Ice eaters beware!!! I am a 67 year old male who was diagnosed with anemia affter an episode of passing out in my den. I went immediately to the emergency room for a $4,000 visit to get this diagnosis, a cat scan, three vials of blood taken and xrays. The next week, my family practice physician had me admitted into the hospital for a blood tranfusion and other tests which is billed at over $12,000. I am a cardiac patient and have suffered with serious acid reflux which is helped a lot by my eating the ice.The medication prescribed for reflux causes my skin to itch and rash.so what is there to do??
I eat a lot of ice also and just found out it is due to anemia. I would like to know if the constant eating ice kills my taste buds nothing taste right to me. %-)
Hi, MY 22 year old daughter & I are both addicted to ice eating. We have mood swings . Don't want know one to touch our ice trays. Its crazy , Because we have special ice trays. I had fibrous remove so years ago ,I was addicted to ice than. After the surgery i stop eat ice. Now , Iam back eating ice like crazy. Iam also Anemia. :O :O
I live in Jamaica and even though it is not hot all the time i find myself popping ice all t he time.
My faily says i eat so much ice it's like my drug. It feels so good to chew ice.I even went ahead and bought a refridgerator that make cresent shaped ice. IT'S SO GOOOOOD.I even go through the ice and pick out the bit sized ones and place them in the freezer door for easy access.
I think i need help with this problem.
And i also wanted to know if eating too much ice could cause internal damage or problems
My faily says i eat so much ice it's like my drug. It feels so good to chew ice.I even went ahead and bought a refridgerator that make cresent shaped ice. IT'S SO GOOOOOD.I even go through the ice and pick out the bit sized ones and place them in the freezer door for easy access.
I think i need help with this problem.
And i also wanted to know if eating too much ice could cause internal damage or problems
Anemia can be caused by some blood leakage. So the doctor had me get a colonoscopy and an endoscopy. So what was causing the anemia? Probably it was hereditary. My Mom had it. The problem is that is leaves you fatigued. For some reason unknown to me, I started eating ice.....all the time. My doctor said that is common in people who are anemic. He thinks unconsciously you are trying to get iron out of the ice (of course there is not there, but the mind is funny). It's called "pica". When there's a deficiency, people try to find the solution....some kids eat dirt for minerals they are lacking. Once I went on daily iron pills the habit of ice chewing mostly went away. At one point I stopped the iron pills and I started chewing ice again. It's really important to have regular blood work done especially after 40. My daughter was happy when I stopped eating ice because her kids were picking up the habit. So yes--- chewing ice is definately a sign of possible anemia. Get it checked out and go on iron supplements.
I agree with all the comments here. I'm going through the same thing. I crunch ice all the time too. I don't drink very much water so I feel that eating ice at least gives me more water intake and helps dry mouth. I don't feel that it is a problem but family and friends seem to think it's not normal. I'm going this morning to have a blood test to see if I'm anemic. I will let you know the results as soon as I get them back. I'm 45 years old and I don't take vitamins or calcium like I should. Not much of a pill taker. By the way, I've never liked taking iron anyways as it has a horrible smell and taste.:-)Even when I was pregnant.
I like ice. To keep it from chipping my teeth, I bought an appliance to chip the ice in to little pieces. I have two ice trays a night and maybe one during the day. I fill up several glasses place them back in the fridge, then I take one glass and start on it immediately. I us a straw to suck up the snowy ice and it hits the roof of my mouth and I swallow it. I don't really chew it. I might hold it my mouth and suck on it. I have noticed the past couple of days I have been having severe pain. It started in my upper abdomen, across the bottom of my rib cage, and wrapping slightly around my flanks. Then in my middle abdomen and around to my middle back. Now it is across the kidney area and my abdomen just aches. It comes and goes and seems to come after I have had some ice. The past two nights I couldn't sleep I hurt so bad. Is eating ice causing this pain if so what is it? Any info would be appreciated.
I eat ice. A LOT of ice. I'm talking 3-4, sometimes 5 44 oz cups every day. I eat it when I feel like I want to snack. It helps me control my "eating out of boredom". I do not have anemia, or any other type of vitamin deficiency. Sometimes, people just eat ice cause that's what they like. If you feel like you have a medical problem, then by all means, see a doctor. But don't read too much into something, if you have no other symptoms. :-D
I had the same problem with eating a lot of ice and didn't know why... All I knew was that I had to have it and lot of it. I would send my poor husband to the store to buy bags of this special ice that were like little rounds pellets.. I would devour them and sometimes I wouldn't be hungry for food. Little did I know was that I had anemia and that is the reason I was craving ice. It got so bad that I damaged all my back teeth and when I got them fixed at the dentist I damaged them all again to the point that I have to get them pulled now. I wish I had known better now because I am so young and don't want to wear false teeth.
