Tampon shortage

[winecat]

Jun 15, 2022 12:14:35 GMT -5 sofamonkey said:

Jun 14, 2022 20:38:46 GMT -5 winecat said:

I have to use ultra tampons (and a pad and period undies; it's as fun as it sounds) for a few days. This is a disaster for those of us with heavy flow.

Same. I ended up getting a hysterectomy. Turns out the cyst I had was almost half the size of my uterus, so a little larger than they thought.

I’ve got a ton of super plus tampons to donate, so I should probably get on that.

I likely have to have a hysterectomy too.  To not have access to heavy duty products is so stressful.  

People will definitely appreciate receiving some super plus!  

[wanderingback]

Jun 15, 2022 12:49:31 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

Jun 15, 2022 12:46:19 GMT -5 Poeticxpassion said:

I'd be happy to look for you and mail them down.

Thanks, but I will figure it out! I can access amazon but even amazon is in short supply at the moment. I have heard of somewhere locally that sells cups so I think this may be the push I need to move to them

SIDE NOTE - does anyone have an IUD and use a cup? I remember hearing not to use a cup with an IUD but am also seeing stuff that says that isn't true... wanderingback, do you know what the latest rules about this are? 

It’s really personal preference. There is a very small chance could pull the string out with the cup. The recommendation is to make sure the suction is "off" before pulling the cup out. So I don’t tell people not to wear a cup, it’s their choice but try to remember about the suction and if you do happen to pull the iud out we can replace it.

[bugandbibs]

Jun 15, 2022 12:49:31 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

Jun 15, 2022 12:46:19 GMT -5 Poeticxpassion said:

I'd be happy to look for you and mail them down.

Thanks, but I will figure it out! I can access amazon but even amazon is in short supply at the moment. I have heard of somewhere locally that sells cups so I think this may be the push I need to move to them

SIDE NOTE - does anyone have an IUD and use a cup? I remember hearing not to use a cup with an IUD but am also seeing stuff that says that isn't true... wanderingback , do you know what the latest rules about this are? 

Adding to wanderingback, it isn't contraindicated.  When I teach on it, I do remind people to "release suction" which can help prevent any complications and suggest that they do the routine strings check after their period to note any changes.  Personally, I wear a cup with my copper IUD and have had zero issues. I have primarily worn a cup for the last decade, so I was comfortable with insertion and removal prior to getting my IUD.

[pixy0stix]

My cervix really does not like anything touching or near it, but I can tolerate tampons.

Sigh... there is not one thing that is easy right now, is there?

[schrodinger]

Jun 15, 2022 8:30:13 GMT -5 ECB said:

Jun 15, 2022 7:39:54 GMT -5 konapoppy said:

I have tried so many different cups. They just don’t work with my anatomy. And they are so expensive to keep trying.

Yup!

YEARS ago, one doctor told me that my uterus is tilted in a way that I basically have a lefty handed uterus in a right handed world!  I've wondered if that may be a part of the issue and why I could never get the cup to fit correctly!

I have been told I have an oddly-tilted uterus and never made the connection that this could be why I never could get cups to work. Based on this thread it looks like I’m not alone. Might not be user error after all!

[sonrisa]

Jun 14, 2022 18:38:34 GMT -5 @villainv said:

@@@@@@@@@@ snarky response@@@@@@@






“Just get pregnant so you don’t menstruate.”

— Some Douchebag Republican White Guy (probably)

"Just hold it in"

A real thing our ex-president thought women could do with periods. 

[Deleted]

Jun 15, 2022 13:25:04 GMT -5 kiminky said:

So, again we are talking about a shortage of a primarily female needed product. One that a shortage of will affect poor women the most. We are about to hit the trifecta-formula, tampons and most devastatingly abortion. The lack of value placed on women is astounding. Show me the chat board threads where men are struggling to get products for their daily needs.

[ECB]

Jun 15, 2022 14:51:36 GMT -5 schrodinger said:

Jun 15, 2022 8:30:13 GMT -5 ECB said:

Yup!

YEARS ago, one doctor told me that my uterus is tilted in a way that I basically have a lefty handed uterus in a right handed world!  I've wondered if that may be a part of the issue and why I could never get the cup to fit correctly!

