Is a 3-day period normal. What causes short menstrual cycles. How does pregnancy affect period length. Can lifestyle factors influence menstruation duration. When should you consult a doctor about brief periods.

Understanding the Normal Menstrual Cycle Duration

Menstrual cycles can vary significantly from person to person, with the average cycle lasting about 28 days. However, cycles ranging from 21 to 35 days are considered normal. The duration of menstrual bleeding itself typically spans 3 to 5 days, though periods lasting anywhere from 2 to 7 days fall within the normal range.

Are shorter periods a cause for concern? While a sudden change in menstrual duration may raise questions, it’s essential to understand that various factors can influence the length of your period.

Potential Causes of a 3-Day Period

Pregnancy-Related Factors

Could a short period indicate pregnancy? In some cases, yes. Early pregnancy can cause light bleeding that may be mistaken for a brief period. This phenomenon, known as implantation bleeding, occurs in 15-25% of pregnancies when a fertilized egg attaches to the uterine lining. Implantation bleeding typically lasts 24-48 hours and is lighter than a regular period, often appearing as light pink to dark brown spotting.

An ectopic pregnancy, where a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, can also cause brief vaginal bleeding. This condition requires immediate medical attention due to its potentially life-threatening nature.

Hormonal Influences

How do hormones affect menstrual duration? Hormonal fluctuations play a crucial role in determining the length of your period. Birth control methods, such as hormonal contraceptives and intrauterine devices (IUDs), can lead to shorter, lighter periods by thinning the uterine lining.

• Birth control pills
• Hormonal injections
• Intrauterine devices (IUDs)

These contraceptive methods can significantly alter your menstrual cycle, often resulting in lighter, shorter periods or even the absence of periods in some cases.

Lifestyle Factors Affecting Menstrual Duration

Can your daily habits impact your period length? Absolutely. Several lifestyle factors can influence the duration and flow of your menstrual cycle:

Stress and Its Impact

High stress levels can disrupt hormonal balance, potentially leading to shorter or irregular periods. Chronic stress may even cause your periods to stop temporarily. Managing stress through relaxation techniques, exercise, and adequate sleep can help regulate your menstrual cycle.

Weight Changes and Menstruation

Significant weight loss or gain can affect your menstrual cycle. Rapid weight loss or being underweight may lead to shorter periods or even cause them to stop altogether. This is often seen in individuals with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

Exercise and Physical Activity

While regular exercise is beneficial for overall health, excessive physical activity can disrupt your menstrual cycle. Intense training regimens, especially those associated with certain sports or long-distance running, may lead to shorter periods or amenorrhea (absence of periods).

Medical Conditions Associated with Short Periods

Are there underlying health issues that can cause brief menstrual cycles? Several medical conditions can affect the duration of your period:

Thyroid Disorders

Both hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) can impact menstrual cycles. These conditions affect the production of thyroid hormones, which play a crucial role in regulating menstruation. Thyroid imbalances may lead to shorter, lighter periods or irregular cycles.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a hormonal disorder that can cause irregular or infrequent menstrual cycles. While it’s more commonly associated with longer cycles, some individuals with PCOS may experience shorter periods.

Uterine Fibroids or Polyps

These noncancerous growths in the uterus can affect menstrual flow and duration. While they often cause heavier, longer periods, in some cases, they may lead to shorter, lighter periods.

When to Consult a Healthcare Provider

At what point should you seek medical advice for short periods? While variations in menstrual cycles are common, certain situations warrant a consultation with a healthcare provider:

1. Sudden changes in period duration or flow
2. Periods lasting less than two days
3. Bleeding between periods
4. Severe pain accompanying short periods
5. Concerns about fertility or pregnancy

A healthcare professional can help determine the underlying cause of your short periods and recommend appropriate treatment or further testing if necessary.

