A reader writes:
This was the chief complaint of a 45-year old female. She’s been doing this for several months, but worse over the past several days. She would go into the freezer and nibble on ice cubes and ice chips constantly throughout the day. No other complaints, and does not have any other abnormal food cravings. She does report more fatigued than usual, but denies nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, chest pain, fevers or chills. No blood in the stools nor any menstrual irregularities.Past medical history non-contributory, and does not take any medications. Physical exam unremarkable. She’s simply concerned about her “ice cravings”.
Pica is defined as an appetite for substances not fit for food, such as clay or paper products. Pagophagia is specifically pica for ice, and studies show this to be a specific indicator for iron deficiency anemia. The latter study studied 55 patients with iron-deficiency anemia. Thirty two (58%) had pica, and in 28 (88%) it manifested as pagophagia.
A blood count and iron studies were performed. Hemoglobin was slightly low, serum iron 35 (low), iron binding capacity 490 (high), ferritin 6 (low).
In patients without a concurrent inflammatory state, a ferritin level of less than 10 to 15 ng/dL is diagnostic of iron deficiency with a specificity of 99%. Thus, the findings are consistent with iron deficiency anemia.
Possible causes were discussed with the patient, including heavy menstrual bleeding – which the patient denied. Iron supplementation was started, and a colonoscopy was scheduled.
In the absence of a gynecological cause, the focus should then shift to a source of GI bleeding. A stool guaiac test would have been reasonable, but given the fact the patient was close to 50-years old (where colon cancer screening would have been initiated anyways), colonoscopy was chosen as an initial workup. If negative, an upper endoscopy can be considered to evaluate for sources of upper GI bleeding (i.e. ulcers or inflammation of the stomach, small bowel, or esophagus).
A study evaluating patients with iron deficiency anemia with upper and lower endoscopy showed 25% with a lower GI lesion, and 36% with an upper GI lesion. Peptic ulcer disease were the primary abnormalities found in the upper gastrointestinal tract, while cancer (detected in 11% of patients), was the most common finding on colonoscopy.
It’s always interesting to see what I’ve only read about in medical school.
(Disclaimer: Any pictures shown are not of the patient. All identifying features, including race, age, gender and ethnicity have been modified significantly or fictionalized.)
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Hello, I’m almost 16 years old and I am really worried about this “ice munching” condition.
I am scared to tell my friends because they might think I am some kind of freak. And I havent told my parents because they will think odd of me.
I remember once after going shopping with my sister, we decided to get McDonalds for lunch and I ate all the ice from the coke bottle. But not in front of her. Then she went to put the rubbish in the bin and she took my coke bottle and she said “did you eat the ice?” and I said “yeah” and she’s like “omg what freak eats ice from the coke cans” I felt really bad about it and then knew something was wrong.
I don’t know what to do. And by reading all of these comments I got all the ice from the freezer and chucked it in the sink. I’m sick of it and I’m scared that I’m anemic.
It’s just nice to know theres other people out there like me who have this weird addiction. And yes admit it, it really is weird.
WOW! I am so glad that I decided to look this up and I found this webpage.
I am 35 yrs old and have been eating ice since I was in high school. I read up on Pica and found that also the wierd embarrassing thing that I have going on with the freezer frost is all part of it LOL
I can recall when I was about 17 yrs old, standing in front of my Mom’s huge deep freeze with a spoon, pecking away at the frost buildup and eating it. And now that my hubby and I have a deep freeze, I have noticed that we are getting some buildup ROFL
Seriously tho, I get really paranoid when I begin running out of ice. I buy at least a 7 lb bag of ice a day and by the next morning I am out. I constantly chew on ice… everywhere I go.. I take it with me.
Its a horrible and embarrassing addiction to me, and I intend on going now and getting it checked out by my doctor!
Hi my name is Georgia and I LOVE TO EAT ICE AND CORN STARCH.I STARTED WHEN I HAD MY KIDS AND I NEVER STOPPED.I THOUGHT THAT I WAS SOME KIND OF FREAK OR SOMETHING BECAUSE WHEN I DO NOT HAVE ONE OF THEM RIGHT THEN I JUST GET A INSATNT HEADACH.IT IS NIC ETO KNOW THAT I AM NOT BY MTSELF.I ALWAYS GO TO THE DOCTOR TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM OK AND SO FAR SO GOOD I AM FIND.BUT TO AL MY ICE EATTERS TRY THE ICE AT SONIC AND THE HOSPITAL IT IS GREAT.WELL GOTTA GO AT WORK .I WISH YOU ALL WELL .
