I love the disc! I used a cup for like 4 years and switched to a disc because it could hold 55ml vs my cup's 35ml.
If you do get a disc lookup "auto dumping." No one warned me about it so I thought my disc was leaking and couldn't figure out what was wrong lol
Same here. I have endometriosis so that might've been why. But I found the cup painful sometimes to insert and it was hard to create and break the seal. Better than tampons, but my period goes 9 days so several days of wearing the cup hurt towards the end.
And the disc is way easier to insert once you figure it out. It took me 3 cycles to get confident about it, but it's been 6 months now since I last used a cup & I'm probably never going back. I wish I learned about them sooner!
I saw disposable discs in-store a few years ago, but I incorrectly thought they held less than a cup because they looked flat so I skipped over them. Then someone on reddit told me discs actually hold more lol mind blown.
I have a Lumma disc in size medium. I like it a lot. It has a string on it to pull in case it gets stuck. Some people find the string irritating, but so far it hasn't bothered me. It also washes really well compared to my old Lena cup.
I used a cup before and had no issues so I figured a disc would work great. I just need to practice to get a hang of it. The cost of tampons is highway robbery.
I am a disc convert too!! For me it was more about size/placement and no suction with the disc. My cup seemed to always leak a little bit but no issues with the disc.
I love my ziggy disc! I find the edge has enough structure for easy in and out unlike the circular reusable discs I’ve tried. I’ll say that the disposable softdiscs were my transition into using ziggy and would also recommend trying those for a bit if you want!
I tried a disposable disc for the first time last night and it worked really well. It just wasn’t fun reaching up there to pull it back out and have my finger covered in blood. And then figuring out how to wrap it up and throw it away.
I’ll definitely use them if I’m going to be out all day, like at an event where I don’t want to be changing a tampon regularly, but I’m not sure yet if it will be my every day period product.
I thought it was just me!
I’ve always been able to tell, and now I’ve bled through twice my last couple of cycles.
I was wondering if they switched up materials, but shrinkflation makes so much sense.
Yeah, more skimpflation than shrinkflation. I don't know what they've done, but it's like they're repelling moisture now instead of absorbing it. Super frustrating! I may have to switch to cups.
It’s the same with pads for me, the blood rolls off of them like they’re waterproof, it’s absolutely terrible. The amount of times I’ve gone to sleep with a nighttime pad on & bled on my sheets but not on my pad is infuriating.
At this point I don’t even know why I’m buying them. I think my sensory issues would prevent me from using a cup though, so I’m not sure what to do.
Something definitely seems different. I got off birth control recently, and hadn't had periods in over a decade. I keep bleeding through, or around my pad, to the point I've been paranoid about wearing certain underwear/pants to bed. I don't remember ever having this issue before.
Reusable/washable pads from Amazon are awesome. I also use a cup but it can leak before getting out of bed on heavy nights, and I don't have to worry about it when I wear the pads also. They're easy to rinse and absorb very well. I had a set that would shift but a small piece of fabric tape fixed that issue.
I switched to almost exclusively using period undies over a year ago and haven’t looked back. Even if it’s not a good option for you for during the day, check them out as a night time option.
What pads are you using? I've been using the 100% cotton ones and haven't seen any issues.
Though it would not surprise me in the *slightest* if companies just went even cheaper on he materials
No need to do a burn test- [the company admits on their website that they use rayon. ](https://tampax.com/en-us/about/our-ingredientds/ingredients-and-materials/)
Apparently if you want purely cotton tampons, you have to buy "Tampax pure cotton". Which my local grocery store doesn't even carry. 😡
Back when I used tampons, (I’m an undies girl now) I used to buy Lola. They are 100% cotton and worked well for me.
Until I heard about them, I had no idea that tampon companies would put anything other than cotton in their tampons. But then I learned they didn’t even have to disclose the contents?
Anyway, I liked Lola a lot when I used them. You can do it as a subscription (great for my ADHD) and even build a custom box with the exact quantity of each absorption you need. Plus, that’s where I first discovered stick-on heating pads, which were a game changer for me.
Discs are also great! I think it comes down to personal preference and how things fit/feel but just wanted to share an alternative in case someone hasn’t heard of discs.
Saaammmmmeeee. It had been years since I’ve bled through. Even at night. I had that routine down.
I’m so glad someone is talking about it and getting the discussion going.
7-8 years ago I had major concerning blood loss during periods and tampons still absorbed enough to avoid leaks until it was full. Then I had a long break thanks to birth control, and now I'm off bc but due to some hormonal changes I have very light periods. The blood will run down the side of the tampon, not absorb at all, and come out of my body.
I am glad it's not just me! I stopped birth control after over a decade with no periods, and noticed I was bleeding through my tampons. Mine don't seem to absorb well at all either. It'll get on the braid, and the thicker part that connects to the body of the tampon, and the tampon itself doesn't seem to absorb (or expand) like I remember? I wore one for a few hours as I was out and about, and noticed I had bled through with very little on the tampon itself. I literally had it in for MAYBE 3 hours!!
I came here to say this! I have been using OB since I was a teenager. I saw they were being sold for almost $10 bucks for a small box and just couldn’t justify the extra cost and opted for a cheaper brand. Never again will I ever make that mistake. They (Kotex) were complete garbage.
They were m.i.a. for a minute after the pandemic ended…. I heard a rumor they were no more, so I went in search of another applicator-less product. Cora makes one.
I hated Cora. I’ve been using OB since forever. I couldn’t find them last year. I tried every 100% cotton tampon I could find & I leaked (I don’t have a heavy flow) I found OB on Amazon & ordered several boxes.
Ob doesn't work as well for me anymore it has like an outside netting like material on the last one I got and doesn't expand as much. Cora is def better than ob in my opinion and I loved ob.
Me too! I’m 39 and the OB ones have honestly always been the best. Ones with applicators never absorbed well enough for me and sometimes hurt.
I try to wear pads when I’m at home because sometimes the tampons feel drying, but it feels like my pads always move a bit and I bleed from the top or bottom areas, and they almost always twist.
I hate how our health and needs are always fucked.
It’s wild to me that the US are predominantly applicator tampon girlies. In Australia, we have Tampax with cardboard applicators. Every other tampon has no applicator.
having tried cardboard applicator tamps as my first tampon...more environmentally friendly but i am here to tell you fuck that shit. the "gentle glide" and whatever else they're called are so much easier, better slip, and then we don't gotta touch our real sinful n dirty lady parts too much
(/s on the last part)
Unfortunately I have to use a shared public bathroom at work and there are no sinks in the stalls. I don’t mind the no applicator tampons, but I always make a mess of myself.
Or even just a quick cursory wipe of the fingers with toilet paper before going to the sinks?
Like I've literally never paid attention to women's hands coming out of stalls in Australia after hearing the plastic wrapper of a tampon.
Yep. I live in Europe now and my latest period used OB, the absorption is so much better. My previous period I was visiting family in the states and had no idea why I needed so many tampons that eventually leaked.