Tracking Your Menstrual Cycle

How can you effectively monitor your menstrual cycle? Keeping a detailed record of your periods can provide valuable insights into your reproductive health. Consider using a period tracking app or a simple calendar to note:

• Start and end dates of each period
• Flow intensity
• Any unusual symptoms or changes

This information can help you identify patterns and make it easier to discuss any concerns with your healthcare provider.

Managing Short Periods: Tips and Considerations

How can you cope with brief menstrual cycles? While the duration of your period may be shorter than average, it’s important to maintain good menstrual hygiene and self-care practices:

Hygiene and Comfort

Choose appropriate menstrual products that suit your flow. Even with a lighter or shorter period, it’s crucial to change tampons or pads regularly to prevent bacterial growth and maintain comfort.

Nutrition and Hydration

Maintain a balanced diet rich in iron, calcium, and other essential nutrients to support your menstrual health. Stay well-hydrated, especially during your period, to help alleviate common symptoms like bloating and cramps.

Exercise and Movement

Engage in moderate exercise during your period to improve circulation and potentially ease discomfort. Light activities like walking, yoga, or swimming can be particularly beneficial.

Understanding Menstrual Health in the Broader Context

How does menstrual health reflect overall well-being? Your menstrual cycle can serve as a vital sign, offering insights into your general health status. Regular check-ups and open communication with your healthcare provider about your menstrual patterns can contribute to better overall health management.

Hormonal Balance and Menstruation

The intricate interplay of hormones throughout your menstrual cycle affects more than just your period. It influences mood, energy levels, and even skin health. Understanding these hormonal fluctuations can help you better manage various aspects of your life, from work productivity to exercise routines.

Menstrual Health and Fertility

For those concerned about fertility, tracking your menstrual cycle, including the duration of your periods, can provide valuable information. Short periods don’t necessarily indicate fertility issues, but consistent tracking can help identify potential ovulation patterns and optimal conception windows.

Remember, every individual’s menstrual cycle is unique. What’s normal for one person may not be for another. The key is to understand your own patterns and be aware of any significant changes that may require medical attention.

By staying informed about your menstrual health and maintaining open communication with healthcare providers, you can ensure that your reproductive system remains healthy and functioning optimally. Whether your periods last three days or longer, the most important factor is consistency and overall well-being.

Is It Normal, and What Does It Mean?

While a short period could be an early sign of pregnancy, there are many other possible causes, including lifestyle factors, birth control, or a medical condition.

The length of your period can fluctuate depending on many different factors. If your period suddenly becomes much shorter, though, it’s normal to be concerned.

Read on to learn more about what could cause your period to only last a day or two.

A normal menstrual cycle happens about once every 28 days, but this often varies. Some women have periods every 21 days, while others have periods that are 35 days apart.

When it comes to periods, every woman is different. Most women have periods that last around three to five days each month. But a period that lasts only two days, or goes on for seven days, is also considered normal.

If your period typically lasts several days and suddenly becomes much shorter, it could be due to a variety of causes.

Pregnancy may be the reason for a “period” that lasts only one or two days.

When a fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus, implantation bleeding can happen.

This type of bleeding is usually lighter than a regular period. It most often lasts about 24 to 48 hours. It’s typically light pink to dark brown in color.

Implantation bleeding usually occurs about 10 to 14 days after conception. Not all pregnant women will experience it, though. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, implantation bleeding only happens in about 15 to 25 percent of pregnancies.

An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilized egg attaches to the fallopian tubes, ovary, or cervix instead of the uterus. It’s commonly called a tubal pregnancy.

One of the first signs of an ectopic pregnancy is vaginal bleeding along with pelvic pain.

If a fertilized egg keeps growing in the fallopian tube, it can cause the tube to rupture. That can lead to heavy bleeding inside the abdomen.

Seek medical help right away if you experience symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy, such as:

• severe abdominal or pelvic pain, usually on one side
• fainting or dizziness
• abnormal vaginal bleeding
• rectal pressure

A miscarriage can cause bleeding that may be mistaken for a period. Many women may be unaware they’re having a miscarriage since they might not have known they were pregnant to begin with.