Wow, What a trip, I just thought that I had better look up ice addition just in case there is a reason for my constant crunch crunch on ice. Iam here in California so there is no Sonic. However, I do have an ice machine attached to my frig. I started chewing ice about five years back really bad. I have the same heavy periods and very tired. I did have hyper-thyroidisum for seven years, now its gone. But, like all of you I go through ice all day. Every story on this blog has at least one if not three elements of the same things that I do. I now travel with my ice, my kids are now eating ice. and love it. I have no shame. I will eat ice infront of everyone and anyone. In the past I would waite until a more private time. I just had a gyno vist and she said nothing about anemia or low Iron nor did she see any Fibroids. (Kaiser) I am considering the colonascapy because I am in the age group now. There are seveal common demomanators to all your accounts. For example, in almost very case they are female, 45’s+ heavy bleeding, fibroids,low iron, anemia,and very tired all the time. And in some cases like mine thyriod condtion of the past. weird..I am very glad to see that Iam not the only one out here with such a problem. I dont think we can sit back and let our docs handle this because clearley they are not. WE need to self-educate and be proactive for ourselevs. Get the information use it to empower yourself and pass it on. So many of us are suffering from some form of anemia and at this point nothing is being done to cure it. I read that the hymoglubem should be some where in the 12.5 range problems are at the 8.0 and lower. Craving should stop at 12.5 and above. And dont stop there ladies get the colonaspacy at age 49-50 it could save your life..
Be safe, be smart.
Chewy in LA
OK, now that I have a word for it what do I do?! I am 28, mother of 4, and eat 7 to 16 lbs. of ice every 2 to 3 days. My jaws hurt, my ears hurt, and don’t ask how my teeth are! But, I am taking iron & one a day supplements, and my DR is aware of my blood count, I just have to sit here and wait for all of them to work? How do I absorb more of the iron I take in ???
I knew there was more to it than just loving it. I love eating ice so much that I can’t imagine it being a health problem for which I need to be checked. I was a restaurant worker since my teens and was always at the ice machine…yes…I got teased because eating ice apparently represented a sexual deficiency of some kind…wrong of course. Now I’m 46 and still eat ice. I even have my pitbulls eating ice with me…like its so cute! Ugh…denial! I don’t want to not love ice. I can’t wait for it to snow so I can go outside and eat…snow AND icicles!…and I live in Brooklyn! Thanks y’all, for the slap in the face.
my god, reading this has convinced me =at last , that i am not the only ice chewer on this planet . i really thought something was seriously wrong with me , i am 39 , married with 4 kids who mind you , have also started munching on ice….as of tomorrow, i am going to get myself some iron pills because it is getting out of control now…i also have ulcerative colitis – i find ice cravings to be something like coffee cravings for the average coffee drinker. i love my ice = but i think it is going a bit far now because my teeth have started to hurt. what i do now is keep the tray out until the ice softens and then chew and annoy everyone around me. i need to control this asap. have to get some iron and see if it works or not………..thank you all for helping me realize i am not nuts. i too have heavy periods. just crazy , isn’t it ?
I don’t get it, Ice is a solid form of water, your saying that people who eat ice (basically drinking water) are anemic? I’ve chewed ice for 10 years now and I have never been diagnosed with anything, I’ve always had energy to play, run around, w/e. Maybe I’m different. The only time I run out of energy is when I finish a fight with the flu. I can’t take full concept of this because it just doesn’t make sense. It’s like saying getting the urge to drink water makes you anemic (at least in my world it does.) Could anybody clear this up for me? Or at least try?
I also eat a lot of ice I am 43 years old and have been eaten ice since the birth of my son which was 20 years ago. I have tried but to no avail have I succeeded. The doctor just said that I have pica, at first I didn’t understand but when I got ill at work I realized that my iron was extremely low, and that I had an iron defeciency problem. I just can’t seem to kick the cravings for the ice. I’ve tried iron supplements but all they do is constipate me. I can eat a 10lb bag of ice within 2 days and thats on a good day. When I was pregnant with my children I could eat that in a run of a day. I have cut back a great deal but I want to cut it out all the way but it is a hard feat.
