Women's Health Community

Dear An: While the vagina is actually a structure with side and back walls, women can get panic stricken when an item seems to get lost, or is not retrievable. We get requests on our Community Board for help in getting things back out of the vagina. The easiest way is to feel for it, and if present, remove it. You can try one of several methods.

The quickest is to have a partner insert two clean fingers (e.g., index and middle finger work best) into the vagina and use a gentle sweeping motion from the back walls of the vagina toward the front. They might feel your cervix (feels firm like the end of one's nose) at the end of the vaginal canal. If they do feel the cervix they should gently sweep their fingers around the cervix to be sure the tampon is not pushed up against the back of the vaginal wall.

If you do not ask for help, you can do this same technique half sitting with your back up against a firm surface (e.g., headboard of bed). If you have short fingers, or a longer vaginal canal, you can put one foot up on the toilet or tub, insert the two clean fingers, and bear down like you are trying to have a bowel movement. This will bring the cervix and back wall of the vagina down so you can reach farther up inside.

Certainly you could choose to see your GYN or local family planning clinic and have them remove a retained tampon. If a tampon is accidentally left in place for several weeks it can change vaginal pH. This will encourage overgrowth of the anaerobic bacteria responsible for bacterial vaginosis ("BV"), a well known cause of bad smelling vaginal discharge. Once the tampon is detected and removed, if the smell like dead tuna fish does not resolve, antibiotics can be prescribed to eliminate BV organisms.

Yours,
Jane

Jane,

Thanks for the advice. I did actually check myself and did not feel anything. After I checked I felt confident that I had not "lost" the tampon and later that day used a new tampon and did not have any problems. My stomach feels a little funny (slighty crampy) and my period is has been done for several days so I was a little concerned but I was also having some constipation issues the last two days so that may be what's causing the crampy feeling. I also normally walk for my daily exercise and two days ago I did crunches etc instead and my stomach muscles are a little sore from that so it may be a combination of sore muscles and the constipation.

Dear KMJ: Cool! Glad you were able to successfully check. If there is any doubt, it is a quick visit to follow up with a GYN or clinic. ...Hope your cramps resolve completely.

Yours,
Jane