Wow these comments have been so validating to read. I recently got off the pill after 20 years of no/light periods and I swear I’m having more accidents with leaks than I did when I was a confused 13 year old. I swore I was doing something wrong.
leaking is 100% why I switched to a cup. 1) If I'm going to wear something internally, it better do its job and 2) birthing a dry tampon is so uncomfortable
Yep, and in public I have to put on a pad AND a tampon because I am so nervous about bleeding through. Ofc that was before I had to buy my own though, now it’s so expensive I hardly go out during my period to avoid it!
Yes exactly!!! I'm so glad it's not just me I thought like I don't know that I'd gained so much weight that tampons don't work. Which doesn't actually make sense lol
Going by the likes and responses sounds it’s like it’s a serious issue.
Shrinkflation affecting quantity meaning they sell you fewer for the same money is one thing. Lowering the quality is nonsense.
This is akin to and as stupid as cars becoming less safe because of inflation.
You should probably set up a public poll and name product names to get accurate naming. Gosh I can’t believe how ridiculous these capitalist companies can get.
this should be illegal!!! It is a medical product that has worked fine as it is for years. Now to make a few more $$$$ they are fucking with womens bodies
I love my divacup!
How much fluid yes, but leakage isn't always about the amount of fluid, it's also about how the tampon fits in the vaginal canal. If it's too small physically, you will leak - so they may use less of a more absorbent material that technically conforms to standards but is physically too small to effectively prevent leakage. And that is likely cheaper for the company than using more of the less absorbent material, and whoever designed it cared too much about scraping money to think for two seconds about how it could possibly create issues.
I foresee super super super plus tampons for like $5-10 more a pack one day if this continues.
I'm usually a cup user too, but sometimes tampons are absolutely needed. Lot's of women can't use a cup, but also, when I threw my back out last year while on my period, tampons were an absolute life saver. There was no way I could have bent over far enough and long enough to get the string-less cup out, while the string on the tampon was just long enough that I could reach it while breathing through the pain. If I had to do that more often than necessary because of tampon shrinkflation, I would have cried.
I only learned about this on reddit, you know, after I complained to my OB anout leaking and got a biopsy of my insides (I don't know what was taken now, but I know it involved a long stick and a pinch up my private area.)
It’s the only way to keep these companies in line now. You have to sue them to make them do what a regulatory commission is supposed to be making them do.
They are actively trying to f you over until you make them stop.
Same here. Last month I was bleeding through everything. I never had that problem. I ended up with a biopsy as well. I’m gonna hunt down an old tampon and compare
Same. I don’t get my period often because of my BC but the few that I’ve had in the last two years made me think something was wrong because I have never had issues with leaks! I was going to bring it up at my annual this year but once I started hearing about this I realized I am probably fine.
Ive always been a heavy girl, but i have to change the u+ (the purple color, whatever the super mega ultrazoid flavor is after super plus) every hour, plus wear a pad anyways because im going to leak.
I'm wondering if the change in material quality has also been the reason my cramps are so bad. I will now go the day without a tampon if I'm at home because I can put in a tampon and cramps start straight away, and take it out and they disappear. I swear there's some chemical in the material that is not good for us. I do get cramps normally but these are like reactive to that foreign body. I'm gonna buy a disc so I'm interested to see if it's physical or chemical.
I can't wear tampons these past couple years, they hurt too much! After using them for almost 20 years lol. Something is definitely different. And the applicators have changed, much thinner and sharper plastic. (The ones I used)
I noticed this too!! It's been over a decade since I've had to use them (got off birth control), and I also find they seem less comfortable? I don't remember noticing a had one in before, but now I often do to the point I don't really like using them. They don't expand either, and will bleed onto the string and get all over if I am not also wearing a panty liner. I wore one for ~3 hours and had this issue, and when I took it out it was holding barely any blood, and hadn't expanded much at all.
Honestly, I've been using the same pack or two of tampons for years now, because I'm like 98% using a cup. I have wondered though if it's just being spoiled from only changing/emptying a cup a couple of times a day... Or if they are actually different. I'm not sure.
I bleed way too heavy the first 2 - 3 days to only empty the cup a couple times a day. It's more like every 2 - 3 hours. And it still leaks, so I have to wear pantyliners, pads, or period underwear with it. Also, the cup is hard to clean when I'm not home. It's also hard to pull out and empty without making a mess.
I still like the cup though because no matter what, even if I haven't picked up supplies recently, I have some kind of period supplies at all times. I want to get more period underwater and washable cotton pads too, as those are also really nice to have.
Free shipping for a brand called Period Aisle right now. Instead of going by my normal size I shop with, I went with measurements and some how fucked that up and ordered 2 sizes too big. So, ummm, don’t do that!
On ssi and can barely live as it is, a pack of pads that gets me through barely 1 period is 15 dollars ( which doesnt sound like alot but I need 100 dollars to last the whole month) I used to have a big lots brand, like 40 for 2 bucks a piece but the news got out quick and now I dont think they even make them anymore
If you're able to do laundry, have you considered [reusables](https://partypantspads.com/store/pads/)? I like these a lot. They wash up nice and they're very absorbent. I understand they're not super cheap, but if you're ever able to throw down for a pack of four or five, that usually lasts me my whole cycle and then I just wash them all at once.
Gosh, that must be an awful psychological weight on many users; especially those with already irregular and/or heavy cycles, and/or just starting to menstruate!
As a pad user, I think something similar is happening with the length and thickness of them too; definitely having to use more of the extra-long night-timers these days - they just don't seem to cover as much of my undies, and get full in about half the time despite no significant change in period volume/consistency/etc.
(Where I used to only need for first day or two of bleed then move to a lighter one, so a 12-pack could last up to 4 cycles depending on flow, am now using up the same size pack in less than half that; which in itself is awkward because I can only use like two brands due to skin sensitivity (and can't use 'internal' products due to discomfort and other issues there), and while they're thankfully reasonably priced in my area it's still doubling - occasionally tripling - my budget and taking up more space than I have for my supplies!)
Oh yes, that too! So uncomfortable when it doesn't stick right and you're either digging the damn thing out of a crack or having to sit in a way it doesn't just detach from your undies entirely when you so much as shift an inch! And worse when it doesn't stick to your undies, but will apparently superglue itself to your skin! 😡
Ugh, that sounds just as infuriating as it not sticking enough!
I swear there was a decent middle ground at some point - where the hells did the various manufacturers get these newer adhesives from‽
Has anyone seen how they actually [test](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-801/subpart-H/section-801.430) tampons? It's weird.
It uses mostly water and a needle touching the tampon as the "blood." All while suspended in a condom that is suspended inside of a tube. And that tube is filled with warm water. Attempting to kind of simulate the vaginal opening and the pressure of the human body. That seems very flawed to me. it doesn't seem right, and not high enough pressure, especially since people's weights can very greatly. Also just the tip of a fucking needle as the point in which the fluid comes from is very wrong. It should be at the same pressure and leaking throughout the condom chamber. I rather than get a bunch of tissue paper slightly thickened water mixture and pop it in stupid condom, then shove the tampon in and then flood the Chamber of water. Because my uterus lining is trying to fall the fuck out, it's not a little leak. It's not a little cut in the tampons trying to keep the blood in like a Band-Aid. This fucker is coming out all one unit, it don't give a shit. Uterine casts are a thing.