Hello, My name is Rhonda, I’m addicted to ice! Glad to see I’m not alone.
hey buddies am jyoo….from malaysia….,I’m crazy addicted to ice! Glad to see I’m not alone.my parents alwiz will shout at me 4 takin alot of ice like crazy……sum of ma fren oso will amazing when i eat d ice non stop…..am juz 20 years…..but i didnt gone tru any dr advice…..but i luv ice tooooooo much……its nice 2 crunch…..luv u ice…..10x 4 begging my buddy when am alone……
I am glad to know I am not alone! I LOVE to eat ice!!! I can’t go a day without it. I eat probably 3-4 32 oz glasses of ice per day. I went to the Dr. today and told her I was feeling exhausted, depressed, etc. and also told her I eat ice 24/7. I can’t live without it. She told me I might be anemic. I have to go have blood tests done later today. I too have had irregular and very heavy menstrual cycles with lot’s of clots, and I think this might have a lot to do with the ice eating. No other Dr. I have gone to has ever said anything about my ice-eating and it being related to anemia. My husband thinks I am a freak because I eat so much ice. I even got mad at him the other day because he threw away a cup of ice I had planned on eating. It’s good to know others have the same problem. Cheers!
Sonic Ice by the bag…..gotta have it. I’ve only been chewing ice this constant for a few months. It was only when I was pregnant. Went to my office Christmas party and where others were drinking I was holding the bucket of ice and eating the ice. They just shake their head. One of my co-workers also mentioned that eating ice meant sexually frustrated and I couldn’t count that one out because I’d rather be eating ice!! (instead of doing….LOL) Well, I best make a dr’s appointment and get this under control. Thanks for all the amazing stories that I have read and good luck to each one on their quest of “ice chewing”.
i too crave ice!! like a previous poster…i put the cubes in my blender to make pure ice slushies…i live 20 minutes from work and once left on my lunchbreak just to make myself an ice slushieee….i’m at work now and craving an ice slushie!
I am almost 35. I have been an ice cruncher since being pregnant with my daughter when I was 21. I have told docs repeatedly, and they have done the typical tests. My iron is always fantastic. I do not have any internal bleeding or anemia. The insatiable phase had begun when I was pushing 30. There had been times when I was out of ice at home and was scrambling in the middle of the night to find even the littlest tidbit of ice on the bottom of the freezer. NOTHING CAN BE SUBSTITUTED FOR ICE-PERIOD. At times, my teeth ache and I have to take some aspirin and call it quits for the day, but I am back at it the next day. My teeth are in perfect shape also. I always tell dentist of the issue as well, and never a concern is brought up. There HAS to be something to this that docs just don’t understand.
so so amazing, I am 32yrs old, had the iud inserted for birth control 2 years ago, this made me have very heavy menstrual periods. the past few months have been my worst, i crunch on ice till i literally start shaking with cold, i feel weak and dizzy alot these days, this website has answered my problems,i will definately have myself checked and start on some iron intake for sure…good luck to you all and lets try to stop crunching.
Yes I know the craving for ice!
I eat ice all day long. I have ice sitting on the tub when I bathe, when I do laundry it’s right there on the washer. I have become a one able arm woman because there is no way that cup of ice is leaving my hand!!! I have also became a one handed driver. When I say that I’m never without ice….I mean it.
Now I know to see the Dr. about it.
Thanks.
DANGER! DON’T FREEZE YOUR ICE IN PLASTIC BOTTLES!
Yes yes, I’m one of you and I’m just as befuzzled as the rest of you, but that’s not why I’m posting. Apparently, a lot of you are freezing your ice in plastic bottles. YOU MUST STOP! I got an email not too long ago which was titled: “Johns Hopkins Is Telling About Cancer.” Let me quote 3 things from this article:
1.”Every person has cancer cells in the body.”
2.”An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding them with the foods they need to multiply.”
3. “Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer.Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don’t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.”
Granted, I have not yet verified this to be true, because I don’t personally get my ice by this method, but don’t let that stop the rest of you from looking into it. I’ve heard the same dioxin information from a couple other sources as well. Don’t let your ice addictions cause an even BIGGER problem!