The bleeding may be a light spotting or a heavy flow. The length and amount of bleeding will depend on the length of the pregnancy.

Other symptoms of miscarriage include:

• cramping
• abdominal or pelvic pain
• back pain

Breastfeeding can cause a delayed, lighter, or shortened period.

Prolactin, a hormone that helps make breast milk, also prevents menstruation from occurring.

Most women who breastfeed will resume their periods around 9 to 18 months after their baby is born.

Hormonal birth control pills or shots as well as intrauterine devices (IUDs) can cause shorter and lighter menstrual cycles.

The hormones in birth control pills can thin out the lining of the uterus. This can lighten and shorten your period. According to the Cleveland Clinic, women who take progestin-only pills may bleed between their periods.

Other medicines that may affect the frequency, length, or flow of your period include:

• blood thinners
• antipsychotics or antidepressants
• steroids
• herbs, such as ginseng
• tamoxifen (a medicine used to treat certain types of breast cancer)

A lot of different lifestyle factors can affect the duration of your period, including changes to your daily routine.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common lifestyle changes that can cause changes to your period.

Stress

High levels of stress can affect your hormones. This, in turn, can affect your menstrual cycle.

If you experience severe stress, you might have irregular, shorter, or lighter periods than normal. Or you may not have a period at all.

Your periods will most likely return to normal once your stress levels go back down.

Significant weight loss

Losing a lot of weight may lead to irregular periods. Eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, can cause periods to stop altogether.

Excessive exercise

An extreme amount of physical activity can cause irregular periods or the absence of a period.

If you don’t balance the amount of energy you burn with adequate nutrition, your body won’t have enough energy to keep all your systems working. So, it will start to shift energy away from some functions, like reproduction.

As a result, the hypothalamus, a region in your brain, may slow down or stop the release of the hormones that control ovulation.

Some types of medical conditions may affect your monthly cycle, causing a shorter period than normal.

Thyroid disease

Thyroid disease causes your body to produce too much or too little thyroid hormone. This hormone plays a vital role in your menstrual cycle.

When your body doesn’t produce the right amount of this hormone, your periods can become irregular and sometimes shorter than usual.

Symptoms of thyroid disease can vary, depending on what the type of disorder you have. But the most common symptoms include:

• weight loss or gain
• trouble sleeping, or feeling very fatigued
• a faster or slower heart rate than normal

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

With PCOS, your body produces more male hormones than normal. This type of hormonal imbalance can stop ovulation from happening.

As a result, you may have a much lighter and shorter period, or no period at all. Other symptoms of PCOS can include:

• excessive facial hair
• fatigue
• a deeper voice
• mood swings
• infertility

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

PID is a type of infection that happens when bacteria enter the vagina and spread to the uterus and upper genital tract. This infection is usually transmitted through sexual contact.

PID may cause irregular periods, but they’re typically heavier, longer, or more painful.

Other conditions

Less common conditions that may cause irregular or shorter periods include:

• cervical stenosis, a narrowing of the passageway through the cervix
• premature ovarian failure (POF), also known as premature menopause
• Asherman syndrome, caused by scar tissue or adhesions inside the uterus or cervix
• anemia
• pituitary disorders
• uterine or cervical cancer

Young women going through puberty may have irregular periods for the first few years after they start menstruating.

Another time when periods may become irregular is during perimenopause. This occurs quite a few years before menopause.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, women can enter perimenopause 8 to 10 years ahead of menopause, meaning it could happen in your 30s or 40s.

During perimenopause, estrogen levels start to drop. This can cause irregular periods.

Bleeding for only a day or two may be a sign of pregnancy, but there are many other possible causes, too.

If you’re concerned about your shorter than usual period, make an appointment to see your doctor. They can help you figure out what’s triggering the change and start treatment, if needed.

Is It a Sign of Pregnancy?

Bodies, hormones, and lifestyles vary so much, it’s pretty tough to know what’s “normal” for your period. But if there’s been a recent change (like your regular 5-day flow has dwindled to 1 day) you might wonder why.

