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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
A model has issued an urgent warning to people who use tampons after she almost died and lost both of her legs to Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) at 24.
Lauren Wasser, from LA, was changing her tampons regularly but still contracted the syndrome that caused her body to start shutting down in a matter of hours.
The now 36-year-old dispelled the myth that TSS is caused by leaving tampons in for more than eight hours and said the illness can happen even to those who use them correctly.
'People think they're invincible, no one is off-limits, TSS can happen to anyone at any time,' she said speaking with Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne on their podcast Life Uncut.
Lauren claimed many tampons on the market are 'full of bleach dioxin, chlorine' and the products marked as 100 per cent cotton are 'still sprayed with pesticides'.
Lauren Wasser developed Toxic Shock Syndrome despite changing her tampons regularly. She lost both of her legs as a result of the life-threatening infection
'We're putting that inside of us at such a delicate time and it creates a perfect storm. It takes one of those toxins to get inside your body and start acting like the flu and shutting down your organs, it's lethal, it's dangerous,' she said.
'It's my goal and life mission to make sure that not only is this information out there but women have these conversations amongst each other, create the dialogue and check in with each other because knowledge is key.'
After being found passed out in her apartment, Lauren was rushed to hospital where she suffered two heart attacks and was put into an induced coma as her organs were failing
Lauren claims she was changing her tampon regularly, every four hours, during one cycle in 2012 when she started to experience flu-like symptoms and a high fever.
Her mother called in a welfare check after not hearing from her for a few hours.
The policeman who checked on her saw she was sick right away but didn't think she needed to go to hospital.
Lauren was found face down in her apartment hours later only 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 were failing.
Hospital staff told Lauren's parents to prepare for the worst as they thought she only had a one per cent chance of living.
'They couldn't figure out why this young, healthy 24-year-old girl was dying before them,' she said.
An infectious disease doctor ordered 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 commonly misdiagnosed because the symptoms resemble other more common illnesses.
While her life was saved, the damage to Lauren's limbs from gangrene was irreparable, and doctors needed to amputate her right leg below the knee as well as some toes and a portion of her heel on her left foot.
While her life was saved, the damage to Lauren's limbs from gangrene was irreparable, and doctors needed to amputate her right leg as well as toes and portion of her heel on her left foot
Doctors had 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 too, just before she turned 30.
Lauren wants women and people who menstruate to have the right to choose and be fully informed about whatever period products they want to use.
'I'm not here to say what anyone should do but I will say I've heard of women getting TSS from (menstrual cups) and everything,' she said.
'There's nothing on the market that's safe 100 per cent and that's what I fight for.'
She said it's a 'misconception' that TSS only occurs when someone has had a tampon in for more than eight hours which she said brands disclose on the packet to safeguard users from sleeping with one in.
'They're vague on the label. Thousands of women have died from using tampons correctly,' she said.
While doctors had 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 too, just before she turned 30
Lauren is calling all women as well as men and first responders like police and paramedics to educate themselves on TSS and its symptoms
'Tampon companies have done a really good job of using that misinformation as kind of a scapegoat to then put the blame on women saying 'oh well that's your fault' when in actuality it's not your fault.'
Since her terrifying ordeal, Lauren only ever uses pads during her cycle and warned people against using tampons if they're already feeling unwell.
'Obviously, it's still surrounding the area and I'm not saying that it couldn't happen but it's not going inside you, sitting there and creating the perfect storm,' she said.
'If you're sick don't ever use tampons. Your body can't fight two things at the same time because your body's already fighting whatever sickness, be it a flu or whatever, then you're putting something in your body that's extremely toxic.'
Lauren is calling all women as well as men and first responders like police and paramedics to educate themselves on TSS and its symptoms as it presents like many other illnesses in the early stages.
TSS occurs when usually harmless Staphylococcus aureus or Streptococcus bacteria, which live on the skin, invade the bloodstream and produce dangerous toxins.
Symptoms include a high fever, low blood pressure, vomiting, confusion and seizures.
It most commonly occurs in women using tampons. Each year toxic shock syndrome affects about one in 100,000 women.
Tampon boxes come with a warning of the deadly infection after leaving it in for more than eight hours, although Lauren said she changed hers regularly.