tampons?

so i’ve never been able to use tampons, which i just assumed i did it wrong, it hurt. but more recently i did something more spicy (didn’t have sex but was touched down there~~) and at first it was fine but the lower he went it hurt BAD. and then this made me think back to the pain i always had with tampons. i also have pretty painful periods that are heavy? i didn’t know where else to put this ask? first time doing things like that for the record as well, but i’ve been trying tampons for years and i can BARELY get it in.