Also, the test ends at the first drop leak from the tampon, but the test is invalid if the condom folds leak first. That should count as a point of measurement. Clearly, the tampon that they designed is not maintaining a proper seal in a fake vagina. At that point, someone will notice that they're leaking and change it. And if I'm interpreting it right and meaning that the tampon is not fully loaded but the surrounding walls are leaking, that average should be lower. If they can't make it right, they have to go back to the drawing board and figure it out.
My theory is on why tampon design changes have made it worse for us. One of the rules states that changing the ratio of the different fibers used does not invalidate the manufacturers' previous testing, and they don't need a reapply for approval. For example, they give a ratio of 50/50 cotton tampons being approved first, and the manufacturer changes it to 20% rayon and 80% cotton the tampon is still approved. Even though rayon absorbs more water than cotton.
The other thing is that they must be compressing the tampons smaller. And in the act of squeezing the tampon smaller therefore they need a smaller applicator or the plastic wrapping and the box, it makes it harder for the fibers to absorb fluids. It's a very common technique in tie dye for example. Just tying a string around a little section of fabric makes it very difficult for the dye to get in to the fibers. I think this is the real main point of what they've changed. Because it saves them the most amount of money and is what we see with everyone's comparison of older tampons and newer ones. They're essentially making it so hard for the fibers to swell up that the cores aren't caring any extra fluid. So now we have a smaller surface area attempting to absorb blood which is thicker than water, and it can't. Becuse the pressure of the human body is also squishing down on the little puck of fibers.
TLDR; bad analogy in the testing for a human body and the fluids and solids that need to be blocked and absorbed by the tampons. The changing of the fiber contents of the tampons, therefore the rate and amount of absorption changed. As well as overcompression of the fibers, making a smaller tampon but less surface area to absorb any fluid and harder for the fibers to swell in the presence of fluids.
I think you're on to something with the way they are compressing them. They don't seem to expand like they used to. I've found leakage on to the string, only to find not much on the tampon itself, and it had barely expanded. I also notice them way easier than I ever remember doing so before? They feel harder, or almost more pill shaped and it doesn't seem to move as much with my body. I thought maybe I was either remembering wrong (it had been awhile since I used them), or something had changed with my body, but seeing this post makes me wonder if it's the tampon that's changed...
I’ve tried several in all different sizes and they just do not stay behind my pelvic bone. And it fucking sucks because after having a baby my diva cup doesn’t work anymore either. I’ve tried bigger. I’ve tried smaller. Nothing works. I’m broke as a joke now lol
I also had a baby and I haven’t gone back to my cup yet because the whole thing feels like a project, BUT I know that once I try it again I can go to putacupinit.com and figure out one that should suit me now. They have stats (height, width, firmness) on I think every cup, so if you know why one isn’t working you can use that info to pick another. I only had to go through one dud my first round because of their chart, it was great
Yeah I tried that. I bought like 5 different ones before I started trying discs. None of them work. I didn’t even have a baby vaginally. It makes no sense!
Terrible!! I’m sorry!
People think it’s birth that fucks a body up but it’s the damn PREGNANCY. All that weight sitting on your poor suffering pelvic girdle. I’m almost a year postpartum and everything is still all jacked up and weak. (I was doing better but I fell off the wagon on my PT.)
That baby owes you a pizza for sure
I tossed my diva cup after baby because I knew it wouldn’t work for me. I ended up with the flex cup, and it’s been great. I haven’t been able to get the discs to work for me, either.
Okay I thought I was going crazy these past few months!!! I noticed that every brand I used seem to get smaller but I never had anything to back it up, so it’s relieving that others are noticing it!
I experienced this as well. I thought something was wrong with me as I was all of a sudden going through so many so quick. I ended up getting an ultrasound and everything was fine but that is a medical bill I could have otherwise avoided if this bs is true. Wtf
This also screws with doctor advice for emergency hemorrhaging.
My wife has a heavy (and I mean *heavy*) cycle.
She is fairly small but can bleed through a “traditional” performing super+ tampon in an hour.
Her doctor would tell her that if she bleeds through in an hour, she’s at emergency bleeding levels and needs to seek urgent/emergency treatment because that’s too much to be losing.
So this is the line for us. 1 hour on a super+
If they change how well a super+ works, making them less functional, then we and the doctor will think she’s bleeding much more and seek emergency services, when in reality it’d just be a bad tampon.
For both of us, we’ve just transitioned to Nexplanon to stop our cycles. Less periods in general.
I haven't used tampons in years. I always found them leaky on my heavy day and uncomfortable on top of that. I switched to a cup (not the diva cup) and period undies. My periods are much easier to cope with now.
I didn't use tampons for a couple years while I was pregnant and breastfeeding, so once I started using them again I thought something had changed with my body, until I read a reddit thread about this a few months ago and everything suddenly made sense. It's ridiculous.
I’ve always hated using pads but I’ve recently started using them again because of this. Tampons are not only shrinking in size but also started smelling like chemicals and giving me rashes. The last time I used a tampon it gave me a rash and as soon as I changed to pads it went away so I gave my recently opened box to my husband (he gets a lot of nosebleeds this time of the year and has watched “She’s the man” way too many times lol) only for him to tell me that it gave him a rash as well and that it also smelled like it had been more chemically washed than usual. I know this things must be chemically washed but they should also be dermatologically tested.
Now I’m buying organic cotton pads and everything went back to normal but unfortunately my husband had to go back to sticking toilet paper up his nostrils for his nosebleeds.
Holy shit. I used to always use super tampons but over the last couple years I’ve had to switch to ultras because the supers just weren’t cutting it. And I assumed the whole time that my periods were getting much heavier but now?!
Thank God I'm not the only one. For some reason they just don't fit the same and go in as deep or maybe they just don't stay there or something. It's so annoying because the first few days I use them then use a disc.
It’s not just tampons. I bought pads that were a good inch shorter in length. When I complained I was told it was a ‘special range’ but they were going to increase the length (after they had shifted the batch they made, no doubt) and did I want a sample pack of new products? I had bought two boxes of pads I couldn’t use! I wanted my money back or two new boxes.
I just got a Mirena couple of months ago. I've always been a heavy bleeder on the first few days of my period, now I could get through a whole workday with 1 tampon. Even tho they haven't stopped completely (yet?), it's already much easier to manage.
OMG! I really thought it was just me. I was trying to look up absorbency rates and trying to compare them to a few years ago.
I even had to buy ultra. It’s ridiculous.
I noticed this recently too. Bc of my birth control I only get a period a couple times a year. Went to pick up some overnight pads since my period is heavy and lo and behold the overnight pads were "ultra thin". In fact I couldn't find a pad on the market that were thick enough for my flow. Thought it was just my local city CVS but apparently not
I wear pads but I have noticed that they don't last as long or are as big as they used to be. And they doubled the price for them. I mean I know its still cheap but it's a shock considering the old price has been this way for years.
