Facebook Pixel
EmpowHER Guest
Q: 

Why is my period lasting longer?

By Anonymous July 19, 2009 - 8:43pm
 
Rate This

I got my period on the 13th of July when i was supposed to get it on the 6th. It is now the 19th and i still have on and off light spotting. I usually have a cycle of 29 days and my period lasts 5. I am in a relationship and i always use condoms, although i don't think that has much to do with it. I was hoping someone knew of a reason why this is happening. My period has been coming later the past few months , but has never lasted this long. Any advice would be great.

Add a Comment1 Comments

Hi, Anon, and welcome to EmpowHer! Thanks so much for your question.

Seems like one of the grand truths about our cycles is this: As soon as we think we've got it figured out, it changes! Maybe just for one month, or maybe for several, but one way or the other, it throws us off balance a little.

Has anything else about your cycle changed, like your PMS symptoms or the severity of your cramps?

There are lots of things that affect our hormones, and our hormones affect our cycle. Stress is something we hear so much about, but honestly, when we are stressed, our hormones totally react to it, and that can make a cycle change. Also, a change in your level of activity, big events, a change in diet or medications -- any of that could be an explanation. If you have had a steady increase in pain and cramps, it's possible you need to be checked out for endometriosis.

May I ask how old you are? If you are a teenager, I would guess that it's still your body growing and changing. If you are, say, 35 or older, I might suspect the very beginning of perimenopause, where we can become more irregular. But if you're somewhere in between, what I'd do is just keep track of it and ask the doctor about it at your next annual exam. And I suspect that sometime between now and then you'll get back to your regular self.

July 20, 2009 - 9:32am
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy
Add a Comment

All user-generated information on this site is the opinion of its author only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Members and guests are responsible for their own posts and the potential consequences of those posts detailed in our Terms of Service.

Menstrual Cycle

Get Email Updates

Related Checklists

Menstrual Cycle Guide

Have a question? We're here to help. Ask the Community.

ASK

Health Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER - for free!