Read on to learn the reasons periods may be shorter than you expect.

According to Planned Parenthood, these are the parameters of a “normal” menstrual cycle:

• Your entire menstrual cycle (from the first day of your last period to the first day of your next period) can be from 21 to 35 days.
• A “normal” period lasts 2 to 7 days.
• Cycles and periods can vary from month to month.
• An average period is 1 to 6 tablespoons of menstrual fluid.
• Menstrual fluid can be thin or clumpy, and dark red, brown, or pink.

At a glance: symptoms of a light period

• period lasts only 1–2 days
• flow is lighter than “normal”
• may only be spotting instead of full flow
• you need fewer pads or tampons than usual
• PMS or menstrual symptoms (like cramps) are milder

Was this helpful?

Here are some of the top reasons for barely-there periods.

Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy happens a lot more than you might think. Actually, 15 to 25 percent of women experience bleeding during the first trimester.

Within the first 2 weeks after fertilization, a woman may notice light bleeding or spotting. It’s caused by the fertilized egg implanting in the uterine lining.

Light bleeding may also occur after sex or a pelvic exam due to developing blood vessels in the cervix.

Bleeding can also be a sign of infection, so it’s important to bring it up with your doctor.

Bleeding late in pregnancy can be a sign of labor. Though bleeding in pregnancy isn’t always a problem, cover your bases and get it checked out.

Every stage of your menstrual cycle is controlled by the fluctuation of hormones. Birth control pills contain estrogen and/or progestin to suppress ovulation.

Discontinuing birth control pills can cause irregular periods for up to 6 months. Progestin-only pills can cause bleeding between periods. Anytime you’re prescribed a hormonal medication, ask your doctor how it might impact your period.

Periods usually start around age 12 or 13 and occur monthly until menopause in your early 50s. Many things can impact cycles over the course of 4 decades, but this is how periods typically differ by age:

• Teens: The first few periods may be very light, or even just spotting, lasting only a few days. It can take up to 3 years for periods to become regular.

• 20s and 30s: Periods are probably pretty regular, barring any pregnancies or hormone-disrupting illnesses (more on those in a second).

• 40s: Perimenopause (the 10 years before menopause, or when periods fully stop for 12 straight months) begins, and periods will become irregular. Besides occurring at irregular intervals, they may be lighter or heavier and shorter or longer. Enjoy that roller coaster!

The amount of stress in your life may actually contribute to the problem. In 2015, researchers studied the relationship between stress, hormones, and ovulation.

They found that daily stress interferes with a woman’s menstrual cycle, even if she doesn’t have a known reproductive disorder.

A 2018 study found that among a group of students, those with high stress were 2 to 4 times more likely to experience missed periods, painful periods, or PMS.

Disordered eating, excessive exercise, and weight fluctuation can impact hormones and cause periods to change or disappear altogether. For example:

• According to the Mayo Clinic, if body weight drops 10 percent below “normal” (good luck defining that), hormones stop ovulation and periods. You may have heard of this happening to women with eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
• A 2014 study found that binge eating is also associated with menstrual dysfunction.
• Intense or excessive exercise — either as part of eating disorder behavior or athletic training — can also cause periods to diminish or disappear. According to the Office on Women’s Health, this can happen to women who have not exercised much and suddenly start an intense exercise program.

The thyroid produces hormones, like Thyroxine (T4), Triiodothyronine (T3), and Calcitonin, which regulate metabolism and growth.

Thyroid disorders associated with over- or under-production of thyroid hormones can cause these disruptions to the menstrual cycle:

• early or late puberty
• very light or heavy periods
• irregular cycles
• amenorrhea (no periods)
• early onset of menopause

One symptom of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is increased androgens, which can cause irregular or missed periods. It’s unknown what causes PCOS, but irregular menstruation can be one of the first clues you have it.

