# When to be concerned about a long period? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 18, 2013, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-be-concerned-about-a-long-period/647602 "2013-01-18T09:28:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panaccione](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@panaccione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panaccione)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-be-concerned-about-a-long-period/647602/22 "2013-01-22T03:41:03Z")
Nursing student checking in here. And it just so happens I’m currently studying gynecology. One thing I’d like to point out. “Pain” is often one of the last symptoms to be exhibited in a variety of different illnesses. Lack of it is not a good indication to go by. Please, go to a doctor soon. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-be-concerned-about-a-long-period/647602/23 "2013-01-22T09:57:05Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > It’s not. It’s not normal to have amenorrhea for years after stopping birth control, and it’s not normal to “make up for it” by bleeding this long now. Somethin’s up, m’dear. > > The reason one’s periods are often light while on hormonal birth control is that the lining never builds up much, so there’s not much to shed. Once you stop the birth control and those hormones work their way out of your system - which for most of us is a month or two, but a year at the very outside - your periods should be “normal” - about an ounce or two of fluid that takes about a week to come out. If “normal” is an ounce or so over an entire period, then maybe I have problems. I can do that much in a day or less (my period usually goes about five), and frequently do on the heavier days. I’m pretty sure I’ve managed to expel an ounce at a time in one gush when making the mistake of changing positions in a way that makes me tense my abdomen, when laughing, etc. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-be-concerned-about-a-long-period/647602/24 "2013-01-22T13:56:14Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > If “normal” is an ounce or so over an entire period, then maybe I have problems. I can do that much in a day or less (my period usually goes about five), and frequently do on the heavier days. I’m pretty sure I’ve managed to expel an ounce at a time in one gush when making the mistake of changing positions in a way that makes me tense my abdomen, when laughing, etc. You may. Or you may be overestimating how much you are passing. Take a tablespoon of water and pour it on your counter - liquids can spread pretty far. > [@](#): > > The average volume of menstrual fluid during a monthly menstrual period is 35 milliliters (2.4 tablespoons of menstrual fluid) with 10–80 milliliters (1–6 tablespoons of menstrual fluid) considered typical. [Menstruation - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menstruation) 2 tablespoons is an ounce. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_I\_Am](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sam\_I\_Am](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_I_Am)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2013, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-be-concerned-about-a-long-period/647602/25 "2013-01-22T18:59:14Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > If “normal” is an ounce or so over an entire period, then maybe I have problems. I can do that much in a day or less (my period usually goes about five), and frequently do on the heavier days. I’m pretty sure I’ve managed to expel an ounce at a time in one gush when making the mistake of changing positions in a way that makes me tense my abdomen, when laughing, etc. If it makes you feel better, I am not “normal” either. I use a diva cup that holds 1 oz, and I fill it every 2 hours for the first day or so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-be-concerned-about-a-long-period/647602.md?page=1)