DIOXINS POST IS FALSE
Sorry to have scared anyone. I’m the one who posted about dioxins in plastic bottles, but I just went to a Johns Hopkins website and found this:
“Email Hoax Regarding Freezing Water Bottles and Microwave Cooking
The Internet is flooded with messages warning against freezing water in plastic bottles or cooking with plastics in the microwave oven. These messages, frequently titled “Johns Hopkins Cancer News” or “Johns Hopkins Cancer Update,” are falsely attributed to Johns Hopkins and we do not endorse their content.
Freezing water does not cause the release of chemicals from plastic bottles.”
That’s what I get for not checking before posting!
ICE LOVERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!!!!!
You are my tribe. Finally I’ve found you. Where’s the meeting place? Will there be ice or should I bring my own? I can see it now…beautiful ice sculptures everywhere. No, seriously I too am addicted to ice in a crazy way. I am a healthcare professional and should know better but I don’t do better. I knew that it was PICA and I needed iron, but I am non-compliant with treatment. It’s like I just want to hold on to this crazy habit because it’s too much fun or something. I have even become an ICE SNOB in that I now want ultra filtered water to be frozen. I can relate to all the people that shared their favorite ice shapes. I need Jesus!
Dear ice cravers;
As a fp in ohio, ice chewing/craving is a dead giveaway for iron def anemia. It was taught to me in med school at Wright State University. It pains me that so many of these comments concern people who told their doctors this only to get “blank stares” etc. This is a dead giveaway. I ask all people, esp. women c/o fatigue about chewing ice and I’ ve dx’ed anemia in >100 pts in 15 years!!!!
I have been eating ice for years (normally a glass or three). But I never thought of the connection till a co-worker today said it might be a problem. I have been eating a great deal lately(8-10 glasses a day) and it is probably due to the new diet I went on two weeks ago combined with the fact that I am perpetually anemic, it has just become worse. I have taken iron pills in the past but after reading several of the other post on the page I’m concerned.
I have always had heavy periods. Most doctors just go “here take iron and birth control pills” but I have never had any other extensive test done for my heavy and irregular menstrual flows. I think I may need to go to the doctor… perhaps friday
I have been craving ice since November I can’t go a day without my ice water bottles I put in the freezer I had blood work done a week ago and my hemoglobin is 7.7 low out of range and also my red blood cell count at 3.35 I d now know that ice craving is a symptom of anemia.
i am just a normal popular 14 year old girl and suddenly about a year ago i did everything in my will to chew ice. my mom thought i was anemic because i sleep a lot and seem kind of weak. but i am a freshman and play varsity basketball and varsity volleyball and a basketball club team so it wears me out a lot. my mom made me take a blood test and said everything came out fine. she also always says to eat beans cus i need iron.
every morning when i go to school i take my starbucks mug or whatever and fill it up with ice so i have it for 1st period. and at lunch i get a big cup of ice tea and i tell them to fill it up all the way with ice. that lasts me till the end of school and i tell my mom to bring me ice when she picks me up. sometimes if i go w/o it for too long i rush to my freezer and reach my hand in the automatic ice maker and shove the cubes in my mouth. the ice in my freezer is always very dry so before u eat it u should rinse it or put it in with water so it gets like smoothe and wet. but numerous times i cannot help myself so i shove it in my mouth knowing what its gonna do and it s sticks to my tongue and lips and all in my mouth so i have to rip it off and it leaves my mouth bleeding, and then gets scabs inside. before when my ice maker wasnt working i would have to freeze something like a 2 liter and thin get a knife and cut the top off so i could scoop out the frozen and eat it. everyone tells me to stop chewing ice because its bad for your teeth and i have already chipped a lot of my teeth from just breaking it on my side teeth. also when i am in stores like walmart,food for less, or any markets and i see those big glass things where they keep the bags full of ice to buy, i go in there and rip the bag open and grab a handfull of ice to take with me. everytime i leave my house and cannot take a cup of ice i just take a handful while im on my way. also before i had the ice maker, i would turn the freezer temperature REALLY high so everything would get really frozen and that caused like little iceburgs to hang from some parts and ice would form around certain stuff in the freezer. before i went to bed i would have to just have some ice but i would end up sitting on the floor at night next to my freezer licking my freezer for any cold ice or ice bergs or anything.
so most of these people seem to have some kind of problem with them which makes u crave ice but i got a blood test and i am fine so i dont know what is wrong with me.i also dont have a really heavy period like most of these people do. but when i got my period in 6th grade i never got it every month like everyone else did. i skipped lots of montths and had it for like 4 days.then i would skip like 5 months and would only get it when i like physically talked about it to someone.
