Okay this is really frustrating. I have tried multiple brands of tampons and this always happens. I put it in, and a few hours later I go to the bathroom and there is a huge amount of blood on my underwear so I grumble about forgetting to change tampons. I pull out the used tampon and its not even full! Usually its less than half covered with blood! How am I leaking on my underwear and not filling up the tampon? O_O (yes, I even tried tampax pearl because they expand width-wise, and I'm not using anything bigger than "regular" absorbancy because the bigger ones are painful.)

I don't know if it is relevant but I am 22.

This was 1 reason why I stopped using them.

Krs,

If you stopped using them, what else would you do?

I think panti liners were made for tampon users... they leak on me too I just use pads. And think what did they do 200 years ago?

First of all, you should only wear a tampon for a maximum of two hours due to the possibility of toxic shock syndrome.

This is not unusual with tampons because each woman is shaped a little different in the vaginal canal. The tampon manufacturers can only make one shape, and we are not all that shape.

Although slightly uncomfortable, I prefer pads so that I do not run the risk of bleeding through and I also do not run the risk of toxic shock syndrome.

Hehehe :p

I use panti liners only.
I don't feel right using tampons. I don't feel hygenic using them nor safe. So panti liner are my choice.

Thanks for the info, I thought I was the only one with this problem since nobody I asked in real life had agreed with me.

Also I know I'm not supposed to wear them more than 2 hours but I work the Customer Service Desk at a busy grocery store and I'm lucky if I even get 2 breaks in 8.5 hours. =(

Have you had a recent gynecological exam? You might have a uterine tilt or prolapse that prevents the tampon from doing its job correctly. Or, you may simply be inserting it too high so that the lower half is getting saturated while the upper half is isolated up in the recesses between the cervix and vagina. If you haven't already, get a gyne exam and discuss this problem with your gyno.

Thanks for the suggestion. :) I actually have my yearly exam in a few weeks so I will definitely discuss this. ^^

I thought it was safe to use them for up to 6 hours??

NO... also I heard 2 - 3 hours, not more.

You should try the Platex Sport tampons. They have a "unique 360 degree coverage." Which means they don't just unfold width-wise, that could be causing some of the leak prombem.
Check them out: http://www.playtexsport.com

It would be a good idea if you wore a panit liner with your tampon. If this doesn't solve the problem then maybe you could use a pad or try a different kind. I hear that the playtex sport do a good job because they open up like a cup would.