Other symptoms of PCOS include

• weight gain
• excessive body hair
• loss of head hair
• acne
• insulin resistance
• ovaries that are covered in cysts (detectable by ultrasound)

Another type of ovarian cyst is a single cherry-sized lump that can be filled with fluid or tissue. Besides causing spotting between periods or causing periods to be heavy or irregular, cysts can cause these symptoms:

• pelvic pain
• abdominal swelling
• a feeling of fullness and pressure
• pain when urinating
• constipation

Pelvic inflammatory disease is a bacterial infection. You may catch it through sexual contact, gynecological procedures, childbirth, or miscarriage if bacteria enters the vagina and spreads through the reproductive tract.

Besides irregular periods, symptoms may include:

• heavy vaginal discharge
• unpleasant odor
• pelvic and abdominal pain
• fever
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea

• Premature ovarian insufficiency is when women under the age of 40 stop having periods, similar to menopause. It can be due to cancer treatment, family history, or chromosomal abnormalities.
• Cervical stenosis is the partial or complete closure of the cervix. Menstrual fluid and or pus may back up into the abdomen or leak from the vagina.
• Asherman’s syndrome describes adhesions in the uterus that are associated with infertility and short or light periods. Adhesions can form due to curettage after a recent pregnancy, hysteroscopic surgery, uterine artery embolization, or uterine tuberculosis.

When a fertilized egg implants somewhere other than in the uterus (like in a fallopian tube or elsewhere in the abdominal cavity) it’s called an ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancies aren’t viable and may cause the fallopian tube to rupture as they grow. They can cause vaginal bleeding, internal bleeding, weakness, pain in the abdomen or shoulder, shock, and even death.

Miscarriage (pregnancy loss before the 20th week) occurs in 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies.

Many miscarriages occur before a woman knows she is pregnant and are often mistaken for a normal period. Signs of miscarriage are spotting or bleeding, and pain and cramping in the abdomen or lower back.

While breastfeeding, you produce a hormone called prolactin, which suppresses ovulation and periods.

Depending on how often and how long you breastfeed, your period may not return for several months to a year after childbirth. Periods can be irregular or short and light as long as you’re still breastfeeding.

If your period has become unpredictable or you suspect you have one of the issues mentioned above, check in with your doctor. Planned Parenthood points out that something may be amiss if you experience any of the following:

• You had unprotected sex and missed your period.
• You have a very heavy flow (changing pads or tampons more than once per hour).
• Your period lasts longer than 7 days.
• You’re light-headed, dizzy, or your pulse is racing.
• You’ve never had a period by the age of 16.
• You have severe pain before or during your period.
• You have unusual bleeding between periods.
• You feel sick or get a fever when using a tampon.
• Your periods disrupt normal day-to-day activities.
• Your periods stop or suddenly become irregular.
• Your periods come more often than every 21 days or less often than every 45 days.

When it comes to periods, you can expect the unexpected. You get about 40 years to try to figure them out!

But if your period only lasts a day or 2, or is so light you think your seeing spots, consider one of these causes. Many are treatable or may just fall within the range of your “normal” for now.

Terms under the Consumer Protection Law: how to calculate them correctly?

Stanislav Sazonov

Lawyer

November 25, 2020

Tips

Pay attention to the date of publication of the material: the information may be outdated due to changes in legislation or law enforcement practice.

It is unpleasant when the purchased item does not fit or breaks quickly. It’s doubly frustrating when you can’t return it because you procrastinated and missed deadlines. But if you contacted the seller on time, but he violates the terms of payment of money, then you can get good compensation

Terms under the Consumer Protection Act (hereinafter referred to as POZPP) can be divided into two groups:

• deadlines for satisfying consumer requirements are the terms in which the seller (manufacturer) must do something, for example, repair a thing, replace it, return money, conduct an examination;
• deadlines for the presentation of claims by the consumer – the terms in which the consumer must meet in order to satisfy his requirements.

Terms of satisfaction of customer requirements

Why do you need to know about these terms? If they are violated by the seller (manufacturer), the accrual of a penalty begins, which he will have to pay you. Over time, it can turn into a solid amount.

