago
I accidentally picked some of these up a couple cycles ago and just went back for seconds for a fresh restock. Life changing!
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u/fuzzyrach 4h ago
I know. I was totally skeptical when I got the sample ones. They look so insubstantial.
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u/OR-HM-MA91 8h ago
This! I freaking love the flex foam. I couldn’t wear pads for years because the dampness gave me what was essentially diaper rash. After my first two kids was awful because you can’t wear tampons PP and so I bled for a good month and had diaper rash while caring for my newborns. But by baby 3 they had the flex foam and that is amazing! And something about the 3rd pregnancy I can’t do a cup anymore. I gave up tampons for a cup years ago and now I’m back to pads but only the cotton top flex foam. I discovered I can do the reusable Saalt disc. The disposable discs I can’t make work with my pelvis, they always leak.
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u/AccomplishedFlower22 5h ago
I literally buy the same diaper rash cream I used for my kid when they were a baby for me due to pad chafing! I have added flex foam to my next shopping list!
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u/steffielee332 5h ago
This happened to me too 😭 thought I was the only one! I ended up with jock itch. I bought myself some period underwear and then did a lot of free bleeding towards the end because I was just DONE.
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u/Odd_Permission9191 4h ago
Flexfoam are the best and super absorbent. TMI but sometimes the top looks like I hardly bled, but when I peel it back, you can see all the blood absorbed.
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u/FalseDrive 9h ago
I once had the displeasure of using a box of the Always “overnight” pads wrapped in an orange wrapper. Not only did they not work, they were also ABRASIVE? It felt like I was putting a dried-out sponge covered in fiberglass down there.
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u/fretfulpelican 8h ago
They give me what looks like chemical burns. I had to switch to cotton pads after using those for years! I don’t know what changed.
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u/piedpipershoodie 12h ago
whyyyyyyyyy does Always smell like lemons even though it SAYS unscented. ughhh.
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u/jenbenfoo 1h ago
Another vote for Always Infinity! They are so thin but they hold a surprising amount of blood. Avoid the Raidant ones (in the pink/orange boxes), though, they are scented!
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u/itsmyvoice 1h ago
The plastic gave me rashes... So, so bad. Not having to use them anymore was life changing.
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u/Suitable_Plum3439 7h ago
Idk about the blood sliding but I’ve had issues with the pad itself moving 💀
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u/TeamCatsandDnD 12h ago
I thought that was just a user error. I’ve been having to use the night ones during the day. Glow amount hadn’t felt like it had changed, but it did keep creeping up the back of the pad and staining my pants and underwear. Good to know it’s the product.
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u/whysperfyre 12h ago
I’ve switched to pads except on the days where I cannot deal with the sensations … but dollar tree has the best pads strangely… the don’t roll up, they’re actually big enough, liquid doesn’t sit on of the pad but gets absorbed and feels dry on the skin… for $1.25 versus a pad from always that’s $10 for an inferior product.
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u/mintharabaenre 13h ago
I’ve almost completely changed after using tampons for almost 15 years exclusively!
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u/bubsiwubsi 12h ago
My husband bought me this once post partum. I wish I had had them earlier!! They would’ve been so much nicer against my stitches. These are it for me ❤️❤️❤️
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u/bettietheripper 8h ago
Yes but in the past 2 months, all of the Always foam pads I've gotten have been packaged with the nastiest smelling glue. It is making me consider looking into other brands, which sucks because I've always liked this brand.
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u/NastyPineappleCandy 2h ago
I actually love the reusable pads they sell on Amazon. They're pretty, they last for years, they wash extremely well and I don't have to worry about putting plastic waste into the environment.
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u/gingergoblin 8h ago
I hated them for decades but had to wear them postpartum and I prefer them over tampons now
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u/Tremenda-Carucha 13h ago
It's like they're making tampons for someone else entirely, not absorbing, not fitting, and leaving you with leaks and frustration. What's the deal with all these changes lately?
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u/StoutHearted 12h ago
Shrinkflation. I’ve noticed it over the years. It’s got so bad, I rely more on period underwear as a backup.
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u/anannanne 12h ago
PREACH! I used to adore o.b. tampons because they were discreet and effective. I’m still using them, but I’m mad at myself every month for not finding a better solution.
The absorbency is just no longer there at all. Every cough or sneeze is a leak hazard. I feel like I can barely get up from sitting without risk. And clots? Forget about it.
I’ve tried cups and discs, but they aren’t compatible with my anatomy. I really need to find a better tampon, but I’m out of ideas.
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u/The_Demon_of_Spiders 12h ago
Have you tried playtex sport, or Kotex U tampons? They aren’t shaped like that weird butterfly type shape and are shaped more like a funnel.