I have been told I have an oddly-tilted uterus and never made the connection that this could be why I never could get cups to work. Based on this thread it looks like I’m not alone. Might not be user error after all!

Yeah, I'm glad to see that it really does seem to be a real issue.   I truly made the logic up, so to speak!  

[Deleted]

Jun 15, 2022 14:51:36 GMT -5 schrodinger said:

Jun 15, 2022 8:30:13 GMT -5 ECB said:

Yup!

YEARS ago, one doctor told me that my uterus is tilted in a way that I basically have a lefty handed uterus in a right handed world!  I've wondered if that may be a part of the issue and why I could never get the cup to fit correctly!

I have been told I have an oddly-tilted uterus and never made the connection that this could be why I never could get cups to work. Based on this thread it looks like I’m not alone. Might not be user error after all!

I'm feeling a little less stupid right now. I've tried but just couldn't figure out how people loved them.

[fumbalina]

So for those who are put off by the price of menstrual cups, June is still selling them super cheap ($8).

For me the disc is completely useless, almost like a funnel, so I can not use them for anything. My preferred menstrual cup is Lunette though. I don't like the Diva cup at all though.

I tried to buy some tampons a few months ago (yeast infection) and I had to settle for some floppy ones, lol.

[isabel]

Jun 15, 2022 7:38:50 GMT -5 boiler717 said:

I use a salt cup and period undies now and it’s life-changing but a high buy-in cost.

Yep. This is why the tampon shortage is such a problem. To invest in cups and undies is pretty $$$.

[sonrisa]

Jun 15, 2022 16:25:01 GMT -5 mofongo said:

Guess we can add free bleeding to new things to look forward to!

Yay! Perhaps they'll bring back menstruation huts and we can get banished for a week a month.

[biscoffcookies]

Jun 15, 2022 15:10:28 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Jun 15, 2022 13:25:04 GMT -5 kiminky said:

So, again we are talking about a shortage of a primarily female needed product. One that a shortage of will affect poor women the most. We are about to hit the trifecta-formula, tampons and most devastatingly abortion. The lack of value placed on women is astounding. Show me the chat board threads where men are struggling to get products for their daily needs.

God, this graphic is depressing.

[heygrey]

Jun 15, 2022 12:49:31 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

Jun 15, 2022 12:46:19 GMT -5 Poeticxpassion said:

I'd be happy to look for you and mail them down.

Thanks, but I will figure it out! I can access amazon but even amazon is in short supply at the moment. I have heard of somewhere locally that sells cups so I think this may be the push I need to move to them

SIDE NOTE - does anyone have an IUD and use a cup? I remember hearing not to use a cup with an IUD but am also seeing stuff that says that isn't true... wanderingback, do you know what the latest rules about this are? 

I had a copper iud and used a diva cup together for ~3 years. I had a not great experience getting the iud inserted and and don’t remember any advice regarding menstruation or what products I could or couldn’t use. By the time someone here mentioned that it could be an issue I was almost a year in and just kept on.

[konapoppy]

I guess I should be grateful I started on bc a few months ago and my periods are finally getting lighter 😩

[pumpkin]

I am so thankful that I’ve had my hysterectomy and no longer need tampons. But I’m happy to look around me and mail to what I find to anyone who needs some.

Also, if anyone knows of charities who provide cups or period underwear I would really like to donate.

[Deleted]

Jun 15, 2022 20:11:53 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

I am so thankful that I’ve had my hysterectomy and no longer need tampons. But I’m happy to look around me and mail to what I find to anyone who needs some.

Also, if anyone knows of charities who provide cups or period underwear I would really like to donate.

Check with your local Women’s shelter. I bet they’d gladly accept any menstrual products.

[minzy]

Jun 15, 2022 12:49:31 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

[SIDE NOTE - does anyone have an IUD and use a cup? I remember hearing not to use a cup with an IUD but am also seeing stuff that says that isn't true... wanderingback, do you know what the latest rules about this are? 

I have had Paraguard for about seven or eight years now and have used a Diva cup exclusively for about a year longer than that? I do try to remember to release the suction before taking it out, but I’ve never come close to having a problem.