For example, if the seller took an advance payment for the goods and did not deliver them on time (this often happens when buying furniture), then he must pay you 0.5% of the value of the goods for each day of delay (clause 3, article 23.1 of the LOOP). Or if you justifiably filed a claim for a refund for a broken product (which often happens when buying household appliances), then after 10 days the seller is obliged to pay you 1% of the value of the goods for each day of delay (clause 1, article 23 of the POZPP).

So look for your situation:

• 3 days – the period for a refund by the seller for goods of good quality. It is counted from the date of filing an application (claim) for a refund (Article 25 of the LOZPP).
• 3 days – the period for the provision of goods for replacement for the period of repair. It is counted from the next day after the request is made (clause 2, article 20 of the LOZPP).
• 45 days – the maximum period for the repair of goods (elimination of defects). It is counted from the next day after the presentation of the demand (claim) (Article 20 of the LOZPP).
• 7, 20 days or a month – the period for the replacement of low-quality goods. The term depends on whether the seller needs to conduct a quality check and whether the replacement product is in stock. It is counted from the date of presentation of the claim (art. 21 LOZPP).
• 10 days – the period for the return of money for low-quality goods. It is counted from the date of presentation of the demand (claim) (Article 22 of the LOZPP).
• 10 days – the period for the seller to make a decision on the demand for a discount (price reduction) for low-quality goods. It is counted from the date of presentation of the demand (claim) (Article 22 of the LOZPP).
• 10 days – the period for the seller to decide on the return of money to the consumer for the repair of low-quality goods in another place. It is counted from the date of presentation of the demand (claim) (Article 22 of the LOZPP).
• 10 days – the period for satisfying the requirements of the consumer for work (services). It is counted from the date of presentation of the claim (art. 31 LOZPP).
• The term for the examination, as well as the term for responding to a claim, is tied to the terms for satisfying the requirements and is “included” in them. Accordingly, the period for the examination:
  • if the consumer requires the repair of the product – maximum 45 days; repairs must be carried out within the same period;
  • if the consumer demands to replace the goods – 7, 20 days or a month; within the same period, it is necessary to make a replacement;
  • if the consumer demands a refund for a low-quality product – 10 days; within the same period you need to return the money.

Terms for submitting claims by the consumer

Why do you need to know about these terms? If you miss them, then you will not be able to restore them, and you will lose the opportunity to exercise consumer rights.

• 14 days – the period during which you can return or exchange goods of good quality. It is counted from the next day after the purchase (art. 25 POZPP).
• 7 days – the period during which you can refuse the goods purchased via the Internet. The time period starts from the day following the purchase (art. 26.1 POZPP). At the same time, it increases by 3 months if the consumer was not provided with information on the procedure and terms for returning the goods in writing. And this period is already counted from the day of delivery.
• 15 days – the period during which you can apply for the return of a technically complex product for any deficiency. It begins to flow from the day the goods are handed over to the consumer (Article 18 of the POZPP) (for the return of technically complex goods, such as household appliances and vehicles, see the article “How to return a defective product?”) .

How to correctly calculate the time – in business days or calendar days?

Some articles of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights indicate from which moment to count the terms (for example, article 22 of the POZPP says that consumer claims must be satisfied within 10 days from the date of their presentation), and in some articles there are no direct instructions. Therefore, the question arises as to how to correctly count the timing.

The answer to this question can be found in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). It regulates the terms together with the Consumer Protection Act, which takes precedence.

Terms under the Consumer Rights Protection Law are calculated in calendar days. That is, weekends and holidays are also included in the time period. This is stated in Art. 190 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. And in Art. 193 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, an exception is indicated: if the last day of the term falls on a non-working day, the expiration day of the term is the next working day following it. That is, if the last day for returning the goods fell on Sunday, it can be returned on Monday. But it’s better not to overdo it. The seller may insist that he worked on Sunday, referring to his working hours, and that you missed the deadline for returning the goods.

