crocheted tampons for when SHTF

Sorry I think that's gross
And crocheted, wouldn't that leak? Pads may be better, washable and not subject to toxic shock.
I've been crocheting wash cloths, hats and scarves just to give AwAy to those in need.
When SHIF afghans will be considered a luxury.

What do you think they used before tampons?

i have been doing research on the tampons as well. actually much cleaner than the toxic stuff you put inside you now, and why would you think that handeling your own blood would be gross. it is actuall without bacteria, unlike the ones that are manufactured out of god knows what? I have two children and believe me changing a dirty diaper may be stomach turning to some, but if you do it enough times, the gross factor kind of goes away. I don't have a stake in this since i have gone through menopose. just kind of wanted to see about a SHTF senario where you won,t be able to buy pads or tampons

Something about yarn in my coo-coo doesn't sound right. I give this an EW.

Why tampons are probably a bad idea (generally) post-collapse

In another thread, someone is discussing crocheting tampons post-collapse. While I applaud their creativity, I don't think it's a good idea.

Today we have a very high potential for cleanliness. We have a high availability of soap, hot water, clean water in general that one can pull from almost anywhere, and the time and security of acquiring them. This will NOT be the case post-collapse.

Antibacterial soap
In some cases we have antibacterial soap that usually operate in two ones. One way is it contains either Triclosin which perhaps is a bactericide for dealing with MRSA (the evidence is still out) because it interferes with fatty acid synthesis. The other methodology is using tetrasodium EDTA which disrubts metals needed for bacteria, and so they die. Both kinds of soap and their reputed mechanism of action are under review.

Even if they work, the way that bacteria operate is powerful. Some bacteria are not killed by these agents. Because bacteria counts are enormously high over an area (think millions of them or more) then some survive and multiple. Then bacteria can also pass on genes to other strains as well. In time, strong and strong bacteria is being generated.

Antibiotics
If you've noticed, there's major concern among medical professionals about antibiotic resistance. These tools are utilized to deal with bacteria. They work by many different mechanism of action, however again some bacteria survive. Often they're blended with other antibiotics, and so then the bacteria must deal with that too.

People take antibiotics too often. Because it takes time to culture a bacteria, a physician will prescribe an antibiotic and guess the strain that might be causing the illness. Since many different kinds of bacteria could result in similar symptoms, they often use broad spectrum antibiotics that deal with different kinds. However this creates superstrains of resistant bacteria.

In addition, if the antibiotic doesn't treat the correct bacteria, the patient gets sicker and may shed the bacteria in the general population. People think a magic pill fixes them. No it doesn't. They often are still infectious.

Still other times a person has a virus. We have very few medicines which can disrupt viral infections and antibiotics don't do anything to kill them. Still people demand a pill, so some weak or kind physicians prescribe them to cover their ass (we are a litigious society). These end up creating stronger and stronger bacteria that naturally occur in our bodies. It's a very bad plan for dealing with a threat that isn't affected by the treatment and imparts strength to what may be benign or low count concurrent bacteria within our bodies.

Routine bacteria
Because we're relatively healthy, at any one time our bodies have surface and interior bacteria. If we get weaker due to malnutrition, sleep deprivation, injury, or stress, then our immune system can't cope as well, and these “passengers” then end up making us sick.

Our skin has many kinds of bacteria that live on it, but the skin is not broken save for tiny microabrasions, and these heal. Whenever you shave, have you noticed a pimple forming somewhere in that area? I'll bet a lot of women (and some men) have especially noticed this under the arms, on the legs, and often in the vaginal area. This is chiefly Staph aureus.

The bacteria is around the surface of the skin because it likes to hide in the nose, under the arms, in the vagina, in the naval, etc. On overweight folks, it may hide in folds of the skin.

Tampons

Tampons are fine to use under pristine conditions. They're ideal sometimes since you can place one, and like stoppering a cork, they stop the flow of menstruation.

After a collapse, a tampon might be a very good way to temporarily stop bleeding of other kinds of wounds too. Consider that, and think, “Do I really want to use them up for monthly use?” Sterile dressings will be few and far between, but many people have tampons in their homes.