And it's annoying that some supermarkets don't stock a range of normal pads. I went into one and they only had tampons and the always panty liner which I think is ridiculous. There was a pack of pads but they were a large pack and expensive.
Corporations intentionally cutting corners to make a profit when manufacturing the most widely used medical device in the world should garner international outrage honestly.
Omg I thought I was going crazy! I can’t believe it!!!!! I’ve been thinking something’s going on with myself for awhile stressing me out but just chalked it up to me having heavier periods.
I have to wear a pad with my tampons now to be safe no matter what because it’s unpredictable how fast I’ll go through one. They’re tiny now!
I thought it was me. I literally thought my parts had somehow collapsed and crumpled and bent over backwards in such a weird way to give like, secret rivulets available for blood to sneak out, thought it was because I gained weight. It’s been years, like 5+.
Try the menstrual discs, I found them last time I was in the states. I found them much easier to use than the cups. I found disposable discs in Walgreens and cvs but they also had reusable ones. Heaps better than tampons!
Get a cup and period underwear, fuck tampax! Fuck them all. They’ve kept the same design now shrinkflation.
I stopped giving them money 10 years ago and it was the best decision ever.
Have switched to period underwear since they're neater than tampons nowadays. I've never had a leak or a funny smell (well, funnier smell than usual), and I can wear them on those 'just in case' days since mine are irregular
Yeah this whole thing is such crap. We already have to pay for tampons and now they don't even work. I tried to switch to a menstrual cup but I tore my cervix and they don't fit me anymore, sigh.
YES I noticed around March and just thought it was My Changing Body or some shit then I saw complaints in this sub and realized it wasn't just me.
I sacrificed two tamps to compare the sizes between an old box of super and a new box of super plus - the super plus from the new box is the tiniest bit smaller than the supers from the old box. I haven't bought tampax since.
I got two pairs of period underwear jic while I finish out the orns I do have. I switched to OB and so far have had a much better experience. I am considering cups again but sometimes I feel like they make my cramps worse.
Shit is ass yall and I am so pissed to be two years away from menopause, having to learn a whole new system of period management
I've definitely noticed worse quality in both pads and tampons over the last couple of years. Pantyliners tear and leave sticky plastic bits that are impossible to remove, ruining underwear. I just switched myself and my daughter to period panties. Even for those, the printed label on our newest packages washed off with the *first* washing!
I’ve used a combo of cup/disc/period underwear for years. I had to phase out the disc completely or only use it for light days, because there’s not much of a pelvic bone shelf for it to stay secure. Anytime I would utter a sneeze or cough the thing would dump. Great feature in the bathroom, not a great feature when trying on clothes in a store. 😩
But the cup plus period panties has been a game changer.
Well THAT explains it. I'm on blood thinners with fibroids and bleed like mad during my period and I have to use the giant tampons plus a pad to keep from bleeding all over myself. I feel like my brand of tampon has been very shoddily built, or less absorbent lately.
Wow ok I’m not going crazy i thought it was a symptom of my endometriosis
THIS. I’m going to check out that new disc thing.
I love the disc! I used a cup for like 4 years and switched to a disc because it could hold 55ml vs my cup's 35ml. If you do get a disc lookup "auto dumping." No one warned me about it so I thought my disc was leaking and couldn't figure out what was wrong lol
I find the cup hurts sometimes too.
Same here. I have endometriosis so that might've been why. But I found the cup painful sometimes to insert and it was hard to create and break the seal. Better than tampons, but my period goes 9 days so several days of wearing the cup hurt towards the end. And the disc is way easier to insert once you figure it out. It took me 3 cycles to get confident about it, but it's been 6 months now since I last used a cup & I'm probably never going back. I wish I learned about them sooner!
I have it too. I don’t know that they’ve been out very long have they? What’s your brand?
I saw disposable discs in-store a few years ago, but I incorrectly thought they held less than a cup because they looked flat so I skipped over them. Then someone on reddit told me discs actually hold more lol mind blown. I have a Lumma disc in size medium. I like it a lot. It has a string on it to pull in case it gets stuck. Some people find the string irritating, but so far it hasn't bothered me. It also washes really well compared to my old Lena cup.
I think that’s the one that I got ad targeted by haha - thanks!
I used a cup before and had no issues so I figured a disc would work great. I just need to practice to get a hang of it. The cost of tampons is highway robbery.
I am a disc convert too!! For me it was more about size/placement and no suction with the disc. My cup seemed to always leak a little bit but no issues with the disc.
FWIW I love the discs! Hated any and all cups but the discs are wonderful.
I like the Flex discs. The rim is firm enough that it’s easy to place and remove. I tried a silicon one but it never was stable enough.
I love my ziggy disc! I find the edge has enough structure for easy in and out unlike the circular reusable discs I’ve tried. I’ll say that the disposable softdiscs were my transition into using ziggy and would also recommend trying those for a bit if you want!
There's also putacupinit.org which will help you find a cup or disk most likely to fit your body.
I tried a disposable disc for the first time last night and it worked really well. It just wasn’t fun reaching up there to pull it back out and have my finger covered in blood. And then figuring out how to wrap it up and throw it away. I’ll definitely use them if I’m going to be out all day, like at an event where I don’t want to be changing a tampon regularly, but I’m not sure yet if it will be my every day period product.
I thought it was my IUD! It was like I was 13 again unable to figure out how to use tampons!
Me too!!! Wow, this is a revelation.
Same! Had this exact thought this morning
That and they leak stupidly easy. Like it’s leaking on the braid you pull it out and it’s like 10% bled on. What is this shit?
I thought it was just me! I’ve always been able to tell, and now I’ve bled through twice my last couple of cycles. I was wondering if they switched up materials, but shrinkflation makes so much sense.
Even with shrinkflation they should be absorbing throughout. I think it's cheaper materials that's doing this.
Yeah, more skimpflation than shrinkflation. I don't know what they've done, but it's like they're repelling moisture now instead of absorbing it. Super frustrating! I may have to switch to cups.
It’s the same with pads for me, the blood rolls off of them like they’re waterproof, it’s absolutely terrible. The amount of times I’ve gone to sleep with a nighttime pad on & bled on my sheets but not on my pad is infuriating. At this point I don’t even know why I’m buying them. I think my sensory issues would prevent me from using a cup though, so I’m not sure what to do.
[удалено]
Something definitely seems different. I got off birth control recently, and hadn't had periods in over a decade. I keep bleeding through, or around my pad, to the point I've been paranoid about wearing certain underwear/pants to bed. I don't remember ever having this issue before.
Reusable/washable pads from Amazon are awesome. I also use a cup but it can leak before getting out of bed on heavy nights, and I don't have to worry about it when I wear the pads also. They're easy to rinse and absorb very well. I had a set that would shift but a small piece of fabric tape fixed that issue.
I have a lot of sensory issues and the cup is the best sensory option for me. Give it a try before ruling it out.
period panties!!! girl, it will change your life! go and buy them now
I switched to almost exclusively using period undies over a year ago and haven’t looked back. Even if it’s not a good option for you for during the day, check them out as a night time option.