So i am obsessed with chewing ice like it is just candy to me. not to be immature or anything but i have heard that chewing on ice makes u a sex addict, and on another one of these comment things someone said that chewing ice means u havnt had sex or something but i am a virgin so this whole ice craving is confusing to me. so i hope this ice addiction doesnt carry on for a bunch of years like 10 like i have read on other peoples comments. WOW my teeth will be gone by then. but if anyone knows why i crave ice besides like the symptom of something please let me know.
thank you =]
<333
Well…I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one! I can’t stop. I eat, on average, 10 lbs of ice every day. I carry a small cooler around with me everywhere. I know its bad for my teeth, but they don’t hurt so I’m ignoring that fact. I’m always COLD. I asked a nurse friend one time if the constant change of temp in the body was bad for your insides. She said no but it makes your body work harder. That was something for me to consider since I’m a very small person, 5′4″ weighing 98 pounds. I may very well be anemic because my eating habits are terrible. I’ll give the iron a try and discuss this ice with my doc. I can’t imagine being without my ice…it’s so refreshing!
I am so glad to see this post. I have been having this craving for ice every since I have been diagnosed with diabetes 21/2 years ago. I have notice my period are very heavy and yes I have also been told that I am anemic. I though I was the only one having this problem. Is is good to know that I am not alone and with the infomation that I have received from this post, I will definitely be contacting my doctors. Thanks
I’ve been addicted to ice for 6 years. It was so bad that I would go through trays and trays a day. My family thought it was weird. I never had enough energy either-so they thought I was depressed AND odd.
I wanted to give blood a few months ago but I was denied because I was iron deficient. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor and they confirmed that I was anemic. I now take iron supplements and my addiction is virtually gone. And I have a lot of energy.
I still don’t understand how I was addicted to frozen water. How does ice relate to iron deficient anemia? I would love to understand more.
I have an ice-chewing problem…I knew it was serious when I got more excited about finding an electronic ice crushing machine than I did about getting a big bonus at work! This is serious stuff here. Thank you to all who have posted before me. I’ll be purchasing B12 with iron and try the suppliment. We’ll just have to wait and see! Was anyone ever able to figure out if the ice has any lasting negative affects on your internal organs?
Just recently, I began chewing ice. It became very extreme I woke up chewing ice and went to bed chewing ice. My family too was very concerned – I was always cold and extremely tired – I went and had a physical and fibroids were found, big ones, and my blood count was terribly low. My doctor prescribed iron pills (325 mg per pill 3 times a day) Ice craving went away same day I began taking the pills.
Doctors call it PICA – check out this website (http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/pica.html)
“Although consumption of some items may be harmless, pica is considered to be a serious eating disorder that can sometimes result in serious health problems such as lead poisoning and iron-deficiency anemia.
nutritional deficiencies, such as iron or zinc, that may trigger specific cravings (however, the nonfood items craved usually don’t supply the minerals lacking in the person’s body)”
Yet another ice-eater in the ranks. 27-yr old female, with a menstrual cycle that never stops. I haven’t had a dry day since 2003, and even then, it was only for about a week.
I didn’t start craving ice until I was using meltwater to calm stomach cramps. Once I began, though, I haven’t been able to stop.
I am severely anemic (not sure of the count, but when I went to donate blood, the drop just stayed pilled up on the surface, and barely made a dent in the water) because of this neverending menstruation, though I have been assured by ever doctor I’ve seen that I’m completely normal. … Right. Sure. Bleeding heavily every single day is normal. Uh-huh. No doctor will listen to my request for a hysterectomy (don’t want kids, never have; if I meet the ‘right man,’ he won’t try to force or convince me to have them), and iron supplements give me cramps far worse than the “moose-killers” I experience on a regular basis.
