I have been anemic most of my adult life off and on. I have weight loss surgery 2 years ago and it has gotten worse because of the mallabsorbtion issues (no other complications though). I have had ice cravings over the past few years but over the past year it got way worse to the point that I was eating 7 pounds of ice (the small bag that you can buy) every 2 days (and this was only the evenings when i was home). About 6 months ago my surgeon did a blood count and my iron and B12 was low. They told me to get a B12 shot at my family doctor. I got a B12 shot and my blood drawn again. After the B12 shot i felt much better and didn't crave the ice as much anymore. My PCP called and said my blood counts were normal! :confused: How is it that i have this crazy ice craving that got better after the shot if I am not anemic??? I want to quit chomping ice but I can't help it. it's like a crazy adiction that I can't control. I'm driving the people I work with CRAZY! I feel bad but I can't stop. Anyone else have this?

Hi MandyvPandy

I can certainly relate to your ice cravings. I used to rate restaurants by what kind of ice they had - I always preferred the smaller cubes that I could chomp on easier and I knew which restaurants had them! My husband would eat a bowl of potato chips and I would eat ice.

When I found out that I had low hemoglobin and iron counts I was sent to a hematologist. He asked me if I chewed ice ! When I told him yes he said that is a symptom of iron deficiency but to refrain from chewing it because it was not good for you. To make a long story short, in February I had to have an iron transfusion. Since then my iron counts have stayed up and I have not craved the ice.

Are you iron counts still low? Did you know that chewing ice is also bad for your teeth? I knew that but it didn't stop me from chomping. Let me know how you're doing. Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving. B. :wave:

Hi MandyvPandy

I can certainly relate to your ice cravings. I used to rate restaurants by what kind of ice they had - I always preferred the smaller cubes that I could chomp on easier and I knew which restaurants had them! My husband would eat a bowl of potato chips and I would eat ice.

When I found out that I had low hemoglobin and iron counts I was sent to a hematologist. He asked me if I chewed ice ! When I told him yes he said that is a symptom of iron deficiency but to refrain from chewing it because it was not good for you. To make a long story short, in February I had to have an iron transfusion. Since then my iron counts have stayed up and I have not craved the ice.

Are you iron counts still low? Did you know that chewing ice is also bad for your teeth? I knew that but it didn't stop me from chomping. Let me know how you're doing. Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving. B. :wave:
I also have a chronic iron deficiency, but because I have very sensitive teeth, I only crave shaved ice such as what you would get in a slushy or Italian Ice treat. But the crunchies still occur in the form of pretzels salted or not, doesn't matter, or peanuts, or the fake fat fried potato chips, (don't like taste of real oil any more, it all tastes stale)My theory is that in some way or shape the iron craving makes us want to eat which makes us want to chew just as we lose our appetites for nutrition, so we end up chewing or eating non-nutritious foods, due to the altered perceptions and tastes due to the anemia. Isn't that just a squirrel loop and a half?

thanks for the replies. Yes, I know it's bad for my teeth LOL. I can't seem to stop though. it has gotten better after the B12 injection but still not cured. it was so bad at one time that i could not fall asleep if i did not have a bag of ice in the house, could not leave the house w/o a cup and knew what kind of ice every supermarket had etc. the doctor said my blood result were now normal. i had them take them again because i thought maybe they got the results messed up. I'm waiting on the 2nd test results.

I, myself, never had ice-cravings even when I had hemoglobin of 5 and required more than one blood transfusion. My ferritin level is still so low it is undetectable. I know "ice-craving" is a common symptom of anemia.

I wonder why most people seem to experience these cravings while others don't?! :confused:

Wow! I never even knew anamia caused this! I have been obsessed with chomping ice since i was like 8 yrs old..and thought it was just me..and was normal.. I've always had low iron aswell! But i didn't know it was because of anamia! I am anaemic with very low ferritin! Do i need to go see a doctor about this??...-.-

I hear about the ice cravings all the time. I didn't crave ice, but I did crave carrots. What is it about this hard crunchy stuff. The cravings go away when my blood goes up.

When I had IDA and my ferritin was 4, I liked cold water and would crave cold soda pop...non diet every so often. I craved steak and would eat the thawed frozen spinich from the box ....didn't want to wait to cook it.

I too crave ice like crazy! My iron count at present is 82 :(

I am new to this board and for the last about 7 months I have become an ice fanatic. I would have have never imagined there was a correlation between ice cravings and anemia. Why is that?

I too craved ice, I was both iron and B-12 anemic, the ice soothed my sore tongue, chewing is a stress reliever, and it soothed my upset stomach. It's a coping mechanism, I suspect. I'm no longer crave ice! I don't think you can OD on B-12, get some OTC and maybe it will help!

My cravings include ice, coffee grounds straight from the can, and burnt microwave popcorn! I have an aunt who craves the ice and coffee grounds, too. I am on b12 shots and Fergon. Praying it will work and relieve my crazy cravings.

Even if your ferratin level comes back in the normal range, it could be at the low end of the range. Mine was at the low end and the doctor didn't think it was worth mentioning to me I guess. This was over 10 years ago. Figured it out myself when I ended up with RLS, another symptom of anemia. Iron supplements with vitamin C (to help absorb the iron) worked for me. I also include a B-complex vitamin, and a regular multi-vitamin. I'm symptom-free now. My craving was burnt match heads by the way. LOL Eating this weird stuff is called Pica. Very unhealthy, and in the case of my eating burnt match heads, potentially dangerous.

