Tampons/allergic Reaction

[GlutenGirl144]

Hey Everyone,

I have had celiac disease for several years but I am new to these boards.

The past few days I have been extremely sick. I recently learned that the tampons I used last weekend, may have had gluten in them since they were scented.

Has anyone else ever gotten sick from this, and if so how long before you started feeling better.

Thanks so much for your help.

[frenchiemama]

Sick how? Be careful of things like TSS, that can be caused by tampons.

[GlutenGirl144]

Havng diarrhea for four days. I do not have a fever or any other symptoms, I feel sick like I used to feel when I ate bread before I knew I had celiacs.

Maybe its not the tampons. Its just the last day of my period I ran out of tampons and used a new kind that was scented, that I received as a sample in the mail. Ever since then I have felt quesy and had diarrhea.

I do not believe it is TSS because I haven't had any symptoms of that, and I am careful to only leave tampons in two or three hours at a time and I switch them off with pads.

[frenchiemama]

I always thought that gluten had to be ingested, but I have no actual information on this so it may not be true (but I do know that you can take BC pills vaginally, so who knows). It could just be a coincidence, or it could have had gluten. It's never happened to me, but I imagine that it would take as long to straighten out as a regular glutening.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Some people have allergic reactions to gluten as well as Celiac ones.

[skbird]

People can have gluten reactions other than just ingesting. Several people on this board have mentioned this happening.

I experienced a time in the past where I would get sick when I used tampons, it wasn't TSS because I didn't get a fever or rash but I would definitely have stomach sensations and a feeling of having the flu. My mom had this happen to her for a while, too. I stopped using generic tampons with cardboard applicators, and used pads only for a year. Now I use OB silk and have no problems with them.

Weirdly, I recently put together another reaction I had with another food problem - citric acid. When I was having this tampon problem my doctor told me to try dipping my tampons in Betadine first before inserting. The second day I got hives on my inner thighs that spread pretty quickly. Didn't know what was causing it - only thing new was the Betadine. The doc said I couldn't be allergic to iodine (though I have read since that yes this is a potential allergy). But I have found I am reactive in an allergic way to citric acid, which is made from the mold aspergillus, and just on a whim I checked recently, citric acid is in Betadine. So I think that's what caused my reaction. I have never had hives before or since - or at least nothing that looked like those hives.

Stephanie

[Sandy R]

Yes, about 5 years ago I had a terrible irritation, rash or what ever in my groin area my doctor told me she did not know what it was; but the only answer she could come up with was a possible reaction to a scented sanitary napkin. It took several months to feel better and for the area to heal.

Zephaniah 3:17

  GlutenGirl144 said:

Hey Everyone,

I have had celiac disease for several years but I am new to these boards. 

The past few days I have been extremely sick.  I recently learned that the tampons I used last weekend, may have had gluten in them since they were scented. 

Has anyone else ever gotten sick from this, and if so how long before you started feeling better. 

Thanks so much for your help.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[jenvan]

it may have been a coincidence--but our bodies can do crazy things! about two years ago i started having issues with tampons and no longer wear them. i get natracare natural type pads, they have tampons too--they aren't bleached out and made with chemicals like others--so they are less inclined to irritate.

[skbird]

I was told recently that my problems are because I'm a red head. Seriously - the gynecologist nurse practitioner told me that when she worked the hospital recovery room, every time a red head was wheeled out, they would draw straws to see who had to clean up the vomit, which they aparantly always did upon waking up. I have had one surgery like that (broken arm) and yes, I threw up in the recovery room.

I have had people tell me for years I'm probably sensitive to everything because I am very fair skinned and red headed. I didn't put much into that because I didn't think I had allergies/sensitivities before. But I aparantly do now, more than anyone I've met in person. Oh well...

Stephanie

[frenchiemama]

  skbird said:

I have had people tell me for years I'm probably sensitive to everything because I am very fair skinned and red headed. I didn't put much into that because I didn't think I had allergies/sensitivities before. But I aparantly do now, more than anyone I've met in person. Oh well...

Stephanie

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I can't even count the number of times I've heard that. From medical professionals even! Oddly enough though, there was recently a study that said that redheaded women are biologically tougher. (Which makes perfect sense to me, several times I've gone to the doctor and they were suprised that I was even up walking around.) I say that we're tough and everyone else is just jealous.

[frenchiemama]

I know this is off the original topic, but here is a link for you Stephanie:

Open Original Shared Link

[skbird]

I knew there was good reason I liked you, Carolyn!

You rock, as do all red heads.

I was sort of laughing when she told me about throwing-up, because that has been me before, too. I don't know if it's true, in fact my psychologist said maybe it's just because red heads stand out or are more memorable than blondes or brunettes - and certainly they are less common, so that's why she associated this with red heads but not the others. That's a good point, too.

Anyway, you go, girl!

Stephanie

[heatherh]

Just an odd little thing, my daughter has a sensitivity to citric acid and my husband is allergic to iodine.

Heather H

[specialdiets]

I have read in several articles that tampons and even pads made by mainstream brands often treat the items with chemicals as well as formaldehyde. These chemicals can definitely cause allergic reactions and skin sensitivity. So, it might not even be a gluten issue, but some other chemical or ingredient.

Perhaps you should look for natural women's care products at the local health food store. They often have a selection of items that are natural and chemical free.

Sunni