I suspect most of my problems (excessive sleepiness, ice-chewing, Black Moods, and so on) are a result of anemia, hypothyroidism set off by a nasty case of mono, and depression. There are reasons I don’t want to breed–no child deserves to go through this.
The advice of taking prenatal vitamins has intrigued me, and I’m definitely going to look into it. I’ve jokingly toyed with the idea before, but never tried it. Until I can for one, get medical insurance, and two, get a doctor to understand that birth control doesn’t work (I’ve tried sixteen pill types), the IUD didn’t work (and gave me a chronic UTI, darnit), and that menstruating every single day is *not* normal, I’m stuck with pagophagia like the rest of us.
This is incredible! I had a blood test today and was told that I was anemic, with the hemoglobin level well below the normal range. Wanting to find out more about anemia, I did a search on the internet but the thing that really caught my attention was the mention of ice craving! I’ve been eating ice for a few years now (I add a bit of lemon juice to the ice tray) but thought it was nothing more than a personal quirk and had no idea it was associated with anemia! I suspect the anemia might be caused by my heavy period (although mine doesn’t seem as heavy as what other people have said in these comments) but I’ve made an appointment to see a doctor about it next month. In the meantimes, I’ve been prescribed some iron supplements today so I’ll see what happens.
Hello Fellow Ice Crunchers! Seems there are a lot of us out there. My mom snacked on ice when I was a little girl and we all knew she knew where to get the best ice. I thought I got the habit from watching her. I remember my mother telling me long ago that I was slightly anemic. I returned last week from a 3-week cruise to Europe and I have to tell you, my ice addiction became well known by the crew. It got to the point that when I ordered a drink, they’d bring it with extra ‘rocks’ and bring a cup of ice to go with it. The 24-hour buffet area had unlimited ice machines – soft little round balls of ice – you could always find me there.
I have been ice chewing for about two years now. I just figured it was a nervous habit I had. It seems to be getting worse. Every morning before work I stop and buy a large cup of Sonic ice. I even buy ice by the bag from Sonic or Chicken Express. When I visit my mom I live at Dairy Queen. They have the softest ice I have found yet. It is just like snow cone ice. Very Good!!! I’ve been told before that it is a sign of anemia. In fact, I have a co-worker who was a big ice chewer and started taking iron pills. She no longer craves ice. I love ice soooooo much I don’t want to give up this craving. That’s why I won’t go to the doctor. Is that crazy or what?
OMG…I could just…cry. I come from a family of ice eaters…mostly all the women. I can think about ice ans my mouth literally starts watering!!!
I too go through almost an 8lb bag of ice a day. I eat ice so much that I know which ice is the “good” ice…meaning whatever water was used to make it…the ice is a softer chew. I don’t eat ice cubes from faucet water unless I am out of the good stuff and I am 1/2 past desperate.
At work…I get comments and questions because I always have a big ole cup filled of ice in my hand or on my desk. I bring my own ice to work too.
I BUY a 8lb bag of ice at least 3-4times a week from Pathmark. Thank God it is close to my job and on my way home.
All the cashiers in the store call me the “ice lady” and they laugh when they see me coming. The other nite I went for a bag of ice and to my horror the freezer was off and all that precious ice was beginning to melt….when I tell you what happened after I told one of cashiers the ice was melting reminded me of a code-blue on E.R. I would not be exaggerating.
It was promptly announced over the store loud-speaker with the seriousness and urgency of someones heart stopping.
Anyway…just glad to see other people bring ice to work too. I carry a bucket (thank you local motel ice machine…they have great ice too!)
Ok..the more I type…lol…the crazier I sound.
I am glad to report I will be seeing a doctor next week for all the tests and hopefully this madness will end!
I’ve always heard that you need trace amounts of iron in your food, so I cook in cast iron pots and skillets. If you put a cast iron item in a dishwasher, it will strip the coatings off the pan and it will rust, producing iron oxide. If it can put off iron oxide like that, it can provide the trace amounts of iron that you need just by the food being cooked in the pot. You see more people talking about anemia today because folks are now cooking in stainless, aluminum/silverstone and copper pots and pans instead of the old cast iron pots and pans. To me the cast iron is so much more durable, they can literally last a lifetime and stand up to abuse and are easy to take care of and clean.