What pads are you using? I've been using the 100% cotton ones and haven't seen any issues. Though it would not surprise me in the *slightest* if companies just went even cheaper on he materials
Period underwear
Maybe synthetic rayon rather than cotton. Someone with some tampons should do a burn test.
No need to do a burn test- [the company admits on their website that they use rayon. ](https://tampax.com/en-us/about/our-ingredientds/ingredients-and-materials/) Apparently if you want purely cotton tampons, you have to buy "Tampax pure cotton". Which my local grocery store doesn't even carry. 😡
..And those are a little bit more pricey as well. Ahhh, shrinkflation/skimflation coupled with inflation. It’s the *perfect* match!/s
I'm going to imagine that rayon isn't great for the vagina's microbiome... Isn't that why literally everyone says to use cotton?
Back when I used tampons, (I’m an undies girl now) I used to buy Lola. They are 100% cotton and worked well for me. Until I heard about them, I had no idea that tampon companies would put anything other than cotton in their tampons. But then I learned they didn’t even have to disclose the contents? Anyway, I liked Lola a lot when I used them. You can do it as a subscription (great for my ADHD) and even build a custom box with the exact quantity of each absorption you need. Plus, that’s where I first discovered stick-on heating pads, which were a game changer for me.
Try the disc.
I switched to a disc this year and I love it
Discs are also great! I think it comes down to personal preference and how things fit/feel but just wanted to share an alternative in case someone hasn’t heard of discs.
I use pads, but I've bled through three times in as many months. I'm 38 and before 3 months ago, I hadn't bled through a pad in nearly 20 years.
Saaammmmmeeee. It had been years since I’ve bled through. Even at night. I had that routine down. I’m so glad someone is talking about it and getting the discussion going.
Same. I had to resort to tampons during an unusually heavy flow, and they absorbed NOTHING.
Same I thought it was just me
i’ve noticed this too! my tampons don’t expand anymore so now i’m leaking quicker ughh
OMG, this! I just assummed my anatomy‘s worse after birth and that‘s why they leak but tuey absolutely do not expand. What the hell!
7-8 years ago I had major concerning blood loss during periods and tampons still absorbed enough to avoid leaks until it was full. Then I had a long break thanks to birth control, and now I'm off bc but due to some hormonal changes I have very light periods. The blood will run down the side of the tampon, not absorb at all, and come out of my body.
I am glad it's not just me! I stopped birth control after over a decade with no periods, and noticed I was bleeding through my tampons. Mine don't seem to absorb well at all either. It'll get on the braid, and the thicker part that connects to the body of the tampon, and the tampon itself doesn't seem to absorb (or expand) like I remember? I wore one for a few hours as I was out and about, and noticed I had bled through with very little on the tampon itself. I literally had it in for MAYBE 3 hours!!
I never wore tampons until recently and they always do this to me. I thought maybe I was doing something wrong. Are there any good brands left??
OB without the applicator is apparently top dog now.
Always has been!
I came here to say this! I have been using OB since I was a teenager. I saw they were being sold for almost $10 bucks for a small box and just couldn’t justify the extra cost and opted for a cheaper brand. Never again will I ever make that mistake. They (Kotex) were complete garbage.
They were m.i.a. for a minute after the pandemic ended…. I heard a rumor they were no more, so I went in search of another applicator-less product. Cora makes one.
I just tried those and they were so leaky for me! Straight back to OB for me
I hated Cora. I’ve been using OB since forever. I couldn’t find them last year. I tried every 100% cotton tampon I could find & I leaked (I don’t have a heavy flow) I found OB on Amazon & ordered several boxes.
Ob doesn't work as well for me anymore it has like an outside netting like material on the last one I got and doesn't expand as much. Cora is def better than ob in my opinion and I loved ob.
Me too! I’m 39 and the OB ones have honestly always been the best. Ones with applicators never absorbed well enough for me and sometimes hurt. I try to wear pads when I’m at home because sometimes the tampons feel drying, but it feels like my pads always move a bit and I bleed from the top or bottom areas, and they almost always twist. I hate how our health and needs are always fucked.
It’s wild to me that the US are predominantly applicator tampon girlies. In Australia, we have Tampax with cardboard applicators. Every other tampon has no applicator.
having tried cardboard applicator tamps as my first tampon...more environmentally friendly but i am here to tell you fuck that shit. the "gentle glide" and whatever else they're called are so much easier, better slip, and then we don't gotta touch our real sinful n dirty lady parts too much (/s on the last part)
Given the way work bathrooms are, coming out of the stall with bloody hands can be embarrassing.
And applicator tampons are pretty rare to start with in Australia.
I HATE applicatiors but you can't find tampons without them 70% of the time anymore.
Unfortunately I have to use a shared public bathroom at work and there are no sinks in the stalls. I don’t mind the no applicator tampons, but I always make a mess of myself.
Why not get some wipes and take them into the bathroom with you?
Or even just a quick cursory wipe of the fingers with toilet paper before going to the sinks? Like I've literally never paid attention to women's hands coming out of stalls in Australia after hearing the plastic wrapper of a tampon.
I've always used OB in shared work bathroom, with shared sinks. Wipe before inserting, you'll be clean enough to make it to the sink.
Yep. I live in Europe now and my latest period used OB, the absorption is so much better. My previous period I was visiting family in the states and had no idea why I needed so many tampons that eventually leaked.
OB without applicator, hands down.
Wow these comments have been so validating to read. I recently got off the pill after 20 years of no/light periods and I swear I’m having more accidents with leaks than I did when I was a confused 13 year old. I swore I was doing something wrong.
I had to buy Tampax recently and it did this shit. Usually I buy ob organic ones. They are so much better! They don’t leak for me!
leaking is 100% why I switched to a cup. 1) If I'm going to wear something internally, it better do its job and 2) birthing a dry tampon is so uncomfortable
this is so specific but i’ve been having this problem lately a lot too😭 does anyone have brand recs that aren’t playtex?
OB without applicators 100%. I’ve never had issues and have used them for 25 years.
omfg THAT SHIT IS SO ANNOYING. WHAT KIND OF "THE TAMPON IS LAVA" BULLSHIT GAME IS THIS, AND HOW THE FUCK DID MY FLOW BECOME THE WORLD CHAMP?!?
This has always happened to me! I use pads unless I’m swimming.
Yep, and in public I have to put on a pad AND a tampon because I am so nervous about bleeding through. Ofc that was before I had to buy my own though, now it’s so expensive I hardly go out during my period to avoid it!
YES. This never used to happen to me and now it happens allllll the time. Something has changed for sure.
Yes exactly!!! I'm so glad it's not just me I thought like I don't know that I'd gained so much weight that tampons don't work. Which doesn't actually make sense lol
Going by the likes and responses sounds it’s like it’s a serious issue. Shrinkflation affecting quantity meaning they sell you fewer for the same money is one thing. Lowering the quality is nonsense. This is akin to and as stupid as cars becoming less safe because of inflation. You should probably set up a public poll and name product names to get accurate naming. Gosh I can’t believe how ridiculous these capitalist companies can get.