Would you please tell me what is RLS? Restless leg syndrome?

Yes I am familiar w/ Pica. I have heard of some terrible cases of it. Even one lady who craved and ate typing paper! Thank you for your reply.

Would you please tell me what is RLS? Restless leg syndrome?

Yes I am familiar w/ Pica. I have heard of some terrible cases of it. Even one lady who craved and ate typing paper! Thank you for your reply.Hi Katie,
Yes, it's Restless Leg Syndrome.

Hey I eat ice like its going out of style my Dr said it was because of my anemia. I have metal teeth thanks to a softball so i can handle the crunching my friends just hate the sound of it though. My anemia is related to lupus been anemic for years and didnt know why. well keep on crunching
Jenny

Wow that is so weird..i eat ice too..i thought i was the only one! My iron ferratin level is 7. I always thought ferratin was the same thing as hemoglobin

I am obsessed with ice coffee at the moment even though it is cold outside!

This is very common with IDA. I am anemic and crave ice and popsicles(and it's 20 degrees where I live now!). I could eat a box of popsicles and still want more!

I have anemia and all the side effects , even had the ice craving. what i would like to say is when your docters say things like your levels are fine, or there is nothing to be worried about then question him for the exact hemaglobin level, my level was 5 and i was realy suffering, and was onlly told it was anemia when i was admitted to hospital to have a heart reveal divice fitted which i didnt need because it was anemia causing the chest pain not my heart if you see what i mean, my anemia had been over looked because my docter thought a level of 8 was fine and never thought that this was the cause of my symtoms your levels can fluctuate and while some may cope which a certain level others who have a small drop can feel dredfull , get to know what the correct level should be and when you have a blood test always ask what the hemaglbin level is dont be fobbed of with its not to bad or it seems fine, :bouncing: ASK

I had ice cravings to bad I would also go through a small bag of ice in 2 days if it lasted that long and that was with me working full time also. I had those cravings for a long time and it wasn't until I started having problems with numbness in my hands and feet and went to my dr and a neurologist that they figured out that I was b12 deficient and extremely anemic, I had no detectible feritin level a hematacrit of 20 and several other iron tests that were extremely low. I now get b12 shots every month and have to have monthy iron transfusions in a port in my chest (as I have no veins for a regular iv)which I will have for the rest of my life due to the fact I don't metabolize either one from what I eat so the tablets and liquid iron did not do a thing. I don't crave the ice anymore but I know I need to see my hematologist and do more frequent transfusions when I start to crave ice again as they do my blood work and things have dropped again. :wave:

Kenziesmom,
I'm so sorry you have to go through that. I couldn't imagine having to have iron infusions and shots every month. I know I don't metabolize iron either. I've had to take higher and higher doses over the years just to remain symptom free. Most of it just passes through my system. I'm beginning to wonder if I don't metabolize B12 either. I really wish I could go back to a doctor and have some blood work done. Not any time soon I'm afraid. :(

I hope the rest of you on this board are getting checked by a doctor. Those cravings are not as harmless as they appear. They're usually a symptom of a serious deficiency.

Hi,

I've had a few bouts of anemia. My iron levels just started dropping again, and I knew because the ice craving came back, though this time, it's not severe (1-2 pieces satisfy me).

I won't advocate eating extreme amounts of ice, but if you must have it, there are ways that won't ruin your teeth.
-- fill only the bottom of ice cube trays to make ice wafers. I find it's not that I need to chew them. I just want the breaking and release of cold water. The thin wafers break on my tongue, and even if I bite down, they're thin enough not to stress my teeth.
-- get a crushed ice machine or use a blender or smoothie machine to make crushed ice. You can eat it with a spoon from a bowl.

To the person who asked why anemia makes us crave ice, I don't think they know. It's just water, especially if you're drinking bottled distilled water, as I do.

I've wondered about letting the water sit in a cast iron pan before putting it in an ice cube tray, to give it some iron content....

I am full on 9 months pregnant and this is my second pregnancy. During both of my pregnancies I developed an enormous Ice addiction. 10 lbs bags every 3 days. I always chomped on ice growing up but never to such an extent. However, at the end of my first pregnancy, the cravings subsided. I wonder if i developed a temporary iron deficiancy or anemia only during my pregnancy? :confused:

Hi Mandy,
I had GB 5 years ago, I'm dealing with several malapsorption issues, anemia runs in my family so I was born with it, but it got worse after the GB, this past march my hemoglobin dropped to around a 6, my hemo doc put me on weekly ferlicit and I am just now getting around to the beginning of the normal range. Cookie is right it's called Pica, I had a serious ice chewing habit, but literally after like 3 weeks of the ferlicit the ice craving completely disapeared. It was strange because I never realized how much time I spent at home chewing ice.

As a GB postop, make sure you get complete bloodwork at least twice a year, that includes iron, vitamins A, D, B, calcium, all of it. Malapsorbtion complications can sneak up on you, even if youre eating healthy foods and taking all your vitamins.

OMG!!! I really cant believe this!! I also crave ice!! like crazy!! I get palpatations if there is no ice in the freezer! Im allways chewing on it!! And i have just found out today that i am anemic!!
How comes we crave ice when we are anemic??xxx