After looking at all of these comments from people…i can finally say i am not alone….thank
God. Well to start of i’m 19 years old and i been eating ice for about three years. I eat ice most of the day and at night before i go to sleep. One of my friend told me that i may be anemic and i did not pay any attention to her. This morning while i was eating ice i suddenly thought about what she told me and looked up on the internet for “ice chewing”. What i found surprised me that so many people have the same problem as me. After reading this post i am really going to see my doctor for proper treatment.
P.s. thnks tis post helped me alot.
My follow up: After reading these posts, I dedicided to see my gyn. Turns out my iron level was 8 – normal range is 11- 16. I’ve been on an iron supplement for just over a month now, and the ice cravings are gone! I have so much more energy, yawn less – its wonderful. I didn’t realize how dragged down I had been. Now, they are testing to see why my iron levels are low. It looks like its not a major problem but it could have been.
Ladies – see your doc about this!
Hi, in the past I have heard that craving ice is a sign of anemia; however, I cannot find why! What is it that makes a person crave ice. As has been stated, there is nothing substantial about it. About 2yrs. ago, I had a huge drop in my H & H and it was also found that my iron count and storage were very low. The docs. treated with transfusing 5units. But, nothing about iron. I found when I was pregnant that I could not tolerate iron pills. Now, for the past 4 or 5 months, I eat about 6-10 32oz cups of crushed ice daily and would get more if available. I went to my doc. yest. they did labs and again, I have hardly any iron or iron stores and my B12 is very low. They are starting me on B12 injections daily for a week, then once a week for 3 weeks and I have to follow up with a GI doc. for the upper/lower scopes. I have often heard of PICA, but can any one tell me what makes one crave weird stuff like this? What is the rationale? Thanks.
I have recently developed a CRAZY need for ice. I don’t care much for cubes (they hurt my teeth). I use the crushed ice maker in my refridgerator and add water – then put it in the blender! I have a 20 oz glass on my way to work each day. At lunch I go to the store in by building for a 32 oz cup of that really soft chewable ice (like they have at Sonic). On my way home I get a 32 oz. ice only shaved ice sno-cone. Then usually at least 3 more blenders like in the morning. I have spent so much at the sno-cone shop lately that my husband just went on-line and ordered me an ice shaving machine (it is supposed to deliver tomorrow – I can’t wait!) This is a very new craving for me but it has taken over my life! I saw my doc the other day and he did blood work – but I haven’t heard back from him yet. It is just good to know I am not the only ICE NUT out there!
I’m a 20 year old woman and have been craving ice for the past couple of years. I get called ‘the ice queen’ by those that I live with. I didn’t know this addiction was this common. I’m a vegetarian (and have been all my life), and I suspect I may be slightly anaemic, I do feel tired sometimes, even after a day of doing nothing.
I go through phases of ice cravings, sometimes I get through three 2k bags a week. Other times I don’t even think about ice. The past month has been the worst. I think perhaps I need to see a doctor. I love to crunch up big cubes and I’m worried about the effect it has on my teeth, also my family can’t stand the crunching when they’re trying to watch the TV. But it’s like an unsatisfiable thirst.
Interesting. I’m not sure where I heard it before but as soon as eating ice was mentioned i thought of Anemia.
Wow!!… I too am a hugh ice Fan (lol). I have been in love w/ice for over 35yrs now..I have brought over 8 Hawaiian Ice Shavers from Target.(LOL).I eat at least 20lbs of shaved Ice daily..I live in Florida but, I keep the Heater on year round.(LOL).My family & friends hate coming to my home..(LOL).By the way, I too am a anemic & have heavy periods..I sometimes take iron supplement for my anemia. So when the cravings are outrageously uncontrollable, I know that my hemoglobin is low..Good to know that I am not alone with these bizzar cravings. (LOL)
I really enjoyed reading your stories..But what I really want to know is, why do Anemics crave Ice ?? There's gotta be some medical explaination other than the link to low hemoglobin..just saying…
OK—I gotta go shave more ice!!
