Sudden changes are generally worth investigating. Unfortunately it can be hard to get actual medical care relating to menstruation and other “women’s issues” as a lot of doctors are quite limited in their training.

The key would be to get an idea of how much you atet bleeding and at what level of consistency. Is it a constant flow? Is it coming in waves after cramps? Does it come with pain beyond normal levels? Is the colour different to what you are used to? Bright red?

If you are having ongoing heavy bleeding there could be an issue and it should be investigated if possible. That said, my partner has had heavy periods since childhood and only suffers low iron as a consequence, so the range of normal or fine is fairly wide.

do you have a gynecologist already? Are you in the US, if so are you on your parent’s insurance?

Does your college provide medical care for students or offer insurance?

On the one hand, heavy menstrual flow like this is fairly common, happening to one in five women. On the other hand it can be linked to a lot of potential conditions that are worth ruling out, and can lead to anemia which is worth tracking and treating if necessary.

If you cook your own meals, start cooking using a cast iron pan or pot, and incorporate more iron rich foods like spinach, broccoli, tofu, pumpkin seeds, dates, chocolate, and beans. (Unfortunately iron from red meat is easier to absorb, in case other foods aren’t enough.)

I’m so sorry you are dealing with this, being a student is stressful enough without these issues.

There are hormonal IUD options that can eliminate your periods, you might look into those possibilities as well.

Wishing you luck 🫂

EDIT: oh, and you might x-post this to the larger women’s community: !womensstuff@piefed.blahaj.zone