Sincere Concern

[Guest]

I had a co-worker who always ate ice. It would drive me nuts riding in a car with her. Then one day I started chewing ice too. Three years later, I was eating 5-6 glasses of ice a day.
At the beginning of June this year I started getting tired more often, my energy level became less and less. I thought it was the heat. Then the end of July, I found out my blood pressure was very low as well. I was advised by a friend to see a doctor. I saw my OB/GYM nurse practitioner and she ordered a blood test. I was so weak the next day after the blood I almost fainted several times. I had already begun getting really weak before I saw the doctor, but this was worse. My nurse practitioner called that afternoon very concerned. She informed me my blood (hb) count was dangerously low and I needed to see a doctor ASAP for treatment of anemia.
I did see a doctor that evening who took me off work because I too weak to drive or work. She ran more blood tests and prescribed an iron treatment of 325mg 3 times a days plus Vit. B-12 injections every two weeks.
Within 4 weeks my blood levels had risen 5 points and I was able to work again. Sometime during this treatment I stopped eating ice. I didn't notice it right away but when I did I was amazed. I had heard there was a connection between ice cravings and low iron levels but never gave it a second thought. I believe different now.
Recently I tried to eat a piece of ice and it was horrible. What a change.
I'm glad I got the treatment I needed not only for my teeth's sake but for my health! If you're obsessed with ice advise your doctor and ask for a blood test.

[Guest]

I am 31 years old and had gastric bypass surgery 3 years ago. I never craved ice until about a year after the surgery. Due to my stomach being much smaller, my absorption abilities have decreased....especially IRON absorption. My doctor has had me on an iron suppliment for 2 years and it was so low at one point that I had to be infused with iron. I LOVE my ice...and I am very particular about it....(the girls at the convenience store laugh at me). I chew first thing in the morning and it is the last thing I am doing before bed. But....there are times when I stop...for a month or two...for no apparent reason. But it always comes back. As much as I love it...I have been laying in bed in agony because my teeth and my mouth hurt so bad that all I can do is rock back and fourth . I love ice, but I hate ice! Is there anyone else out there who has had gastric bypass surgery? Anyone else who shares my experience?? I'd be so happy to hear about it!

Chew, chew, chew, chew, chew.....all the damn time!

Cheryl

Yes Cheryl, I am 41/2 years out of gastric bypass, and I just recently started ice chewing all the time. I have sores on my toungue all the time and broke a tooth, but i crave it... cant explain it, I do get B-12 injestions but havent had one in 2 months... thank god i have an understanding husband.

donna

[Ronda]

I can't believe there are others out their like me! I had gastric bypass surgery 3 years ago and have since become addicted to chewing ice. I need it all the time. I replace eating with ice chewing. A lot of people after the surgery begin to smoke and I didnt want to do that so i began to eat ice. Now, I crave it all the time. I have lost over 200 lbs and I credit a lot of that to eating ice. I bought an ice crusher but I think Sonic ice is still the best. I know all the places in town that have good ice. My boyfriend thinks I am nuts but he puts up with me anyway. Happy Ice Chewing!

[Frank Grimes]

If this is just an oral fixation, then a few weeks with a theripist can clear that up. If it is anemia, I'm a spammer who can't get a job. Also, our product sucsk - don't buy from us. often can "cure" you.
But you gotta ask yourself... Do you want to?

[jmerdman]

Cheryl,

I have also had the gastric bypass surgery around 5-6 years ago and I admit that I am also an Ice Chewer. I also have severe Iron deficiency and Vitamin B12 deficiency. I take Vitamin. B-12 injections monthly and I also take Iron tablets daily, however my body does not absorb the iron therefore I have had an Iron transfusion around 2 years ago and long over due for another as I go to work and once I’m home my body just shuts down and I sleep. I’m scheduled for another Iron Transfusion this coming up Wednesday and I can not wait as I’m just so Tired of being Tired all of the time.
If you do not use the Ice Shaver then the Ice will soften more quickly if you do not fill the Ice tray up all of the way. If you also add more water to already frozen ice and freeze it again, it will assist with cracking once you try to remove the ice from the tray, which will give you smaller ice pieces that will also melt easier and is easier to chew than a large piece of ice.

I fill the pain of being an ICE CHEWER, just glad to not be alone out there.

Janet

I am 31 years old and had gastric bypass surgery 3 years ago. I never craved ice until about a year after the surgery. Due to my stomach being much smaller, my absorption abilities have decreased....especially IRON absorption. My doctor has had me on an iron suppliment for 2 years and it was so low at one point that I had to be infused with iron. I LOVE my ice...and I am very particular about it....(the girls at the convenience store laugh at me). I chew first thing in the morning and it is the last thing I am doing before bed. But....there are times when I stop...for a month or two...for no apparent reason. But it always comes back. As much as I love it...I have been laying in bed in agony because my teeth and my mouth hurt so bad that all I can do is rock back and fourth . I love ice, but I hate ice! Is there anyone else out there who has had gastric bypass surgery? Anyone else who shares my experience?? I'd be so happy to hear about it!

