Do you chew on ice?

My wife, who had no interest in ice all of a sudden began to crave ice, about a bag a day for months until a friend told her it could be low blood iron. Although the ice didn’t contain iron it was a sympton and now that her iron level has increased her taste for ice has subsided. I know this doesn’t answer your question just thought you may want to explore the connection.

i eat ice all the time, when ever i have a soda or water, most of the time i put ice in it, and when im done, i eat the ice.
I also eat snow, mmmmm snow is good…

Constantly chewing on ice is a symptom of some behavioral medicine issues. Often this obsessive compulsive behavior is an indicator of a mania type of behavior – it can be a substitute for food for people who tend towards anorexia behavior as well. Hunger can be kept in check by chewing on ice. This person often believes (rightly or wrongly) she is fat. Run, don’t walk for a good medical check-up with a physician who is open to mental health referrals.

I was diagnosed with Anemia. Prior to and during this illness I ate ice constantly. Once I got the Anemia under control my cravings for ice completly diaspeared.

I am a gastric bypass patient, I had the surgery about two years ago. Within the past year I developed a craving for chewing ice, I too , like many others was obsessed with the need to chew ice. I was also diagnosed with anemia. I take iron supplements now twice a day and still can’t stop the ice chewing. I am wondering if I need to have my ferritin checked. I was also told that chewing ice was a condition called pagophagia. Look it up you might be enlightened.

As long as you don’t eat the yellow snow, I’m pretty sure you’ll be ok

I had anemia for a year and a half…….the crunching was on apples. I would literally eat 3 bags apples…..each being 3 pound bags a week. I simply could not get enough apples.

The doctors never heard of such a thing…..but after surgery and all was well….the cravings disappeared. I have since read that cravings for crunchy things….such as ice, apples, etc. can be a sign of anemia. It was called a one word title and I can’t seem to find it anywhere.

Does anyone know what this is called…….the craving and eating of ice / apples when one has anemia ??

I, like many others, also have a tendency to chew ice non stop. i am always told to stop cause it will wear my enamel on my teeth away. i have not gone in for a check for anemia. I think that if i told my family that i had anemia, they wouldn’t believe me. So i really don’t know what to do. Sorry i can’t help out!

hmmm… i read somewhere that other than the effects ice has on the teeth, studies have shown that chewing ice can be disastrous for the small intestine, large intestine, heart and many other organs. the reasons go… firstly, chewing ice and drinking cold water cause the organs to kind of produce much more heat to bring down the temperature of the body after consuming ice (must be in large quantities), and secondly, ice causes the hardening of fats and causes blockage in the arteries which then leads to a heart attack… well… that’s what i read though… so i guess its better to find another substitute that is less damaging to your body than ice…

This is exactly the thing I am afraid of.