Peace,
LaLa from Florida
I’m an ice eater. I also suffer from fribroids, anemia and had a total thyroidectomy due to cancer. I notice several others have a similar combinaion of issues. Odd, I always wondered if they were connected. I was in my mid 30s when they discovered the nodules on my thyroid and shortly after my doctor mentioned fibroids during my yearly well-woman exam. I had gone every year and he had never mentioned the fibroids before my thyroid issue was discovered. Currently my doctor tells me I am no longer anemic but I continue to crave ice therefore I suspect it may also have something to do with my thyroid medication not being quite correct (hypothyroid). I never run a regular body temp and normally run about 97.6 or lower. I freeze to death all the time and yet I continue to consume ice while holding a heating pad in my lap or sitting in front of a small space heater because I’m driven to eat the stuff. My doctor will not increase my thyroid medication because he said I am within the “normal” range (normal for who?). As for my anemia, I was unable to take most iron supplements because my digestive system would not tolerate any of them. I would either throw them up or they would shut down the entire system so food did not move through as it should. My doctor ended up prescribing Proferrin which is a heme iron polypeptide (HIP)described by the website as more tolerable because its food. Its made from the red blood cells of bovine so I wouldn’t recommend it if your a vegetarian but my system does tolerate it very well. I was a very healthy person prior to the discovery of the thyroid cancer/fibroids and miss my former self.
Chicago…No insurance…..I eat ice everyday…..question? Please answer…Can eating ice cause…let’s say hardening of cooking oil used in foods in your body and heart valves….I can’t stop eating ice…I have tried….I am large and definitely a health hazard to myself…I am 210 pounds, but don’t look the part….also does ice put weight on your body…help me understand….Thanks
I started eating ice when I was a cocktail waitress. I didn’t have time to eat so I would munch on ice all night. It got to the point where I was eating crushed ice right from the machine on my fridge. Thank God it was filtered because regular ice can taste nasty. I would eat ice once in awhile before but not like this. Now I am seeking out bigger cups. I took a new job and now I keep a big bag of the glacier brand ice in the freezer at work. Its only a bit after 11 am and I am on my fourth big cup of ice. I cant even drive home without ice or go to a restaurant without eating ice. Its kind of funny because I always have a cup of ice and the servers ask me if I want more water. I say no, Its just ice, as I put my hand over the top of the cup to protect it. I don’t like drinking water. I have been severely anemic all of my life and have had a few blood transfusions. I have never been addicted to anything. I don’t smoke and I don’t use drugs. Ice is my drug of choice and I cant imagine giving it up. I think its healthier to eat ice, get hydrated and not eat junk all day. I wont give up eating ice but I am glad to know I am not alone out there. I thought I was strange.
Yay I’m glad I’m not the only ‘crazy ice eater lady’!
Im 22 and Ive been craving and munching on ice for about 6 months now. Before ice I was addicted to hard mints and chewing gum. Yes I know, weird.
I realised my ice obsession was abnormal when I started to go to McDonalds drive through just to order ice in a cup. Sad huh haha.
Ironically while waiting for the water in the ice cube tray to freeze I decided to google ‘i eat too much ice’. Im so glad i found this. Ive had the dizzy spells and unusually heavy (for me) periods. Now I can do something about it.
Good luck to all of you ladies! And er men if there are any!
I started craving ice about 2 years ago. I drove my wife and coworkers crazy eating it. I was slowly getting paler. I didn’t notice it but those who didn’t see me very often did.
I went to the doctor and found out I was anemic from blood loss do to a colon cancer tumor. I was two pints low on blood. After all that was taken care of, I have no desire to eat ice.
So if you crave ice and are getting paler, you are probably low on blood or iron. Something is not right. Go see a doctor.
My hematologist told me that he would cure my pagophagia, so he raised my Aranesp dosage, and it did eventually work.
Now when I start munching ice, I know that it’s time to start my current brand of Poetin injections again.
Interestingly, he told me that anemia wasn’t just associated with munching ice, but also things like uncooked rice, uncooked spaghetti noodles … etc … anything that goes crunch in serious way.
I have been an ice eater on and off for about, oh, 42 years or so.
Well, I gotta run… the thermometer’s getting red; and when the thermometer gets red, the temperature goes up; and when the temperature goes up, I start to melt; and when I start to melt, I get all wishy-washy.
Glad I found this article. I’m on the verge of killing my co-worker for obnoxiously chomping ice very loudly ALL DAY. Now, maybe I can helpfully suggest some iron supplements or something. Be aware that your ice chomping can be highly annoying to those near you.
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