Chew, chew, chew, chew, chew.....all the damn time!

Cheryl

[ice kat]

[i have been chewing ice for a little over 1 year now . allthough my doctor only noticed the anemia about 6 months ago. And she said and I quote" you are impressively anemic" so she recommended iron supplements and follow-ups every other month to monitor my iron levels. You know the reason this seems to really iritate men is because men really don't suffer from a loss of iron due to pregnancy, or a monthly loss of blood. I am at a point in my life where i am told i have to do something like sugery or i run the risk of a heart attack or blood transfusion. When i told her about my ice cravings she said this is common with anemia and they still don't know why. But of the non-nutritive foods that i could be craving i believe that ice is the most acceptable in social situations. i told my husband you're lucky i don't walk around trying to fill my cup with dirt. the only other time i ate ice was when i was pregnant. all my friends know me and my ice are a team. To love me is to love my cup of ice. I start my day rain or shine with a large cup of ice. and i end my day at about 10:30 with my cup of ice and a blanket wrapped around me. I fill my cups in grocery stores with soda machines, drive through restaraunts, i plan my routes to and from places by where i can fill my cup. i keep frozen bottles of ice in my freezer to break-up with a hammer and then put through my ice maker in an emergency. I have to buy bags of ice every other day because my icemaker just can't do it alone. I actually resent people who use my ice machine to just make their drinks cold. Well that's all for now fellow ice eaters. oh i also noticed i love the smell of new rubber tires(with a pellet ice machine i would be in heaven). :

[kjsugar1959]

i crave ice. I love ice. A couple of years ago, I broke several fillings and finally had to stop chewing ice as I didn't have any dental insurance. I finally went to a tech school dental lab and got my teeth fixed. A couple of months ago I was back to chewing huge amounts of ice again and bit down too hard on some ice and damaged a nerve in one of my molars. It became infected and the dentist said I must have a root canal and crown immediately or the infection will keep coming back. I'm afraid I'll have this work done and do it to some other tooth. Of course that's what will happen. So I'm going to the health food store Monday and get me some of that liquid iron. Thanks for sharing that info. I'm so tired of being a slave to something so ridiculous at 45 years old. I wonder what my 10 year old thinks about his nutty mom.

[VictorianApril]

Thank you for your post. I have had low iron in the past and just didn't want to be low again because the iron suppliments are extremely constipating for me. But, I have been chewing ice for about two years now and after reading this forum I am very suspicious that I'm anemic again. At least you have a suggestion of something I can take that may work with my intestines. I sure hope so.
Thank You

Every woman who chews ice should have her iron tested. This is clearly a major cause. MANY WOMAN ARE RELUCTANT TO TAKE IRON because most of the stuff you buy in the store causes constipation. But, there is an all natural product available in most health food stores (like Whole Foods) which has a very low occurance of this. It's called Floradix/Floravital. It is a liquid and tastes a little like Geritol (slightly bitter and metalic). It saved my life. And, no I'm not a sales person. Just a good customer.
I became severly anemic due to a medical condition and practically over night became obsessed with ice. It happened almost without me realizing it. It was only after several people pointed out that these two things are often related that I connected them chronilogically.
For two years, I could not be with out ice. I would panic if I could not find the "right" kind. My car was full of cups and my Our Shitty I'm a spammer who can't get a job. Also, our product sucsk - don't buy from us. Suck and We will rip you off! had a stack of styrofoam cups I brought home from work every day. I started drinking iced coffee instead of hot. I almost did not want to go to sleep because it meant no more ice. During this time I was working to manage my anemia and bring my levels up. Gradually things leveled off and so did my cravings. One day I found that ice was not the first thing I thought about every morning. It was such a relief when I realized that I could enjoy a meal with my friends with chomping away on cubes. I still enjoy chewing ice occasionaly (esp. in the heat) but now it is a choice, not a compulsion.

[Win4rose]

This is amazing to me that there is an actual site for ice chewing . I too, had a craving for ice that got to the the point where i couldn't WAIT to get home from work so i could eat ice . As soon as i would get home, i would get a big glass of crushed ice . After i had consumed 3 of these, i would be satisfied . ( for then ) It was definately an addiction . I could eat some ice at work, but not enough - not enough time or opportunity being in sales and out on the floor . A co-worker is the first person that told me that i was most likely aenemic and that was why i was chewing ice so much . ( plus, the noise drove him crazy ) . He had a good female friend that had also craved and ate ice and was diagnosed aenemic .

Last february I experienced severe chest pains at work and was taken by the paramedics to the ER . After extensive testing, it was determined that the only deficiency or problem that was presenting was that i was extremely aenemic . Close to having to have a blood transfusion .

My ob/gyn who i saw after this incident , whose husband is a cardiologist, told me that her husband sees patients present quite often with chest pain when they are aenemic . It is a common occurance . The red blood cell deficiency does not allow the heart to have enough iron .