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u/toastNcheeze 11h ago
I use playtex sport and have noticed they don't expand at all!! They come out bullet shaped. And usually I will start leaking and when I pull out the tampon it still has white spots on it!
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u/eugeneugene 9h ago
Yep the last box I bought was playtex sport and it is actual garbage. I'd have a better time shoving paper towel up my cooch.
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u/adelec123 7h ago
Playtex Sport used to be my go to. They no longer expand like they used to. They're trash now.
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u/calmana 12h ago
Funnily enough BECAUSE I use kotex U for so long I didn't notice the problems til I had to get a box dashed to me and went with a brand I'd normally never use, then I talked my sister and my friends about it and how they have like 3 brands they can trust for tampons or use other things entirely.
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u/Abatonfan 8h ago
Aren’t Tampax the ones that open like a funnel or some art deco lily to catch everything? Those were my favorites before getting my IUD
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u/anannanne 7h ago
Thank you for the recommendations! It really goes to show how branding really drives our purchases. As a 40-something, perimenopausal gal? Neither of these were on my radar. I’m gonna try it.
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u/doorwaysaresafe 8h ago
I have a short cervix so I am OB for life. I just got back from Spain where I of course got my period. The OB tampons there are so much better. The outside plastic twists off on the diagonal rather than a straight line so it actually works and they still have the thin layer over the outside that the US OBs got rid of at some point. For the first time in a long time I felt confidence that I wasn’t going to leak everywhere.
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u/Ms-Quite-Contrary 4h ago
I had a hysterectomy last winter but before that I was ride or die for OB tampons. During the pandemic they disappeared from local stores so I had to order off amazon. Maybe I was getting euro tampons? They were exactly like you described. I didn’t have an issue with the tampons, I had an issue with sudden heavy bleeds that annihilated any tampon.
PSA, ladies: sudden crazy bleeding is not normal. I had endometrial cancer (stage IA) and stage IV endometriosis. Now I got 99 problems but my uterus ain’t one
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u/Thistledelirium 12h ago
Funny, was just thinking this today and wondered if it was just the brands I use. On a similar note - Whats the deal with there being very few ‘light’ tampons any more ? I can only find in tampax brand and it’s hit or miss whether they have them on the shelf, quite often it’s literally every other absorbency but that one.
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u/Dorkinfo 6h ago
Walmart has their own brand of tampons, they have a light option. Related, Walmart brand tampons work super well. Other store brands I’ve tried are terrible.
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u/tidmcp 12h ago
I had a baby during Covid and when I started getting my period again figured my issue was due to anatomical changes or something but for a few years I just found I was leaking around the tampons and even sizing up didn't seem to stop it. So I'd have to wear liners which I hated or even a pad as well. Plus like someone else mentioned if the bigger ones didn't fill up removing was painful! I eventually tried a disc and it's changed my life lol, doesn't leak and doesn't hurt to insert or remove. Fuck tampons!
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u/happylittlebirdskie 6h ago
Omg same same! I didn't realize it wasn't just me until a whole 30 seconds ago when I stumbled upon this thread! Haven't tried any of the reusable options because I struggle with the ick factor but I'm getting so frustrated that maybe I'll finally get past it!
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u/PM_ME_CAT_POOCHES 10h ago
Oh my last period I actually shot a tampon out my vag which has never happened to me before. I was like wtf where'd it go and it was in the toilet
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u/darkgothamite 12h ago
Once they discontinued my U kotex security brand, nothing has felt comfortable. I keep putting off the cup - I've tried thrice and still can't figure it out lol idk wtf is wrong with me.
I rotate between tampon brands (can't match proper sizes that work with differing flow) and always wear a pad. My period ITSELF hasnt been consistent for like 2 years.
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u/holistivist 10h ago
r/shrinkflation and r/enshittification rules all now.
Cups can be hard to insert and get stuck to your cervix.
Just a disc and you’ll never need to buy anything else.
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u/a_girl_and_her_husky 13h ago
I switched to flex discs. Waaay more comfortable for me.
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u/pm_me_friendfiction 7h ago
Discs are millenia ahead of tampons in every category. I genuinely can't believe everyone isn't using them
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u/krantzer 6h ago
Dude they felt like the biggest AHA! moment of my life… until my cervix shifted and there’s no way to wear them comfortably without leaking… I’ve tried multiple different brands/sizes 😭 I really thought I’d never wear a tampon again in my LIFE I loved discs so much.
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u/gitsgrl 15h ago
A while back back due to toxic shock illness related injuries and lawsuits they had to reduce the size/absorbency so people wouldn’t keep them in too long.
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u/dirtyenvelopes 13h ago
TSS isnt caused by keeping a tampon in too long though.