The general rule is that the period begins to run on the day after the event that determined its beginning. But if the Consumer Rights Protection Law provides for a different procedure, then we apply it. For example, in paragraph 2 of Art. 25 POZPP states that the request for a refund must be satisfied within 3 days from the date of return of the goods, i.e. time starts running day by day.

(Read also: “Online shopping: don’t be fooled”, “How to get a refund for a purchase in a foreign online store”, “How to get a refund for a defective smartphone”, “Do you want to return an item to an online store?”).

Read also:

Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation Article 162.

Preliminary Investigation Time \ ConsultantPlus

Document revisions prepared with amendments that have not entered into force

Code of Criminal Procedure Article 162. Preliminary investigation time

be finished within a period not exceeding 2 months from the date of initiation of the criminal case.

2. The term of the preliminary investigation shall include the time from the day the criminal case is initiated and until the day it is sent to the prosecutor with an indictment or a decision to transfer the criminal case to the court for consideration of the issue of applying coercive medical measures or until the day a decision is made to terminate the proceedings on criminal case.

3. The term of the preliminary investigation does not include the time for the investigator to appeal against the prosecutor’s decision in the case provided for by paragraph 2 of the first part of Article 221 of this Code, as well as the time during which the preliminary investigation was suspended on the grounds provided for by this Code.

(as amended by Federal Law No. 404-FZ of December 28, 2010)

(see the text in the previous edition)

body, and in criminal cases against a suspect or accused, referred to in part one. 1 of Article 108 of this Code, for whom a measure of restraint in the form of detention was chosen, – by the head of the investigative body for the constituent entity of the Russian Federation and other head of the investigative body equated to him, as well as their deputies.

(as amended by Federal Laws No. 87-FZ of 05.06.2007, No. 323-FZ of 03.12.2007, No. 217-FZ of 13.06.2023)

(see the text in the previous version)

in a criminal case, the investigation of which is of particular difficulty, the period of preliminary investigation may be extended by the head of the investigative body for the subject of the Russian Federation and other head of the investigative body equated to him, as well as their deputies up to 12 months. A further extension of the period of preliminary investigation may be carried out only in exceptional cases by the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, the head of the investigative body of the relevant federal executive body (under the federal executive body) and their deputies.

(as amended by Federal Laws N 58-FZ of 29.05.2002, N 87-FZ of 05.06.2007, N 323-FZ of 03.12.2007, N 404-FZ of 28.12.2010)

(see text)

6. When proceedings are resumed on a suspended or terminated criminal case, as well as when a criminal case is returned for additional investigation, the head of the investigative body in charge of the criminal case shall have the right to set a period of preliminary investigation within one month from the date receipt of the criminal case by the investigator, regardless of how many times it has been resumed, terminated or returned for additional investigation, and regardless of the total duration of the preliminary investigation. Further extension of the period of preliminary investigation is carried out on a general basis in the manner prescribed by parts four, five and seven of this article.

(Part 6 as amended by Federal Law No. 76-FZ of April 20, 2014)

(see the text in the previous edition)

6.1. In the event that the prosecutor returns the criminal case to the investigator in connection with the discovery by the court of the circumstances specified in paragraphs one and one. 2 of Article 237 of this Code, the term for the performance of investigative and other procedural actions may not exceed one month from the day the criminal case was received by the investigator. Further extension of the period of preliminary investigation is carried out on a general basis in the manner prescribed by parts four, five and seven of this article.

(Part 6.1 was introduced by Federal Law No. 64-FZ of April 26, 2013)

6.2. In the event that the court returns the criminal case to the head of the investigative body in connection with the cancellation of the decision to terminate the criminal case or criminal prosecution in accordance with the procedure established by Article 446.5 of this Code, the term for the performance of investigative and other procedural actions may not exceed one month from the day the criminal case was received by the investigator. Further extension of the period of preliminary investigation is carried out on a general basis in the manner prescribed by parts four, five and seven of this article.