I am 51 yrs old and have endometriosis . After getting on a regimen of iron tablets that i could tolerate , and birth control I'm a spammer who can't get a job. Also, our product sucsk - don't buy from us. which decreased my monthly flow ( which had been severe ), my craving for ice literally disappeared . I just didn't want / need it anymore . When i start to chew ice again, i know my blood count is down and i need to do more iron tablets, plus increase red blood -nurturing foods in my diet .

In my experience I have found that ice chewing is a hallmark of aenemia . A doctor needs to test for iron deficiency and , if diagnosed as such, the cause of the aenemia determined and rectified .

In my opinion , and from what i've researched , I really don't think ice chewing/craving is a symptom of pica . Pica is another story - similar, but different . People with pica don't ' generally' do ice , but more of a mineral source such as dirt and compounds containing metals .

Another aside is that i have taken paxil for quite a few years now and that can cause vitamin B12 deficiency . B12 deficiency can be a sign of pernicious aenemia . A B12 supplement is medically recommended for those taking paxil on a regular basis . Prior to learning of this i had experienced facial neuralgia which was remedied after a program of B12 , which i now take regularly along with my paxil.

If this is informative to anyone, I'm glad to have helped shed some light on this odd habit . While I agree that ice chewing is quite satisfying , I do feel that it is a medical condition that needs to be addressed .

I still am totally amazed that there is a site like this !!! Unbelievable !

[Alison]

Ive been chewing ice since i had teeth....my sisters have been as well since we were little... I have been tested for low iron and I dont have that and Ive been tested for thyroid problems and also dont have that. Theres no reason I chew on ice its just something i crave all the time...It drives people crazy with the noise and we cant make enough ice to keep up... I dont know why I do it or what to do about it

[kassieme]

Hello!
Okay just to start out I'm only a 15 year old little girl who in my case could soon have no teeth. My mom ate dirt and ice when she was pregnant with me and that may have been carried on to me I don't know, but I've definately never ate dirt just ice. The first time I actually realized that there must be something definately wrong was about 5 months ago. I was staying with a friend for a weekend and she didn't have any ice or ice trays to make it and her mom definately wasn't going anywhere to get any. I got sick over that weekend and had no strength just thinking about my no ice weekend. To me that's just a little to much. I've never been checked for any kind of anemia or anything, but I really do want to know if that's what's wrong with me. But, until then HAPPY CHEWING!!! [/b]

LOL HAHAHA THATS SOO FUNNY. Im trying to quit cold turkey, omg my mouth gets this dry feeling without ice. And I cheated today I went to my friends freezer and scraped out the ice.

Yea youre mom was definatly anemic (low iron). Dirt and Ice thats definatly Pica. But not everyone chews ice for the same reason like in an earlier posts one person said its an oral fixtation, or a better habit than smoking or chewing ice out of stress. But most people(ice chewers) i bump into have low iron.

[innana3]

Cheryl - I just found this site today and Wow, I am just like you! I had Gastric Bypass Surgery 4 years ago, and about a year post-op started chewing ice and now I just can't stop! My teeth hurt and I know I annoy my husband sometimes, but I just have this love/hate thing with ice...
Glad to know I am not alone ~ Kim

[blackmon]

I can't believe I found this group. I am the mother of a 13-year-old autistic child who in the last few months has become addicted to eating ice. It is the first thing she does in the morning and the last thing at night.
Recently she had blood work done and the doctor said her iron level was slightly low. I didn't connect this with the ice eating, but now I'm wondering if there is a connection.
She is also doing a lot of burping. I thought this started after she started taking dietary enzymes, but not I'm thinking it may be related to her ice eating.
She also takes Zoloft and I'm wondering if that is adding to the ice eating problem.
Now I'm trying to figure out if I need an iron supplement, what the best one will be.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
NB

[SweetT72]

Pica
Pica includes strong cravings for non-food items. The most frequent are
Dirt, clay

Paint chips, plaster, chalk

Cornstarch, laundry starch, baking soda

Coffee grounds

Cigarette ashes, burnt match heads

Rust

Other items that are not usually considered food



If pica is a lifestyle choice that does not harm the individual, and if it is not part of an underlying eating disorder, it can go untreated, but care should be taken to protect against toxic substances (such as lead in paint and plaster chips). The person must be alert for symptoms (pain, lack of bowel movements, abdominal bloat and distention) that suggest the substance has formed an indigestible mass that has blocked the intestines. If such is the case, immediate medical attention is necessary.

Betty, when I was little girl I used to eat matches, I used to sniff comet, I used to eat baking soda
Sounds like Pica to me... Please give me more information concering pica.

[SweetT72]

Blackmon,

You may want to check with your child's doctor before giving her a iron supplement. The doctor can tell you which one she needs to take. My doctor put me on the iron supplement. I am suppose to be taking it twice a day.

After reading just about all of the messages on this board. I'm going to try to drink more water and eat more real food. I'm gonna to cut down on the ice for awhile.