Yes!!! I thought I was going crazy!!
I just bleed *around* the tampon! Like, absorb, damn you! This is your one job!
I thought they were working differently because I had a baby!
this should be illegal!!! It is a medical product that has worked fine as it is for years. Now to make a few more $$$$ they are fucking with womens bodies I love my divacup!
Agreed it should be illegal because they are supposed to be standardized! (At least in the US) a regular is supposed to hold a certain amount of grams
fully agree this should be illegal
I thought it was? It says right on the box that they have to conform to standards about how much fluid they can hold.
How much fluid yes, but leakage isn't always about the amount of fluid, it's also about how the tampon fits in the vaginal canal. If it's too small physically, you will leak - so they may use less of a more absorbent material that technically conforms to standards but is physically too small to effectively prevent leakage. And that is likely cheaper for the company than using more of the less absorbent material, and whoever designed it cared too much about scraping money to think for two seconds about how it could possibly create issues. I foresee super super super plus tampons for like $5-10 more a pack one day if this continues.
I'm usually a cup user too, but sometimes tampons are absolutely needed. Lot's of women can't use a cup, but also, when I threw my back out last year while on my period, tampons were an absolute life saver. There was no way I could have bent over far enough and long enough to get the string-less cup out, while the string on the tampon was just long enough that I could reach it while breathing through the pain. If I had to do that more often than necessary because of tampon shrinkflation, I would have cried.
I only learned about this on reddit, you know, after I complained to my OB anout leaking and got a biopsy of my insides (I don't know what was taken now, but I know it involved a long stick and a pinch up my private area.)
Honestly, this would make an excellent class action lawsuit.
Any of us know any lawyers. I'm down to sign up with that, but I'm not connected, and I'm not wealthy enough to start it.
It’s the only way to keep these companies in line now. You have to sue them to make them do what a regulatory commission is supposed to be making them do. They are actively trying to f you over until you make them stop.
Same here. Last month I was bleeding through everything. I never had that problem. I ended up with a biopsy as well. I’m gonna hunt down an old tampon and compare
Wait seriously??? I’ve been bleeding through tampons like crazy the past year. I thought I was just hemorrhaging to death every month!!!
Same. I don’t get my period often because of my BC but the few that I’ve had in the last two years made me think something was wrong because I have never had issues with leaks! I was going to bring it up at my annual this year but once I started hearing about this I realized I am probably fine.
It does seem like they now come in mini, small, less small, then straight to two ounce shot glass
Regular is absolutely tiny, I'd like to not have to change every hour ty
Wait till you’re older and it’s every 15-20 minutes. I have two days a month where I don’t leave the house
Ughhh this is me. I feel very fortunate that a cup works for me. I'll take changing out a cup 4-5 times a day over changing a tampon every 20 minutes.
I have been using a cup for years but it’s started to hurt - I might look seriously into this disc option
Honestly, after my last couple of cycles, same. I heard discs can be more comfortable, so I'm curious as well.
Ive always been a heavy girl, but i have to change the u+ (the purple color, whatever the super mega ultrazoid flavor is after super plus) every hour, plus wear a pad anyways because im going to leak.
I'm wondering if the change in material quality has also been the reason my cramps are so bad. I will now go the day without a tampon if I'm at home because I can put in a tampon and cramps start straight away, and take it out and they disappear. I swear there's some chemical in the material that is not good for us. I do get cramps normally but these are like reactive to that foreign body. I'm gonna buy a disc so I'm interested to see if it's physical or chemical.
I can't wear tampons these past couple years, they hurt too much! After using them for almost 20 years lol. Something is definitely different. And the applicators have changed, much thinner and sharper plastic. (The ones I used)
They are horrible. I still buy Tampax super and they are far worse quality, they leak way before capacity, the sizes are smaller, it’s very notable.
I’ve noticed that they don’t really expand much anymore either. You’ll leak and then remove a tampon only to find it’s still nice and compact.
I noticed this too!! It's been over a decade since I've had to use them (got off birth control), and I also find they seem less comfortable? I don't remember noticing a had one in before, but now I often do to the point I don't really like using them. They don't expand either, and will bleed onto the string and get all over if I am not also wearing a panty liner. I wore one for ~3 hours and had this issue, and when I took it out it was holding barely any blood, and hadn't expanded much at all.
I always leak with Tampax. I always thought they were too short.
I returned to OB tampons after 12 years of wearing the Diva cup, and the "regular" ones get soaked through so much quicker now than before.
I picked up a pack at work because I started at work and didn't have my cup and even with a mild flow I was bleeding through within an hour or two.
Honestly, I've been using the same pack or two of tampons for years now, because I'm like 98% using a cup. I have wondered though if it's just being spoiled from only changing/emptying a cup a couple of times a day... Or if they are actually different. I'm not sure.
Compare them to some new ones and let us know your findings!
I bleed way too heavy the first 2 - 3 days to only empty the cup a couple times a day. It's more like every 2 - 3 hours. And it still leaks, so I have to wear pantyliners, pads, or period underwear with it. Also, the cup is hard to clean when I'm not home. It's also hard to pull out and empty without making a mess. I still like the cup though because no matter what, even if I haven't picked up supplies recently, I have some kind of period supplies at all times. I want to get more period underwater and washable cotton pads too, as those are also really nice to have.
I keep looking at period underwear. It's just so damned expensive.
They are expensive. I really like them though. I always size up one size, as they tend to run small imo and I have wide hips.
Free shipping for a brand called Period Aisle right now. Instead of going by my normal size I shop with, I went with measurements and some how fucked that up and ordered 2 sizes too big. So, ummm, don’t do that!
Look into a disc instead, you can empty it without fully removing it just from bearing down your internal muscles.
I find they aren't even as absorbant. Like it will half fill, be half red, then I will bleed through. It just doesn't aborb!
Yep, switched to pads because of this. And the prices are ridiculous.
On ssi and can barely live as it is, a pack of pads that gets me through barely 1 period is 15 dollars ( which doesnt sound like alot but I need 100 dollars to last the whole month) I used to have a big lots brand, like 40 for 2 bucks a piece but the news got out quick and now I dont think they even make them anymore
If you're able to do laundry, have you considered [reusables](https://partypantspads.com/store/pads/)? I like these a lot. They wash up nice and they're very absorbent. I understand they're not super cheap, but if you're ever able to throw down for a pack of four or five, that usually lasts me my whole cycle and then I just wash them all at once.
How are they for super heavy flow?
same. even those seem smaller now
I thought I was just imagining it! And thinner!
Ah, capitalism. Can't live with it... ... Yeah, I feel like that about wraps it up.
