How to make your period end faster

There are several reasons someone might want to shorten the number of days their period lasts or even skip it altogether. For example, women may want to go on vacation or attend an important event without needing to manage their periods around that time. Or, they may have a health condition, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), that causes heavy, uncomfortable periods that they may want to shorten or eliminate to benefit their overall health. The most common way to make your period end faster is to use birth control, but there are other methods as well. These methods of delaying, stopping, or preventing periods come with risks, however, and may not be right for everyone. Always talk to your healthcare provider before starting a new medication, changing your medication, or attempting a home remedy. 

How to make your period end faster with birth control pills

If you’re wondering how to make your period end faster overnight, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is that it takes a bit of planning, so if you’ve already started your period, there’s no guarantee that taking a hormonal birth control pill will stop menstrual bleeding immediately. This is because once an egg is released from the ovary, the bleeding will continue to occur for the remainder of the period. The good news is that, with a little bit of planning and your healthcare provider’s guidance, you can prevent your period from occurring. 

In a regular menstrual cycle without the use of intervention, menstrual bleeding happens as a result of the fluctuation of hormones. Hormone levels increase during ovulation. “When the cycle is completed, the hormone levels decrease, and then you have a withdrawal bleed,” says Gloria  Bachmann, MD, an OB-GYN at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. For most people, this cycle lasts about 28 days, with the period lasting five or six days. There are usually lighter days at the beginning and end of the period and heavier days during days two through four. 

Hormonal birth control in the form of a pill, patch, injection, implant, ring, or intrauterine device (IUD) affects periods and can be used to end a menstrual period early—whether it be just one time or regularly in order to control heavy bleeding. “The birth control is taking over driving the cycle rather than the ovaries,” Bachmann says. Various forms of hormonal birth control can prevent ovulation through the use of the hormones progesterone and estrogen. The bleeding starts when you stop using the hormone, so if you keep taking the weeks of active hormone pills, you’ll skip the hormone withdrawal that prompts the bleeding. Most of the time, this way of making your period end faster is very effective, according to Dr. Bachmann.

In some cases, healthcare providers may recommend skipping the fourth week of pills, which is a week of placebo pills, and going straight to the next pack,” says Monte Swarup, MD, an OB-GYN in Chandler, Arizona, and founder of HPV HUB. Most often, for people who do not require more serious intervention and for those who want to remain fertile, hormonal birth control is the most recommended way to control menstrual periods because of its safety and the ability to stop taking it if there is a desire to become pregnant. 

Although some IUDs can reduce the frequency of menstruation over time, they won’t end your period faster on demand. With an intrauterine device, “you’re still ovulating, but you’re not getting the same buildup in the uterine cavity,” Dr. Bachmann says, adding that IUDs are good for women who have very heavy periods that cause anemia since many people report light periods or no period at all after the body acclimates to the IUD. Note that the copper, nonhormonal IUD, Paragard, does not contain hormones, so it does not affect your menstrual cycle. 

How to make your period end faster without birth control pills

There aren’t many science-backed things you can do to make your period end faster that are as reliable as birth control. Although it may be tempting to try a purported “home remedy” to shorten your period, always consult your healthcare provider first.

Ginger’s effect on the menstrual cycle

According to a clinical trial, ginger may help reduce heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle, possibly making it end more quickly altogether. Researchers divided participating females with heavy menstrual bleeding into two groups. One group took one-eighth of a teaspoon of powdered ginger three times a day from the day before their period to the day it ended for six months. The other group took a placebo. The group who took the ginger reduced their menstrual flow by half, while the placebo group reported no changes in flow.

Consult your healthcare provider before taking a dietary supplement or using herbs to shorten the length of your period.

Is it safe to make your period end faster?

Overall, it’s safe to make your period end faster. “In most healthy people, it is safe to use birth control to end your period faster,” Dr. Swarup says. Still, it’s important to speak with your primary care doctor or gynecologist before using forms of birth control to control your period. 

Dr. Bachmann emphasizes the importance of an annual exam, which is when your healthcare provider will check for diabetes and a heart murmur, take your blood pressure, ask about your family medical history, and ask whether you get migraine with aura—all of which might influence whether or not birth control is right for you. 

Birth control itself has various side effects. Although it depends on the type of birth control, common side effects include:

• Spotting
• Bleeding between periods
• Mood changes
• Nausea 
• Headache

Using birth control to shorten or eliminate a period has a few side effects as well. “A side effect that might occur is breakthrough bleeding. It may also be difficult to know if you are pregnant,” Dr. Swarup says. Talk to your healthcare provider about whether or not you should take a pregnancy test while skipping your period and how often you should skip your period. 

When to see a doctor

Some people have health conditions that lead to irregular or very heavy periods. These conditions include:

• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
• Uterine fibroids
• Uterine polyps 
• Uterine or cervical cancer
• Bleeding disorders
• Miscarriage
• Ectopic pregnancy 
• Liver, kidney, or thyroid disease
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

The use of some medications, such as aspirin, can also cause increased bleeding. Any questions about bleeding should be addressed before trying to stop or control it. “Even if they’re regular, but they’re very heavy or prolonged, that’s a red flag,” Dr. Bachmann says.

After an assessment from your healthcare provider regarding your overall health and any medical conditions that may affect your period, you and your healthcare provider can figure out the best treatment plan. “There’s a risk versus benefit in everything,” Dr. Bachmann says, adding that it may be advisable to end your period faster if bleeding is so heavy it’s causing health issues.