Chewing Ice!!!

Nurses General Nursing

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What does everyone actually KNOW about the connection between being anemic and the insatiable appetite for chewing ice?? I know that it is generally acknowledged as a symptom of anemia, but no one can tell me WHY, an actual physiological reason. Hmm.

i heard chewing ice meant people were sexually frustrated. lol.

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Specializes in Operating Room.
i heard chewing ice meant people were sexually frustrated. lol.

:rotfl: I'd have to check a "Does not apply" on that one. :chuckle :chuckle :chuckle :chuckle

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I eat ice all the time. I can't control myself. I do not know if I am anemic or not. I kinda think that I might be because I stay tired all of the time. I had labs drawn on Tuesday but I have not gotten the results back yet. I figure that I will get them either tomorrow or Monday. I'll let you all know if I am anemic or not.

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One of my best friends is an ice chomper - 24/7. She knows where to get all the best ice in whatever town she's in - it's like she can smell it. Oh, and when I finally got her to go to the doctor, he told her it is a pica; it is related to iron deficiency and her body craves it due to this. Now what I don't understand is that she is on a strong iron supplement and mutivitamin which she takes faithfully - but it hasn't slowed her ice chomping down a bit. Does anyone think after doing it for so long it just becomes a habit?:rolleyes:

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My husband and I both chew ice... neither of us are anemic..just had labs done couple of months ago. I chew it because it provides hydration, I really don't like water and try not to have more than 1 caffienated cola a day. My teeth are ok...still have all the originals. So anemia, sexual frustration, bad habit :confused:.... maybe some people just like to chew ice :D

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@ nurselulu: Is your friend getting enough B12? Lack of it can cause anemia too.

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My 15 year old daughter goes through so many ice cube trays full a day it drives me crazy! She only puts in about 1/4 full of water to freeze them into small cubes. I originally thought about pica too, but then dismissed it. The crazy thing is that she had lab work done last year and she was slightly anemic. How interesting!! I had gotten her a chewable vitamin supplement, but we have both forgotten about it by now. I think I'll get the bottle out to remind me to have her start taking it again. Thanks so much for your information!:loveya: :loveya:

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@ nurselulu: Is your friend getting enough B12? Lack of it can cause anemia too.

Thanks for the input, Yes she does, SL B12- she's been on that awhile. Probably like someone else said, she just likes to chew it :uhoh3:

:nurse:nurselulu

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If I remember correctly, i think the excessive ice leeches the iron and subsequently you have decreased iron supply....thus the anemia.

I don't remember where I heard this but I believe it was in school. In any case, it's as good a rationelle as any other:chuckle

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What does everyone actually KNOW about the connection between being anemic and the insatiable appetite for chewing ice?? I know that it is generally acknowledged as a symptom of anemia, but no one can tell me WHY, an actual physiological reason. Hmm.

When you are anemic, you become dyspnic...that in turn leads to dry mouth causing you to crave ice...the cold and wet!....excuse my spelling!

This is just a thought that I came up with !

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What does everyone actually KNOW about the connection between being anemic and the insatiable appetite for chewing ice?? I know that it is generally acknowledged as a symptom of anemia, but no one can tell me WHY, an actual physiological reason. Hmm.

I always heard chewing ice was related to not having enough sex :)...as opposed to sucking ice=too much sex. No idea where thaqt came from.

I don't chew ice because it hurts my teeth but my dog loves ice cubes as much as milk bones

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:nono: chewing ice may be annoying to some people, but it is not as gross as smelling cigarette smoke on nurses when they come back in from their breaks.

thats true i would not want a nurse who smelled of smoke caring for me. i cant stand the smell of smoke

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