eating ice...

**teenagewoman** · 05-27-2009 02:01 PM

Whoa, I have never heard of anything like this before? But something weirder; my aunt craves DIRT. She would eat dirt when she was little and then she stopped, but it started up again and she's nearly 50! The doctor said she was severely deficient in Iron. If you have weird cravings, you should probably go to your doctor and get it checked out.

**calliegirl** · 05-28-2009 06:09 PM

I was obsessed with chewing ice for many years.I knew which stores had the best ice for whever I went to. I would chew ice from the time I got up to time went to sleep. Turns out I was dangerously anemic and had to get iron shots and presciption iron pills. I was on verge of serious heart attack or stroke from my own blood. Big meat eater too. As soon as I was on this regime for a month my desire for ice completely disappeared-no joke. I have no craving for it. Get your blood checked. There is a correlation between ice chewing and severe anemia . Good Luck!

**ms.tan** · 05-29-2009 10:25 AM

i know I began feeling really fatigued unable to lift my head fromt he pillow in the morning sometimes in late march and I went to see my doctor and I was a severe anemic I had to have a blood transfusion and I currently get iron shots and take the pills also. Just as you said the crazing is not so great anymore but i still find myself from time to time grabbing a cup of ice.

**GiGi** · 10-11-2009 02:57 AM

Originally Posted by adrigirl

i just randomly stumbled upon this thread and thought i'd throw out the warning...

My mom has an ice pica and has had it for a few years now. She was slightly anemic before she started up with the ice eating, but it made it MUCH much worse... so much so that she just got out of the hospital because she needed a blood transfusion because her iron and hemoglobin levels were dangerously low.

She makes about 8 trays of ice a day - typically likes to eat after a meal as well...

the doctor has pretty much forbidden her from eating ice now.

please dont take this warning lightly... She is in a VERY serious state due to her ice eating. hopefully the blood transfusion will help with her dependency.

Hi Adrigirl,
I am a 42 year old mom of three, and I have been eating crushed ice (only) for about 9 years, and just last year (will be a year in November) I had to have a blood transfusion due to low iron and hemoglobin count. I nearly died. I have been perfectly healthy, never been admitted to a hospital for any cause until last year. I knew I was anemic, but I did not think that eating ice would adversely affect my health. I was told by several people and read it also that craving ice was an indication that you may be anemic, but honestly, I never gave it much thought. I ate crushed ice EVERYDAY, crushed it myself in a blender so that it was soft like snow. It is very, very true that this addiction can cost you your life. I didn't know what was happening to me and it became so bad that I could barely breathe and walk. I took myself to the ER, and the doctors in ER said I was on the verge of having a heart attack because my heart was barely getting oxygen, and what little oxygen I had left, my heart was pumping in over drive. I've had to take Fergon iron tablets twice a day. I just stumbled across this website because my heart is experiencing irregular heartbeats AGAIN..... b/c I have started to eat crushed ice AGAIN.... I'm commenting b/c your message sent chills across my body and I am thankful for it because, after reading it I definitely will stop as of right now. You are a very bright young lady and your mom is very fortunate to have such a wonderful daughter who cares for her as you do. Thank you again, and for others who may read this, eating ice is a life-threathening addiction. It may seem harmless in the beginning and eating it is very soothing, but, yes it is an indication that something is wrong with your blood count and please stop before it is TOO LATE!

GiGi

**emw_lady** · 08-26-2010 12:40 PM

My aunt had a bad ice addiction. I think that she got it from her kidney problems she's had most of her life, or her perscription drugs, which had alot of terrible side effects. She used to chew on ice all the time because she craved it, but it could have possibly been an iron deficiency. She doesn't do it now because she knows how harmful it is, and her doctor told her not to.