[basilosaurus]

Huh. I've been told I have a tilted ute as well. I've never tried a cup, but I had a terrible time trying to insert (and remove) my diaphragm so never trusted it solo and gave up after a month. I know they're different size and shape, but that scared me off cups. I don't think I'll bother after this thread.

Tampons are already ridiculously hard to find here just due to culture. It's ob reg only which is fine b/c it's all I've used for idk 15 years? Every time I walk into the drug store I look for tampons just to catalogue if they carry them. I'm extremely lucky I have minimal needs because more often than not they have nothing.

FYI Uniqlo has period undies that aren't crazy expensive. I haven't used them so cannot attest to the quality.

[rubytue]

I’ve been a diva cup user for 15 years. Wow, I had not realized it had been that long, but I got it when I moved to a house on septic, and had grown up in the era where flushing tampon was something everyone did. That was my wake up call to how wrong it was. But I still use pads as backup, bc heavy flow issues. I tried reusable pads for two months, the second month I ended up with my first UTI in memory that rapid became a kidney infection. I associate it with reusable pads and can’t bring myself to try period undies. *sigh*

Do tampons expire? I keep some around in our guest bathroom, in case I get a guest who has an emergency. But perhaps I should donate them. Except they are likely multiple years old.

[jamaicam]

thanks ladies! Off to get my cup today

[lucybrown]

Jun 15, 2022 20:25:36 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Jun 15, 2022 20:11:53 GMT -5 pumpkin said:

I am so thankful that I’ve had my hysterectomy and no longer need tampons. But I’m happy to look around me and mail to what I find to anyone who needs some.

Also, if anyone knows of charities who provide cups or period underwear I would really like to donate.

Check with your local Women’s shelter. I bet they’d gladly accept any menstrual products.

pumpkin  - Food pantries will also happily accept menstrual products.  They are one of the most requested hygiene items. 

[icedcoffee]

@@@@

Diaper banks are also a great place to donate menstrual products. Ours even takes opened packages.

[fortnightlily]

Perhaps a dumb question -- I have a tilted uterus, too, and I find tampons/cups uncomfortable, but I didn't think there was a connection because none of the menstrual apparatuses pass the cervix?

[tiki]

Jun 16, 2022 11:17:47 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

Perhaps a dumb question -- I have a tilted uterus, too, and I find tampons/cups uncomfortable, but I didn't think there was a connection because none of the menstrual apparatuses pass the cervix?

It might not be the tilt exactly causing the issue, but more where that positions your cervix? For example, when I had some prolapse in the past, my cervix was just much more in the way of either a tampon or cup, and that made everything very uncomfortable. 

[wawa]

Jun 16, 2022 11:23:18 GMT -5 tiki said:

Jun 16, 2022 11:17:47 GMT -5 fortnightlily said:

Perhaps a dumb question -- I have a tilted uterus, too, and I find tampons/cups uncomfortable, but I didn't think there was a connection because none of the menstrual apparatuses pass the cervix?

It might not be the tilt exactly causing the issue, but more where that positions your cervix? For example, when I had some prolapse in my past, my cervix was just much more in the way of either a tampon or cup, and that made everything very uncomfortable. 

yeah, this was always my assumption.  I will admit to having only the sketchiest idea of what's actually happening in there, but my assumption is that my cervix kinda points the other way??  Maybe that's crazy, but I know it came up once when a new doctor was inserting a speculum and she was like, "did you know you're tilted?" so it seems like something you could tell from just eyeballing my cervix???  

there's a diagram here that sorta kinda seems like that might make sense?  

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/female-infertility/multimedia/tipped-uterus/img-20008147

Mine would always feel like they were poking me a little, and more than once just WOULDN'T SEAT RIGHT no matter what I did, or once I figured out what dance to do to get them into place they'd occasionally just give up on me without warning (like I'd lean forward to reach a paper across a conference table and WOOOSH.  that happened).  I always assumed I maybe had a floppy vagina, but I do like the idea that it's because my cervix wants to face the other way. I tried two different brands, 2 sizes in one of them and I'm not like, generally an idiot, so I assume I was doing it right.

