I lost my legs and almost died after using a tampon correctly – these are the symptoms something was terribly wrong and what I need all women to know

By William On May 8, 2024

A model has issued an urgent warning to people who use tampons after she almost died at the age of 24, losing both her legs to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS).

Lauren Wasser from LA regularly changed her tampons, but still contracted the syndrome that caused her body to shut down within a few hours.

The now 36-year-old debunked the myth that TSS is caused by leaving tampons in for more than eight hours, saying the disease can happen even to those who use them properly.

“People think they’re invincible, no one is off limits, TSS can happen to anyone at any time,” she said, speaking to Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne on their podcast Life Uncircumcised.

Lauren claimed that many tampons on the market are “full of bleach, dioxin and chlorine” and that products marked as 100 percent cotton are “still sprayed with pesticides.”

Lauren Wasser developed Toxic Shock Syndrome despite regularly changing her tampons. She lost both her legs due to the life-threatening infection

“We put that in us at such a delicate time and it creates a perfect storm. It takes one of those toxins to get into your body and act like a flu and shut down your organs, it’s deadly, it’s dangerous,” she said.

“It is my goal and mission in life to make sure that this information is not only available, but that women are having these conversations with each other, creating dialogue and checking in with each other because knowledge is key.”

After being found unconscious in her apartment, Lauren was rushed to the hospital, where she suffered two heart attacks and was put into a medically induced coma as her organs failed.

Lauren claims she was changing her tampon regularly, every four hours, during one cycle in 2012, when she started experiencing flu-like symptoms and a high fever.

Her mother called a welfare check after not hearing from her for a few hours.

The police officer who checked her immediately saw that she was ill, but did not think she needed to go to the hospital.

Lauren was found face down in her apartment hours later, just 10 minutes away from death.

She was rushed to hospital, where she suffered two heart attacks and was put into a medically induced coma as her organs failed.

Hospital staff told Lauren’s parents to prepare for the worst because they thought she had only a one percent chance of living.

“They couldn’t figure out why this young, healthy 24-year-old girl died before them,” she said.

An infectious disease doctor instructed staff to check if she had a tampon in and after a test was done, she was diagnosed with TSS.

Toxic Shock Syndrome is a rare and life-threatening bacterial infection. It is often misdiagnosed because its symptoms resemble other more common diseases.

While her life was saved, the damage to Lauren’s limbs from gangrene was irreparable, and doctors had to amputate her right leg below the knee, as well as some toes and part of her heel of her left foot.

While her life was saved, the damage to Lauren’s limbs from gangrene was irreparable, and doctors had to amputate her right leg as well as the toes and part of her heel of her left foot.

Signs and Symptoms: What is Toxic Shock Syndrome?

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is a rare and potentially life-threatening disease that is believed to be caused by an infection with certain types of bacteria.

Women who are menstruating are most likely to develop TSS as it is believed to be linked to tampon use.

The underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood, but one theory is that the bacteria naturally present in the vagina can overgrow in the presence of a blood-soaked tampon.

However, one third of women who develop TSS during their period are found to have no causative bacteria in their vagina.

TSS symptoms include:

fever
vomit
diarrhea
a rash that resembles sunburn
peeling spots on the skin on the feet and hands
muscle strain
headache

a sore throat
Red eyes
confusion
a drop in blood pressure
joint pain
sensitivity to light
kidney failure
to collapse

Suggestions to reduce risk include:

Change tampons regularly (at least every four hours).
Avoid using super absorbent tampons.
Only unpack the tampon if you are going to use it immediately.
Do not touch the tampon more often than necessary.
Wash your hands thoroughly before and after inserting the tampon.
Be careful when inserting and removing tampons.
Avoid applicator tampons, as the applicator can damage the vaginal walls.
Use sanitary pads at night instead of tampons.
Take care of personal hygiene during your period.
Don’t wear tampons when you’re not having your period.
Consider using sanitary pads or panty liners during the last day of your period, when your flow is light.
Use a lubricant when inserting tampons on the last day of your period, when your flow is light.

There are no clinical studies supporting the use of menstrual cups to reduce the risk of TSS.

Source: Better health

Doctors initially salvaged her left leg, but it caused her so much pain in the six years that followed that she had no choice but to have it amputated as well, just before she turned 30.

Lauren wants women and people who menstruate to have the right to choose and be fully informed about which menstrual products they want to use.

“I’m not here to say what anyone should do, but I will say that I’ve heard of women getting TSS from (menstrual cups) and things like that,” she said.

“There is nothing on the market that is 100 percent safe and that is what I am fighting for.”

She said it is a “misconception” that TSS only occurs when a person has had a tampon in for more than eight hours, which she said is stated on the packaging to prevent users from sleeping with it.

“They’re vague on the label.” “Thousands of women have died because they used tampons correctly,” she said.

While doctors initially salvaged her left leg, it caused her so much pain in the six years that followed that she had no choice but to have it amputated as well, just before she turned 30.

Lauren calls on all women, as well as men and first responders such as police and paramedics, to educate themselves about TSS and its symptoms

“Tampon companies have done a really good job of using that misinformation as a kind of scapegoat and then putting the blame on women by saying, ‘Oh well, that’s your fault,’ when in reality it’s not your fault.”

Since her terrifying ordeal, Lauren has only used sanitary pads during her cycle and warned people against using tampons if they are already feeling unwell.

“Obviously it’s still surrounding the area and I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, but it’s not going in, there it is and creating the perfect storm,” she said.

‘If you are sick, never use tampons. Your body can’t fight two things at the same time because your body is already fighting whatever disease, whether it’s the flu or whatever, and then you put something in your body that’s extremely toxic.”

Lauren calls on all women, as well as men and first responders such as police and paramedics, to educate themselves about TSS and its symptoms, as like many other diseases it manifests itself in the early stages.

TSS occurs when the normally harmless Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus bacteria, which live on the skin, enter the bloodstream and produce dangerous toxins.

Symptoms include high fever, low blood pressure, vomiting, confusion and seizures.

It is most common in women who use tampons. Toxic shock syndrome affects approximately one in 100,000 women each year.

Tampon boxes come with a warning about the deadly infection after leaving them in for more than eight hours, although Lauren said she changed hers regularly.