You’re on day 10, or day 14, and it hasn’t stopped. A period usually lasts 2 to 7 days, so anything past a week counts as long. One long period is common and often has a simple cause. Two weeks of bleeding, or long periods month after month, is the point to see a doctor. The table below says how soon.
How long is too long for a period?
More than 7 days. The NHS says a period lasts between 2 and 7 days and usually about 5. Its page on heavy periods lists periods lasting more than 7 days as one of the signs. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists draws the same line in its heavy menstrual bleeding FAQ, next to soaking a pad or tampon every hour for several hours and passing clots the size of a quarter.
So a long period isn’t only about the count. Ten light days is a different thing from ten heavy ones, and the guide to how long a period lasts covers what’s normal at the short end too.
My period has lasted 10 days. What should I do?
Find how long you’ve been bleeding and read across. Count from the first day of real flow, not the spotting before it.
| Bleeding for | What to do |
|---|---|
| 8 or 9 days | Just past the 7-day line. Once, after a late period, is common. Note it, and see a GP if the next one runs long too. |
| 10 days | A heavy-period sign by the NHS and ACOG definition. Book a GP appointment if it’s happened before or the flow is heavy. |
| 11 to 13 days | Book an appointment now rather than waiting for the next cycle. |
| 2 weeks | See a GP or nurse this week. Ask about a blood test for iron. |
| 3 weeks to a month | See a doctor in the next day or two. Bleeding this long needs a cause found. |
If the bleeding is very heavy or you feel faint, skip the table and read the section on getting help today, further down.
Period lasting 10 days but light
This is the most common version, and it’s often two things stuck together. There’s a period of normal length, then a few days of light spotting at the end that feel like part of it. Write the days of real flow down separately from the spotting days. If the flow itself was 7 days or fewer, the period wasn’t long. The tail was.
Light bleeding that goes on and on is still worth a doctor’s look, especially past two weeks or if it happens every cycle. ACOG lists bleeding that lasts for more days than usual as one of the changes to mention. Spotting that comes back mid-cycle is a separate question, and the guide to bleeding between periods covers it.
Period for 2 weeks straight
Two weeks is twice the usual upper limit, so don’t wait for it to sort itself out. Book a GP or nurse appointment. Most causes are treatable. A cycle where you didn’t ovulate can leave the lining to shed unevenly for days. Fibroids and polyps make periods heavier and longer. A new contraceptive is another common cause. The full list of causes is in why a period runs longer than usual.
Two weeks of bleeding can also run your iron down. The NHS lists feeling tired or short of breath a lot as a sign your periods are heavy, and a GP can check with a blood test.
If you bled for two weeks and then got another period soon after, you might be looking at two periods in one month. That has its own causes, covered in the guide to two periods in a month.
Long periods on birth control
Most methods can make bleeding longer at the start. The NHS gives a time frame for each one.
- The implant, such as Nexplanon. The NHS says periods often change after it’s fitted, and they can last longer or become heavier. That isn’t usually anything to worry about. If it becomes a problem, a GP or sexual health clinic can help.
- The hormonal coil, such as Mirena or Kyleena. For 3 to 6 months after fitting, periods can be longer, irregular or more frequent, the NHS says. If irregular or heavy bleeding goes on past 6 months, see a doctor or nurse.
- The copper coil. Periods can get heavier, longer or more painful and may improve after a few months. The NHS says very heavy bleeding with a coil needs an urgent GP appointment or a call to 111.
- The pill. Breakthrough bleeding and period changes are common in the first few months, according to the NHS. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor if they’re still a problem after 3 months.
- The morning-after pill. Planned Parenthood says spotting before your next period is common, and the period can be lighter, heavier or different from usual. Take a pregnancy test if it hasn’t come within 3 weeks. More in our guide to your period after Plan B.
If you’ve just stopped a method instead, the guide to periods after stopping birth control covers what the first few cycles are like.
Long periods in perimenopause
In your 40s, periods can get longer or shorter, and heavier or lighter, ACOG says in its FAQ on perimenopausal bleeding. It still lists bleeding that lasts more days than usual as abnormal and says to talk to a doctor about it. Perimenopause explains a lot of long periods, but ACOG also names polyps and a thickened lining among the causes, and only a doctor can tell them apart. The guide to tracking periods in perimenopause lists what to log before that appointment.
When a long period needs help today
Mayo Clinic says to get medical help before your next planned check-up if you soak at least one pad or tampon an hour for more than two hours in a row. Don’t wait for an appointment in these cases either.
- You feel faint, dizzy or your heart is racing.
- You could be pregnant and have bleeding with pain, especially on one side.
- You have a coil and very heavy bleeding, pain or a fever.
In the UK, call NHS 111. In the US, call your doctor’s office, or go to urgent care if it’s closed.
What to write down before you see a doctor
A doctor will ask when it started, how heavy each day was and what changed recently. Write down three things.
- The first and last day of flow, with spotting days marked as spotting.
- How heavy each day was. Light, medium or heavy is enough. The number of pads or tampons on the worst day is better.
- Anything new. A contraceptive, a medicine such as a blood thinner, a pregnancy or a stressful month.
Your last few cycles help too. A long period after a long gap points to a skipped ovulation. Long periods every month point somewhere else. The irregular period calculator turns past start dates into cycle lengths you can show the doctor.
How Plum tracks a long period
We make Plum, a period tracker app for iPhone, so this part is about our own app. You tap each day you bleed and can mark it light, medium or heavy. Spotting is its own entry, red or brown, so the light days at the end of a period stay apart from the flow. When you open Plum at the doctor’s, you can show how many days were real flow and how many were spotting.
Plum learns how long your periods usually last from what you log and uses that when it predicts the next one. It shows no ads and never sells personal data. It isn’t a diagnosis, so if this period worries you, see a doctor.