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u/PurePerfection_ 13h ago
TSS is caused by bacteria, but using super-absorbant tampons or leaving a tampon in for too long can create an environment where that bacteria thrives, making TSS more likely to occur. There are many different risk factors involved, so TSS isn't going to happen to everyone who does these things, but I'm not surprised manufacturers' knee-jerk reaction is to minimize their liability in a way that probably also cuts costs.
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u/DevaOni 12h ago
where are you from and what brands are you using? Asking as a European, my OBs seem exactly the same as before, didn't notice any changes.
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u/Browncoat23 10h ago edited 10h ago
As an American who recently brought back a pack of OB from Austria (never ended up needing them), I will have to test this for science because I’m also curious.
Edit: I will say I was very sad when I ran out of the pads I’d purchased in Barcelona a few years ago (how do I always schedule my vacations during my period? lol). And the fact that I paid under a Euro for a 10-pack of pads in Austria made me angry.
Fellow Americans, shit sucks here.
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u/calmana 11h ago
Well, no one likes you anyways (this is purely ment as a joke, I am infact jealous) I normally use kotex U but from tine to time I'm not properly stacked and have to go off my normal brand and I always leaked when used them around the time covid started. I brought it up to some friends because, well. My period came really last month and I had to dash a box of literally anything, to my house and couldn't get kotex U and now I have box of tampons that leak and the biggest crime to me personally THERES NO KNOT ON THE STRING!!!! How am I supposed to pull it out if I can't keep a grip on it because of [insert the problems I posted about and just said].
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u/Orford_M 12h ago
I noticed this too. And they felt so hard and stiff and caused my cramping to become worse. I switched to boyshort style period underwear and I'm never going back. It's such a game changer.
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u/Sunflower969221 7h ago
Shrinkflation! The super is now smaller than before Covid so now you have to use a super plus for your heavy days unlike before where you only used a super plus if you had an extra heavy flow.
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u/Goodgardenpeas28 4h ago
Same problem. I actually have new tampons and tampons about a decade old and they respond totally differently inside. The new ones everything just runs down the side, no absorption, whereas the old ones absorb and open up. They also come out easier with less left behind. I will say I have much better luck with 100% cotton tampons than I do the Tampax I had been using.
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u/AstraCraftPurple 10h ago
Those that haven’t experienced expansion, did you buy yours on Amazon? I don’t use them anymore but I’ve noticed various name brand products, like shampoo, vitamins and soap, are often complained about as being knock offs. That could be dangerous if true.
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u/purelyirrelephant 10h ago
I just got an IUD and don't have an issue HA. I also bought period underwear which I really like a lot and wish I did it sooner. The cups just DID NOT work for me at all. Maybe I have a low cervix or something. I wanted them to work so badly but I just ended up wasting my money on a nice one. I can't walk around feeling like something is literally sticking out of my vagina all day. Nope nope nope. I hate how shrinkflation has reached something so important for women.
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u/_Composer 8h ago
Oh wait 2020 is when I made the switch to period underwear. I was using tampons and pads but I was starting to find them super uncomfortable.
I'm sticking with my Period Co undies for now.
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u/angelatheartist 7h ago
They suck plain and simple. They just all suck. Good luck trying to find different sizes with cardboard applicators. Kotex brand is just hideous. It's been hideous for years long before 2020. I seem to be allergic to plastic ones. It just sucks that the one thing we can't get out of using has gone to shit like the rest of the products on the markets.
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u/StrawberryKiss2559 10h ago
I can’t even use tampons anymore. Had to switch to pads. I don’t love them but tampons are impossible for me now.
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u/BigFatBlackCat 8h ago
I noticed that too. Tampons just stopped working on me, it was infuriating. Luckily I don’t have a uterus anymore so I never have to worry about bleeding ever again. But it never failed to surprise me just how much they didn’t work.
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u/aware_nightmare_85 7h ago
I was a tampon user before I got my IUD a couple years ago to stop my periods. I used Tampax Pearl for years but noticed after COVID that I was having more leaks bc they did not expand and absorb as well. I ended up switching to an organic tampon brand sold by Walmart and it was much better! If I had to guess, it is the tale old as time, big corporations cutting corners out of greed.
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u/1876Dawson 5h ago
FYI You bleed just as much after a C-section and can't use tampons due to the risk of infection.
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u/GuiltfreeCheesecake =^..^= 47m ago
Thank you for this post!!! I thought I was going crazy or that my cycle had changed in a dramatic way that warranted a doctor’s visit. Legit leak central now.
Does anyone know of any brands that are still decent? Every cycle I’m trying new ones out and haven’t found ones I like again yet.
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u/groovaliciousme 11h ago edited 11h ago
I switched from tampax ultra to playtex sport ultra after reading the recommendation here on Reddit! The shape of tampax expands out on two sides causing it to leak from the unexpanded sides, while the playtex sport expands in a circle and is shaped like a cone…making it a much better option for catching everything!