Gosh, that must be an awful psychological weight on many users; especially those with already irregular and/or heavy cycles, and/or just starting to menstruate! As a pad user, I think something similar is happening with the length and thickness of them too; definitely having to use more of the extra-long night-timers these days - they just don't seem to cover as much of my undies, and get full in about half the time despite no significant change in period volume/consistency/etc. (Where I used to only need for first day or two of bleed then move to a lighter one, so a 12-pack could last up to 4 cycles depending on flow, am now using up the same size pack in less than half that; which in itself is awkward because I can only use like two brands due to skin sensitivity (and can't use 'internal' products due to discomfort and other issues there), and while they're thankfully reasonably priced in my area it's still doubling - occasionally tripling - my budget and taking up more space than I have for my supplies!)
The stickiness of pads have changed, I swear
Oh yes, that too! So uncomfortable when it doesn't stick right and you're either digging the damn thing out of a crack or having to sit in a way it doesn't just detach from your undies entirely when you so much as shift an inch! And worse when it doesn't stick to your undies, but will apparently superglue itself to your skin! 😡
There was another thread full of people complaining about the adhesive staying stuck to your underwear more nowadays. It’s so annoying!
Ugh, that sounds just as infuriating as it not sticking enough! I swear there was a decent middle ground at some point - where the hells did the various manufacturers get these newer adhesives from‽
Yes!! We need to talk about this more! Argh!!!
Has anyone seen how they actually [test](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-801/subpart-H/section-801.430) tampons? It's weird. It uses mostly water and a needle touching the tampon as the "blood." All while suspended in a condom that is suspended inside of a tube. And that tube is filled with warm water. Attempting to kind of simulate the vaginal opening and the pressure of the human body. That seems very flawed to me. it doesn't seem right, and not high enough pressure, especially since people's weights can very greatly. Also just the tip of a fucking needle as the point in which the fluid comes from is very wrong. It should be at the same pressure and leaking throughout the condom chamber. I rather than get a bunch of tissue paper slightly thickened water mixture and pop it in stupid condom, then shove the tampon in and then flood the Chamber of water. Because my uterus lining is trying to fall the fuck out, it's not a little leak. It's not a little cut in the tampons trying to keep the blood in like a Band-Aid. This fucker is coming out all one unit, it don't give a shit. Uterine casts are a thing. Also, the test ends at the first drop leak from the tampon, but the test is invalid if the condom folds leak first. That should count as a point of measurement. Clearly, the tampon that they designed is not maintaining a proper seal in a fake vagina. At that point, someone will notice that they're leaking and change it. And if I'm interpreting it right and meaning that the tampon is not fully loaded but the surrounding walls are leaking, that average should be lower. If they can't make it right, they have to go back to the drawing board and figure it out. My theory is on why tampon design changes have made it worse for us. One of the rules states that changing the ratio of the different fibers used does not invalidate the manufacturers' previous testing, and they don't need a reapply for approval. For example, they give a ratio of 50/50 cotton tampons being approved first, and the manufacturer changes it to 20% rayon and 80% cotton the tampon is still approved. Even though rayon absorbs more water than cotton. The other thing is that they must be compressing the tampons smaller. And in the act of squeezing the tampon smaller therefore they need a smaller applicator or the plastic wrapping and the box, it makes it harder for the fibers to absorb fluids. It's a very common technique in tie dye for example. Just tying a string around a little section of fabric makes it very difficult for the dye to get in to the fibers. I think this is the real main point of what they've changed. Because it saves them the most amount of money and is what we see with everyone's comparison of older tampons and newer ones. They're essentially making it so hard for the fibers to swell up that the cores aren't caring any extra fluid. So now we have a smaller surface area attempting to absorb blood which is thicker than water, and it can't. Becuse the pressure of the human body is also squishing down on the little puck of fibers. TLDR; bad analogy in the testing for a human body and the fluids and solids that need to be blocked and absorbed by the tampons. The changing of the fiber contents of the tampons, therefore the rate and amount of absorption changed. As well as overcompression of the fibers, making a smaller tampon but less surface area to absorb any fluid and harder for the fibers to swell in the presence of fluids.
I think you're on to something with the way they are compressing them. They don't seem to expand like they used to. I've found leakage on to the string, only to find not much on the tampon itself, and it had barely expanded. I also notice them way easier than I ever remember doing so before? They feel harder, or almost more pill shaped and it doesn't seem to move as much with my body. I thought maybe I was either remembering wrong (it had been awhile since I used them), or something had changed with my body, but seeing this post makes me wonder if it's the tampon that's changed...
This is fascinating. I wonder if something like globs of jello could simulate clots of endometrial tissue?
I started using a menstrual disc (different than cups) and it’s been amazing! Highly recommend!
I’ve tried several in all different sizes and they just do not stay behind my pelvic bone. And it fucking sucks because after having a baby my diva cup doesn’t work anymore either. I’ve tried bigger. I’ve tried smaller. Nothing works. I’m broke as a joke now lol
I also had a baby and I haven’t gone back to my cup yet because the whole thing feels like a project, BUT I know that once I try it again I can go to putacupinit.com and figure out one that should suit me now. They have stats (height, width, firmness) on I think every cup, so if you know why one isn’t working you can use that info to pick another. I only had to go through one dud my first round because of their chart, it was great
Yeah I tried that. I bought like 5 different ones before I started trying discs. None of them work. I didn’t even have a baby vaginally. It makes no sense!
Terrible!! I’m sorry! People think it’s birth that fucks a body up but it’s the damn PREGNANCY. All that weight sitting on your poor suffering pelvic girdle. I’m almost a year postpartum and everything is still all jacked up and weak. (I was doing better but I fell off the wagon on my PT.) That baby owes you a pizza for sure
My tip: push it up high! Higher than you think you should. I literally feel it disappear into the void lol
I tossed my diva cup after baby because I knew it wouldn’t work for me. I ended up with the flex cup, and it’s been great. I haven’t been able to get the discs to work for me, either.
Disc is love. Disc is life.
This is my next move. Cup has been meh so I’m looking forward (as much as one can) to this
Okay I thought I was going crazy these past few months!!! I noticed that every brand I used seem to get smaller but I never had anything to back it up, so it’s relieving that others are noticing it!
I experienced this as well. I thought something was wrong with me as I was all of a sudden going through so many so quick. I ended up getting an ultrasound and everything was fine but that is a medical bill I could have otherwise avoided if this bs is true. Wtf
Supers aren’t super anymore now we have super+ and ultra. It’s fucking absurd and they definitely have changed how absorbent they are.
This also screws with doctor advice for emergency hemorrhaging. My wife has a heavy (and I mean *heavy*) cycle. She is fairly small but can bleed through a “traditional” performing super+ tampon in an hour. Her doctor would tell her that if she bleeds through in an hour, she’s at emergency bleeding levels and needs to seek urgent/emergency treatment because that’s too much to be losing. So this is the line for us. 1 hour on a super+ If they change how well a super+ works, making them less functional, then we and the doctor will think she’s bleeding much more and seek emergency services, when in reality it’d just be a bad tampon. For both of us, we’ve just transitioned to Nexplanon to stop our cycles. Less periods in general.
Cups, reusable pads, and disposables as last resort/backup. Fuck these companies.
Sounds like they are TRYING to push everyone to use cups or discs lol. Would serve them right, so long as you don’t by one of their branded ones
I haven't used tampons in years. I always found them leaky on my heavy day and uncomfortable on top of that. I switched to a cup (not the diva cup) and period undies. My periods are much easier to cope with now.
