Would this alarm you?...

[mama to 2 girls]

We went on vacation last week and it ended up being really stressful and on Friday night in the middle of the night I had what I am pretty sure was a panic attack, we left to come home the next morning and then I ended up starting my period... a week early. 

I just figured it was the panic attack that made me start early but if it was a regular period I should have been done by now but I am still bleeding. Like I said I wasn't even due to start until this Friday 2 days from now. 

I was going to call the dr. for an appt. but don't have insurance so I just wanted some opinions on whether or not I am over reacting. 

Thanks!

[vivica2]

hmm....are you sure you werent pregnant before that? like 5-6 weeks  so maby your having a miscarriage? not sure....sorry i cant be of more help. 

[dejagerw]

Anxiety is more likely to delay ovulation, not speed it up. I'm thinking, unrelated to your panic attack, your cycle may have just been shorter this time. A week early is not unheard of to get a period. How long have you been bleeding? Is it very heavy or tapering off?

[mama to 2 girls]

Thanks, yeah I know it's not unheard of but I have never been early, I've been late bu never early. After kiddo #3 dh had a vasectomy so I don't think pregnancy is a possibilitly. :-) 

It's been a little heavier than usual but not alarmingly so... I thought it was tapering off yesterday and then last night I had a gush of blood and a little bit of tissue and then agian today I thought it was tapering off and then tonight in the shower another gush. (sorry to be so graphic). 

So it just has me nervous because while I have had weird cycles they have always been long cycles and it's never lasted longer than 4-5 days.

[littlest birds]

The older you get, the more likely you are to get irregular.  Even if you have been like clockwork for years, at some time something will be different.  I have long had and still have very regular cycles, but in just this past year my CM pattern has become less predictable and I have had two very short AF and one extremely long one.  And after having 29-31 day cycles for a long time, I suddenly had a few 25 and 26 day cycles.  When each of these happened I was pretty impressed.  Now I am back to what I was before.

My short answer is no, it would not alarm me. 

[ISISandOSIRIS]

Periods in and of themselves do not come early or late as our luteal phase is fairly consistent (only fluctuates by a day or two).  Stress and anxiety can affect ovulation, which in turn affects the timing of the period... but does not directly affect the timing of the period.  It'll arrive like clockwork after ovulation.  As mentioned above, it may have been an early m/c (which you say is not possible, so rule-out) or you ovulated a week earlier than you thought.