When I wear a tampon, it gets saturated with urine -- not just a little bit, but a substantial amount. I notice it when I remove it, and urine also leaks onto my underwear. This happens with all brands and sizes. I do not leak urine when not wearing a tampon. I have asked two gynecologists about this, and both looked at me like I was weird. The second doctor recommended me to an urologist, who performed a cystoscopy. Nothing abnormal was found. I have grown quite frustrated that no one has even heard of my problem. I have thought about going on Depo-Provera because I was told that you do not get periods at all, but I really don't want to go that route yet. I am 29 and not sexually active at this time.

Pamela

If you have a prolapsed bladder (called a cystocele), that may be an explanation for why you leak only when wearing a tampon. In this condition, the bladder protrudes through the wall of the vagina. If the bladder is severely prolapsed, the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body) can be kinked off, preventing you from leaking all the time. If the bladder and urethra are pushed up, however, the kink may be straightened out, and leakage may occur. A tampon can push the urethra and bladder up.

Prolapse of the bladder and urethra would be most likely to occur in a woman who has had children. A cystocele can easily be identified by your gynecologist. The best way to do so is to place the lower blade of a speculum into your vagina (this allows the doctor to see the upper wall of the vagina, which is also the back wall of the bladder) and ask you to strain down -- if the bladder bulges significantly with this, you have a cystocele.

There are several treatment options for a prolapsed bladder and urethra. Kegel exercises (exercises for the muscles around the vagina) can help. A device called a pessary, roughly similar in shape to a diaphragm, can elevate the bladder and place enough pressure on the urethra to help prevent leakage. Surgery is another option, but one that is usually reserved until after childbearing is complete.