Good to hear there are so many ice crunchers out there.
Even tho I had a blood test results that indicated I was low in iron, I have had anemia before and I never got into eating ice.
I think that my "problem" started when I cut down on ciggaretes 4-5 months ago and I started chomping on ice as an anxiety relief.
I think in my case it's more psychological , than fiscal, the need to chew ice.
I just go to thefreezer. And grab a few ice cubes and crunch them down.
After reading a the post here, I think my problem is not that bad ... Yet. Will try to take all your stories as an eye opener and try to break this new compulsive behaviour I've developed. I also love flaked sea salt, but staying away from that one as it is worse for my health.
Just have to find healthier ways of releasing my anxieties.
Love and light to all...
Im glad im not the only one out there with this crazy habit, i feel just like a crack head about ice. I think about it all the time. I will be in bed at 11 at night eating ice my husband says "you ant right." But i can't seem to help myself its all i think about. I often think about how bad it is for me i have been like some i have read about the bloating. Ive been taking fluid pills to help with the water reteniton. My belly hurts all the time i don't want to eat all i want is the ice. I should be so skinny but im still about 25 lbs over weight. Ive got to quit this bad habit.
Hi y'all this is so weird ... I eat so much ice that I was being to think it had to do my a major illness. I'll just check my HB and follow up with iron supplements. And watch out for my teeth.
Hi, Ive been eating ice for about 5 months now. It started with my first cup from my job, which their ice machine makes that very frosty, soft, little cubes..yum lol. But as time passes I begin to crave this ice. Ive found this ice house down the street from my house that sells 16lb bags of this frosty ice for $2...I go through a bag a week. Im not to upset because I love the way the ice taste and feels when I eat it and on top of that I get the water intake I need that I usually dont get because I hate drinking water. Ive done some research and found out that it is very bad for your teeth. I feel like my teeth arent going to be as good in 30years anyways..I have no problem with wearing dentures lol....I know this is sad : (
Oh my! I thought I had a psychological disorder. It may have a little to do with it, considering that it calms my "cravings". I have been chewing ice for almost two decades (as long as I would care to remember). I guess it started because I use to have an extremely heavy cycle and I presume watching my mom do it after each meal doesn't help discourage me from doing this. What can be done about this now that we know we have this addiction? I know it's not good for me. I really can not stop and I have tried many times. I almost feel like there should be an Ice Chewers Anonymous because it's embarrassing to admit to anyone that this is truly a problem. But it really is! It's the source of my current growing problems. Being fatigued and visiting the dentist because your fillings keep coming out is not fun. I feel like I should take medication for it; the cravings are seriously as horrid as an alcoholic wanting to have that first drink. I need results but I don't know what will help me. Thank heavens, at the very least, I know I am not alone.
o.O
I am severely anemic from a genetic condition that causes gastrointestinal bleeding. I go in for weekly infusions of Venofer when I can as my condition also causes me to be unable to absorb iron from supplements and food well enough to bring my hematocrit up to a healthy level. There is another source of IV iron that can be given that I've had called iron dextran but I had a pretty severe reaction to it. It was more convenient because I could get it maybe twice a year and keep my levels up but also required me to be admitted to the hospital. Venofer I can get at the infusion center at my hematologist/oncologists office.
I have a terrible ice habit when my hematocrit drops below a certain level. I chew so much ice that I always have about ten trays of ice in the freezer and use a professional ice crusher(Waring Pro) to make the perfect size ice for chewing. I used to crush it in a ziploc bag with a mallet- lol. Anyhow- I always lose weight when I get to crunching ice because it is such a strong compulsion that I'd rather chew ice than eat, even if I do have to pee 14 times a day.
Anyhow, it is NOT GOOD to be so anemic that you crave ice. It isn't just that you could pass out or be tired, though those may be signs that you are anemic. It can cause mental confusion, heart arrhythmia and even death. Basically, your red blood cells can no longer bind the oxygen you need to keep your cells functioning normally. You feel tired because your body goes into a 'vital systems priority'. Your brain is being deprived of oxygen as are your muscles, including your heart. If you deprive your heart enough, it can be permanently damaged.
If you are craving ice, get your blood counts checked. If you are chronically anemic and your regular doctor is just telling you to take supplements and they make you sick or constipated and are thus non-compliant and think it is no big deal- please go see a hematologist or another doctor until you get help. At the very least you should be being monitored regularly to make sure you are not doing permanent damage to your body, your teeth aside.