Under collapse conditions, you might be able to daily clean hands and face, but you might not. It all depends upon your level of preparedness and supplies. Even if well supplied, there will be areas without water or “iffy” water. You might only be able to do an all-over wash once a week, and even then it will be abbreviated. Using a tampon under those conditions is a very very bad idea.

Tampons are made under sterile conditions. They're made of specially treated fibers that are probably autoclaved (heated at very high temperatures with high pressure), then packaged under sterile conditions. This is done to produce a high quality product for internal use.

What about your crocheting yarn? It wasn't made for this use. It initially was created somewhere for exterior use as clothing. Post-collapse, it may be created by sheering wool from sheep under routine conditions in pens or outside under unknown conditions. It is created by hand use under far less hygienic conditions. It will certainly contain high levels of bacteria just from being handled even if you wash your hands frequently.

Even if you soaked the material in a chemical agent, then unless you could pack it under pristine conditions, then it wouldn't remain sterile. Bacteria will always be found in the air carried by dusts.

It's a very bad idea, but I encourage people to think about clever ways to create things post-collapse.

If you like reading in-depth answers to these kinds of questions that deal with coping to disaster and collapse scenarios, then please check out this topic:
Thread: Last minute tips for parents when the SHTF

There are many hundreds of similar postings on an arrary of diverse subjects:gardening, herbalism, woodworking, tools, cooking, preserving, trapping, hiking, etc.

Most are on dealing with collapse by reestablishing community by working together and sharing resources, not the normal very light bugging out topics that deal with minor preparedness. It's a skills topic on ways to cope.

Toxic Shock Syndrome/ Toxic Shock-like Syndrome

Toxic shock syndrome is a condition that is caused by some strains of Staph bacteria, but multiple subsets of it can cause it, not just Staph aureaus but chiefly Staph pyogenes. Toxic shock-like syndrome is caused by some strains of Step bacteria.

It can be caused by tampon use; that's what people have heard about, however it can be caused by someone who's been pregnant and attempting to deal with it. Someone might have treated a wound, and left the packing material inside, and the dressing wasn't changed. It can happen after a burn and dealing with dressings. It can happen post-surgery. It can happen on the skin. Don't think just tampon use.

Symptoms:
Fever eventually leading to chills. Confusion leading to delirium. Redness in mucosa areas. Nausea that leads to vomiting. Headaches. Diarrhea. (Staph aureas and Step can become become internalized and cause stomach flu symptoms). A tell-tale sign of it is it breaks the desmisomes that attach the skin in layers and the skin peels off. It can cause severe skin loss, and then the patient can't control body temperature and they die from severe infections from many bacteria (analogous to a very deadly burn).

This will progress and lead to organ failure of the liver and kidneys. Why? The kidneys are under high pressure from blood flow filtration. The liver is also a filter for the blood too.

50% will die if they have extraordinary medical procedures done under sterile conditions with lots of personnel and medications. In a collapse, expect most to die.

This means wound dressings must be created as sterile as possible using iodine scrubs of the area and as best sanitation and hygiene as possible. Then the dressings must be changed as often as reasonably possible too.

Many wounds introduce dirt, dust, foreign objects, and naturally bacteria into the wound. Packing material for wound treatment may seal in these substances and cause infections.

Prevention is your main tool. Usually intravenous penicillin and other beta-lactams are used as well as clindamycin. “The usually prescribed antibiotics are nafcillin, oxacillin, and first generation cephalosporin. Nafcillin or oxacillin (2 g q4h) is generally recommended. Vancomycin can be used in penicillin-allergic patients.”
[link to emedicine.medscape.com]

You almost certainly won't have IV antibiotics, but you might have oral antibiotics, however time is of the essence to get in into their system as their blood supply has become septic (inundated with bacteria).

Cherokee Tampons, FTW!

my grandmother was one of many girls and in their family
they cut long strips of muslin (cotton) and it was then
tightly rolled up into tampons. laundry day, they were
washed in the old black kettle, outside, boiled, in
fact. then she describes how they were hung to dry
on the line, many long strips of cloth, because of all
of the girls.

me, I have diva cups, which are easy to use and can
be sterilized easily too.

[link to www.iherb.com]