Reality star Savannah Miller revealed that she narrowly avoided a life-threatening infection after accidentally leaving a tampon inside her body for an entire month.
The 24-year-old, who appeared on Netflix's The Circle, described the experience as "actually traumatizing" and said it could have ended in something far more serious than a health scare.
Two years ago, when she was in college, Savannah inserted a tampon to prevent any "spillage" from her period before heading to a bar with friends.
Reality star Savannah Miller revealed she left a tampon inside her body for an entire month
Image credits: Instagram / savannahcmiller
However, the following day, she completely forgot she had used the menstrual product. "I forgot I put it in, and because there was no blood and the string had disappeared, I didn't see it," she told the New York Post.
A few days later, Savannah began experiencing symptoms, including a general sick feeling, itchiness, and a bad odor.
"It smelled like a rat crawled inside of me while I was sleeping and d*ed," she recalled.
The 24-year-old, known for Netflix’s The Circle, said the experience was “actually traumatizing”
Image credits: TikTok / savannahcmiller
Still, she assumed the odor was just an "old period" smell and kept inserting more tampons, likely pushing the first one farther up.
The reality star was examined and tested for STDs at her campus clinic, but the results came back normal.
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Her doctors initially linked the smell to BV (bacterial vaginosis), a common infection caused by an imbalance of the naturally occurring bacteria in the vag*na.
"They thought it was just BV, but I knew there was no way people walked around with BV smelling like this," Savannah said.
While in college, Savannah used a tampon before going to a bar with friends, but forgot about it the next day
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At her third appointment, doctors found cotton particles in her urine sample and asked if she might have a tampon inside her.
"I didn't think so, but I was like, 'Possibly?!" she said. "But I was desperate to make the smell go away."
Image credits: TikTok / savannahcmiller
Ultimately, they managed to retrieve the tampon; Savannah said the doctor "had to fish it out of my ovaries," and that it was "so far up in my cervix there was no shot I was gonna see it."
A few days later, she began experiencing discomfort, itchiness, and a strong odor
She showed no symptoms of toxic shock syndrome (TSS) but was put on antibiotics as a precaution.
TSS is a rare but serious condition linked to tampon use, caused by certain strains of bacteria.
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It occurs when toxins enter the bloodstream, potentially leading to severe organ damage or fatalities, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
When a tampon is used, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria may become trapped in the vag*na and enter the uterus via the cervix. Bacteria may grow on tampons, especially if they aren't changed regularly or if a super-absorbent tampon is used during light menstrual flow.
On her third appointment, doctors discovered cotton fragments in her urine
Image credits: The Circle Netflix
Symptoms of TSS can include a sudden high fever, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, a rash resembling a bad sunburn, dizziness, low blood pressure, conjunctivitis, and peeling of the skin on the soles of your feet or palms.
Image credits: Cleveland Clinic
Savannah shared her experience on TikTok, jokingly captioning the clip "Too toxic for toxic shock syndrome I guess."
Fortunately, she showed no signs of toxic shock syndrome (TSS), a life-threaning condition linked to tampons
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The reality star admitted her story may be "embarrassing," but she hopes it serves as a reminder to practice proper hygiene during the menstrual cycle.
In 2012, model Lauren Wasser lost both of her legs to tampon-related TSS.
Image credits: Instagram / savannahcmiller
In 2023, Javon Johnson, a mother from Indiana, issued a warning after two of her daughters were hospitalized with sepsis caused by TSS infections.
Her 21-year-old daughter, Devine, fell ill after using a "super-plus absorbency" tampon, as per The Post. Shortly after finishing her period, she developed flu-like symptoms and became unable to walk without assistance. A month later, her 17-year-old daughter, Jaya, received the same diagnosis.
Experts recommend changing tampons every 4-6 hours and using the lowest absorbency necessary
Image credits: The Circle Netflix
Image credits: Instagram / savannahcmiller
A doctor told Javon that her daughters' infections were caused by the "higher potency chemicals" in super-plus absorbency tampons.
In addition to changing tampons regularly, the Cleveland Clinic recommends using a tampon with the lowest absorbency required for your flow and using sanitary pads at night.
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