[wambam]

Jun 15, 2022 12:49:31 GMT -5 jamaicam said:

Jun 15, 2022 12:46:19 GMT -5 Poeticxpassion said:

I'd be happy to look for you and mail them down.

Thanks, but I will figure it out! I can access amazon but even amazon is in short supply at the moment. I have heard of somewhere locally that sells cups so I think this may be the push I need to move to them

SIDE NOTE - does anyone have an IUD and use a cup? I remember hearing not to use a cup with an IUD but am also seeing stuff that says that isn't true... wanderingback, do you know what the latest rules about this are? 

I used a cup with my iud for 3 years before I had my tubes removed and never had an issue. I told my gynecologist and she never said it was an issue.

[picaflora]

For those that want to try/add more period underwear, Hanes (and I think Jockey too) make them. They don't have as many cuts/styles but they DO come in multi packs and are cheaper than Thinx. I can attest that the Hanes ones hold up just as well as Thinx. And you don't have to order them online. You should be able to find them at most targets, Walmart's, and dept stores.

[wanderingback]

Jun 16, 2022 12:56:26 GMT -5 wawa said:

Jun 16, 2022 11:23:18 GMT -5 tiki said:

It might not be the tilt exactly causing the issue, but more where that positions your cervix? For example, when I had some prolapse, my cervix was just much more in the way of either a tampon or cup, and that made everything very uncomfortable. 

yeah, this was always my assumption.  I will admit to having only the sketchiest idea of what's actually happening in there, but my assumption is that my cervix kinda points the other way??  Maybe that's crazy, but I know it came up once when a new doctor was inserting a speculum and she was like, "did you know you're tilted?" so it seems like something you could tell from just eyeballing my cervix???  

there's a diagram here that sorta kinda seems like that might make sense?  

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/female-infertility/multimedia/tipped-uterus/img-20008147

Mine would always feel like they were poking me a little, and more than once just WOULDN'T SEAT RIGHT no matter what I did, or once I figured out what dance to do to get them into place they'd occasionally just give up on me without warning (like I'd lean forward to reach a paper across a conference table and WOOOSH.  that happened).  I always assumed I maybe had a floppy vagina, but I do like the idea that it's because my cervix wants to face the other way. I tried two different brands, 2 sizes in one of them and I'm not like, generally an idiot, so I assume I was doing it right.

I was gonna comment on all the "tilted uterus" comments lol.

Most peoples uterus has a "tilt" - either to the front or back. We call it anteverted or retroverted. You can tell the position via an ultrasound or by a physical exam/pelvic exam when you feel for the position of the uterus. Looking at the cervix will not really give you this information in my experience.

I’m looking at and in people’s cervix and uterus every week. One could have a retroverted uterus and the cervix is right there and not tucked away and same with an anteverted uterus.

I am not a tampon or cup expert but I think/assume that peoples difficulty with them is the position of their cervix NOT their uterus. I know (obviously) the cervix connects to the uterus but some cervix are long, some are short, some are tucked behind, etc and like I said above I haven’t found a particular uterus type to be more associated with a more difficult to find cervix.

People who have abdominal surgeries regardless of the position of their uterus I find sometimes have a harder time finding their cervix and it can be tucked behind the pubic bone due to the surgery and scar tissue.

Otherwise anytime I’m doing an exam or procedure even after I look at the ultrasound and know whether or not the uterus is anteverted or retroverted it’s always a surprise as to where the cervix is. Sometimes it’s right there waving at me and other times it’s not!

[noodleoo]

Jun 16, 2022 13:43:10 GMT -5 picaflora said:

For those that want to try/add more period underwear, Hanes (and I think Jockey too) make them. They don't have as many cuts/styles but they DO come in multi packs and are cheaper than Thinx. I can attest that the Hanes ones hold up just as well as Thinx. And you don't have to order them online. You should be able to find them at most targets, Walmart's, and dept stores.

Dumb question about period underwear: how do they work? Are they absorbent, like a pad? They don’t feel wet? Do they have to be washed specially? I don’t really understand them, but I’d love to try something reusable and I don’t think I’m ready to try a cup.