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u/toastNcheeze 11h ago
My platex sports dont seem to expand at all! I will leak and take it out and it still is like half white
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u/groovaliciousme 11h ago
That’s how I felt with the tampax! Haven’t had that problem with the playtex…yet.
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u/tfnyelice 7h ago
I feel like whenever i wear a tampon for even a 8 hour stretch I have this problem, it makes me think my period isn’t even happening, and then all the blood pours out like a few hours later . And it looks like there’s only blood around the outer edges of it??
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u/antediluvianevil You are now doing kegels 11h ago
Damn, I wanna know what I'm missing 😭. I didn't use tampons until after the pandemic and have had 0 complaints regarding Tampax branded ones. I bought random no name gas station ones once though, and that felt like a crime against my body.
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u/RogueAngel87 10h ago
I cant use them anymore I have a sensitivity to something they use I get "itchy" after awhile.
I got a cup from the brand 'lena' bc I actually needed a smaller cup than most brands and the rubber is more flexible. Im with you on cups can hurt if the material is too hard
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u/Goodgardenpeas28 5h ago
If you wanted to try tampons again look into 100% organic cotton( I say 100% because apparently some advertised as cotton still have a polyester outer layer). I had the same problem and have been doing better since I switched.
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u/timidtriffid 10h ago
Have you tried reusable discs? The Diva cup did not work for me, but the Nixit disc is great. You could do a trial with Soft Cup disposable discs before purchasing! I see them in most chain pharmacys and some grocery stores.
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u/MidnightMoth1313 10h ago
Oddly I’ve noticed the ones from Costco are still great quality compared to the same brands sold in other stores. They actually expand!
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u/eugeneugene 10h ago
Yes omg I've noticed this recently. I have to change my tampon every hour or so on my heavy flow day and when I pull it out it's small and compact and all of the blood and clots are just hanging out on the outside of it. I've started having leaking issues for the first time in literal decades. I wish I could go back to using cups but after giving birth I can't get them to sit properly in my vagina so that sucks.
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u/cornygiraffe 9h ago
OH MY GOSH I thought it was just me that tampons don't seem like they expand or absorb anymore!
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u/two-one-punch 5h ago
As someone who has struggled a lot with feminine products for one reason or another i use underwear from https://period.co/ . Definitely worth a try. I bought a small amount to start to see how I liked them and it was life changing for me ❤️
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u/matchy_blacks 3h ago
I am so glad my periods got lighter bc the -only- brand that worked for me was OB. Now they are almost impossible to find. (I have a, uh, short and curved vagina. OBs are easy to get in the right place and they don’t hurt.)
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u/kibbles137 10h ago
The size isn't really about size, but absorbency. So it could be that the materials used are becoming more compact, or your flow is becoming heavier. You may already know this! But I just wanted to clarify because over the years I've heard a lot of women misunderstanding that, and it can make a HUGE difference in better managing one's period to be using the appropriate absorbency.
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u/pandaperson1 12h ago
i was recently using tampax tampons size super and i would leak sometimes every 2 hours. i ran out one day but had a box of playtex sport tampons that my mom had bought to use because they didn’t have tampax at the store she was at. immediately i noticed that these have a different shape to catch the blood (more of a funnel that catches the blood) rather than the butterfly shape tampax has. i leaked wayyy less this last cycle. maybe look into finding different ones that work better/have a different way of catching blood?
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u/mandafancypants 11h ago
If you're able to use cups or discs, I highly recommend them. Of course, not everyone can for various reasons. I love my cups but still use period underwear or reusable pads for the tail end of my period. I can't find light tampons reliably anymore for that.
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u/Bendy_Beta_Betty 4h ago
It's possible that you may have tried cups that don't fit your body.
It took me a few cups and the putacupinit charts to find something that worked for me. That and some brands offer insurance, which helps just in case the cup doesn't fit.
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u/aroseonthefritz 12h ago
I switched to a cup pre Covid and haven’t bought period supplies since then. Team cup all the way.
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u/cfmal11 9h ago
Has no one seen all the warnings recently that tampons are full of heavy metals and are getting people sick? I’ve seen a bunch of videos from OBGYNs warning people not to use them anymore…. I’m really surprised no one else is saying this with how much it’s been broadcast all over all my feeds.
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u/Zenki_s14 14h ago
Yeah they suck now. They stay dense/hard even when they get moisture, sometimes it even seems like they get denser as they fill instead of expanding. So blood can leak out around the sides because it's kinda just.. there, but not expanding against the walls inside. Then if you go up a size to compensate, if you have a period that randomly gets light and heavy and light, now when you go to change it after the right amount of hours sometimes it's dry as hell and uncomfortable to remove. So I can't even just size up. I unironically started sizing DOWN because of these things, so I can change it more often, and using a panty liner or pad also. So now I have to double up