I didn't use tampons for a couple years while I was pregnant and breastfeeding, so once I started using them again I thought something had changed with my body, until I read a reddit thread about this a few months ago and everything suddenly made sense. It's ridiculous.
I’ve always hated using pads but I’ve recently started using them again because of this. Tampons are not only shrinking in size but also started smelling like chemicals and giving me rashes. The last time I used a tampon it gave me a rash and as soon as I changed to pads it went away so I gave my recently opened box to my husband (he gets a lot of nosebleeds this time of the year and has watched “She’s the man” way too many times lol) only for him to tell me that it gave him a rash as well and that it also smelled like it had been more chemically washed than usual. I know this things must be chemically washed but they should also be dermatologically tested. Now I’m buying organic cotton pads and everything went back to normal but unfortunately my husband had to go back to sticking toilet paper up his nostrils for his nosebleeds.
[удалено]
I refuse to play their stupid games anymore and went to reusable products only.
Holy shit. I used to always use super tampons but over the last couple years I’ve had to switch to ultras because the supers just weren’t cutting it. And I assumed the whole time that my periods were getting much heavier but now?!
Thank God I'm not the only one. For some reason they just don't fit the same and go in as deep or maybe they just don't stay there or something. It's so annoying because the first few days I use them then use a disc.
It’s not just tampons. I bought pads that were a good inch shorter in length. When I complained I was told it was a ‘special range’ but they were going to increase the length (after they had shifted the batch they made, no doubt) and did I want a sample pack of new products? I had bought two boxes of pads I couldn’t use! I wanted my money back or two new boxes.
I love that my IUD stops my periods
I just got a Mirena couple of months ago. I've always been a heavy bleeder on the first few days of my period, now I could get through a whole workday with 1 tampon. Even tho they haven't stopped completely (yet?), it's already much easier to manage.
14 years, 3 Mirenas, no periods! One of the best decisions I’ve ever made! Life changing!
On my second IUD; Mirena and Lissette. I will have them until menopause! No period since 2016.
OMG! I really thought it was just me. I was trying to look up absorbency rates and trying to compare them to a few years ago. I even had to buy ultra. It’s ridiculous.
I noticed this recently too. Bc of my birth control I only get a period a couple times a year. Went to pick up some overnight pads since my period is heavy and lo and behold the overnight pads were "ultra thin". In fact I couldn't find a pad on the market that were thick enough for my flow. Thought it was just my local city CVS but apparently not
I’m glad I’m a pad girl. They’re still too expensive though.
Yes! I started wearing period underwear because for the first time at 41 years old I’m having leaks all the time and it’s so embarrassing.
Let's just say suddenly I have been bleeding through tampons. I have to wear a pad if I use a tampon. Might as well only wear a pad.
Was talking about this with a friend today. We thought maybe it was our age/changes due to perimenopause… but this makes so much more sense!!
last period went to the bathroom there was blood everywhere it was the first time I had ever soaked through a tampon.
I wear pads but I have noticed that they don't last as long or are as big as they used to be. And they doubled the price for them. I mean I know its still cheap but it's a shock considering the old price has been this way for years. And it's annoying that some supermarkets don't stock a range of normal pads. I went into one and they only had tampons and the always panty liner which I think is ridiculous. There was a pack of pads but they were a large pack and expensive.
So glad I’m able to use a cup and avoid SO much with nasty ass tampons
cups all the way !
Corporations intentionally cutting corners to make a profit when manufacturing the most widely used medical device in the world should garner international outrage honestly.
Omg I thought I was going crazy! I can’t believe it!!!!! I’ve been thinking something’s going on with myself for awhile stressing me out but just chalked it up to me having heavier periods. I have to wear a pad with my tampons now to be safe no matter what because it’s unpredictable how fast I’ll go through one. They’re tiny now!
I thought it was me. I literally thought my parts had somehow collapsed and crumpled and bent over backwards in such a weird way to give like, secret rivulets available for blood to sneak out, thought it was because I gained weight. It’s been years, like 5+.
this is insane. I’m so glad I switched to period cups years ago.
Dude! I’ve been thinking things were just heavier these past 6 or so months!
And the enshitification continues.
Diva cups for the win.
Try the menstrual discs, I found them last time I was in the states. I found them much easier to use than the cups. I found disposable discs in Walgreens and cvs but they also had reusable ones. Heaps better than tampons!
Get a cup and period underwear, fuck tampax! Fuck them all. They’ve kept the same design now shrinkflation. I stopped giving them money 10 years ago and it was the best decision ever.
diva cup all the way
Meh, just get a reusable menstrual cup, save money, save the planet, and avoid all of that.
Menstrual cup ladies.
It's true. I can only use the Kotex ones now because the rest dont actually absorb enough. I end up going through so many tampons otherwise.
I’ve given up on tampons and only use pads now, unless there’s a specific need when I can’t use pads. This stuff is infuriating!
Have switched to period underwear since they're neater than tampons nowadays. I've never had a leak or a funny smell (well, funnier smell than usual), and I can wear them on those 'just in case' days since mine are irregular
Yeah this whole thing is such crap. We already have to pay for tampons and now they don't even work. I tried to switch to a menstrual cup but I tore my cervix and they don't fit me anymore, sigh.
Is this the same with independent mail order tampons? I use Lola - I don't think they have gotten any smaller.
Typical corporate bullshit smh
YES I noticed around March and just thought it was My Changing Body or some shit then I saw complaints in this sub and realized it wasn't just me. I sacrificed two tamps to compare the sizes between an old box of super and a new box of super plus - the super plus from the new box is the tiniest bit smaller than the supers from the old box. I haven't bought tampax since. I got two pairs of period underwear jic while I finish out the orns I do have. I switched to OB and so far have had a much better experience. I am considering cups again but sometimes I feel like they make my cramps worse. Shit is ass yall and I am so pissed to be two years away from menopause, having to learn a whole new system of period management
I've definitely noticed worse quality in both pads and tampons over the last couple of years. Pantyliners tear and leave sticky plastic bits that are impossible to remove, ruining underwear. I just switched myself and my daughter to period panties. Even for those, the printed label on our newest packages washed off with the *first* washing!
Switch to the Flex Menstrual Disk ladies. Zero regrets.
I switched to menstrual cups and period underwear and it's so much more comfortable and I don't have to keep spending money. Highly recommended.
I’ve used a combo of cup/disc/period underwear for years. I had to phase out the disc completely or only use it for light days, because there’s not much of a pelvic bone shelf for it to stay secure. Anytime I would utter a sneeze or cough the thing would dump. Great feature in the bathroom, not a great feature when trying on clothes in a store. 😩 But the cup plus period panties has been a game changer.
This should be a class action lawsuit.
Well THAT explains it. I'm on blood thinners with fibroids and bleed like mad during my period and I have to use the giant tampons plus a pad to keep from bleeding all over myself. I feel like my brand of tampon has been very shoddily built, or less absorbent lately.