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Ice craving.

dodie74

dodie74

ice craving.

Last night i came across an article in my magazine about cravings and what they could indicate. It was so interesting to read as before my 8 year old son was put on an iron supplement he was coming home from school every day and munching on a cup full of ice cubes!! i didnt really find it stange at all n just thought he was thirsty n enjoyed crunching the ice. well, in this article it said that ice cravings could mean youre lacking iron, i was quite gobsmacked after reading it as as soon as my son was put on the iron supplement he no longer craved ice!! glad to say now though his iron levels and stores are fine and is currently off the iron. isnt it strange how the body reacts if its lacking in something. xx
 
rhosymynydd

rhosymynydd

dodie74 said:
Last night i came across an article in my magazine about cravings and what they could indicate. It was so interesting to read as before my 8 year old son was put on an iron supplement he was coming home from school every day and munching on a cup full of ice cubes!! i didnt really find it stange at all n just thought he was thirsty n enjoyed crunching the ice. well, in this article it said that ice cravings could mean youre lacking iron, i was quite gobsmacked after reading it as as soon as my son was put on the iron supplement he no longer craved ice!! glad to say now though his iron levels and stores are fine and is currently off the iron. isnt it strange how the body reacts if its lacking in something. xx
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Now I know why I crave ice - thanks for solving the mystery. I am on methotrexate for my crohn's and this depletes iron from the body. Although I take the prescribed supplements, I am always hitting the ice tray! thanks for this.
 
Jessi

Jessi

Moderator
Kids used to tease other kids in high school that ice crunching means that you're sexually frustrated.

Thanks for setting the record straight. ;)
 
T

TimsMom

I always knew when I was low in iron and needed to get in for another iron infusion by my cravings for ice. In the winter, I would actually go out on our deck and bite into the snow...LOL
 
G

G's mom

It is called Pica and very common for those who are anemic. That is how I realized something was wrong with Garrison, he was constantly chewing ice so we had bloodwork done. One test lead to another until we ended up with Crohn's. Sad thing is, 2 years later we don't have the bleeding under control so he is still chewing ice.
So glad the iron supplement is working for your son!

Take care,
Vicky
 
T

TimsMom

G's mom said:
It is called Pica and very common for those who are anemic. That is how I realized something was wrong with Garrison, he was constantly chewing ice so we had bloodwork done. One test lead to another until we ended up with Crohn's. Sad thing is, 2 years later we don't have the bleeding under control so he is still chewing ice.
So glad the iron supplement is working for your son!

Take care,
Vicky
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Actually it was me craving the ice due to the fact that I was anemic due to another health condition. Maybe an iron infusion would help him. It was very helpful for me.
 
G

G's mom

We are trying iron infusions now. He had his first one 2 weeks ago and we have another scheduled in 2 weeks. Since he has had the iron, he is complaining of nausea and stomach cramps (which he has never done before). The doctor started him on Nexxum. Any other suggestions?

Take care,
Vicky
 
dodie74

dodie74

Hi G's mom, sorry to hear your son going thru a rough time at the minute. when Kian was on iron it was a liquid form called sytron, its sodium feredetate. my son was on 5ml, 3 times a day and it seemed to be gentle on his tummy as he never complained of any stomach cramps and his poos were always normal on it too. hope you get something thats more gentle on his wee tummy, keep us posted. take care. xx
 
rhosymynydd

rhosymynydd

G's mom said:
We are trying iron infusions now. He had his first one 2 weeks ago and we have another scheduled in 2 weeks. Since he has had the iron, he is complaining of nausea and stomach cramps (which he has never done before). The doctor started him on Nexxum. Any other suggestions?

Take care,
Vicky
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Re: Nausea, I had the same when I had infusions - have to have them every three years or so since I had an ostomy. I find that ginger biscuits or ginger tables really work better than chemicals such as cyclizine or lorazepam which are addictive. The other thing to try are travel bandages which are sold for travel sickness, they pop on to each wrist - don't know how they work but they do help. I do hope this helps, Liz.
 
A

Aaron1333

Wow, i'm severely anemic and never thought about ice cubes, this is really interesting! I'm allergic to iron though aswell so that could be the problem? :)
 
kimmidwife

kimmidwife

There is a great iron supplement that is very gentle on the stomach and does not make you nauseas. It is called floradix. It is herbally based made from flowers and works really well. In the US you can get it from health food stores. You can also get it online. If you call the company they will tell you how much to take according to how severe your anemia is and the age of the child. It has helped my daughter immensely.
 
Crohn's Mom

Crohn's Mom

Moderator
I knew I had heard on here before that chewing/craving ice was a symptom of low iron/anemia !

JJ has been chewing so much ice lately it could almost be substituted as a meal! LOL

He has a GI appt on Tuesday and even tho he's never had low iron levels before, I'll still request bloods to check as this is something new for him.

Gab used to do the same with the ice off and on and for the longest time I didn't realize it was a sign she needed iron supplements again.
So strange the way our bodies tell us things !
 
dodie74

dodie74

Yes it is. Kian used to come in from school and rather than have a choc bar he would munch on cups of ice! i did find it strange but had no idea until i read an article about craving ice and low iron. Not beem having ice cravimgs recently but at least i'll have an idea if it ever happen again. xx
 
Jmrogers4

Jmrogers4

Wow I've have never heard this but looking back it totally fits, when Jack was anemic he would munch on ice I never gave it a though. I'll have to add it to my list of things to watch for
 
Sascot

Sascot

That's really interesting! Have to say, at least munching ice isn't a bad thing. I remember when I was younger, hearing about people sucking on charcoal. I believe they were lacking in minerals. Rather ice than charcoal :-D
 
izzi'smom

izzi'smom

I have a friend at work that goes through 6 16 ounce cups of ice at work...and takes more home for her days off...I have to let her know! Interesting, and ty for sharing!!
 
P

positivemum

Spatone is also gentle but my son struggled with it because of the strong metallic taste. Have had infusion which work for a while. Have found at last small tablets he can swallow so we will see in a few weeks when bloods are taken if his level is staying stable
 
afidz

afidz

Super Moderator
When my sister is pregnant, she craves sonic ice, can't be with out. I wonder if that is due to anemia. Do a lot of pregnant women crave ice??
 
Jmrogers4

Jmrogers4

I did and was border line anemic both pregnancies would eats chips of ice and strawberries couldn't get enough of either one
 
kimmidwife

kimmidwife

Craving ice is a definite sign of anemia. We used to see it all the time when I was working I our pregnant patients it is called Pica.
 
Devynnsmom

Devynnsmom

Years ago my mom would sit and chew ice ALL DAY LONG! It got to the point that she wasn't really eating, just chewing ice. She would sit with a HUGE cup and a spoon, or sometimes a bowl. It drove everyone insane listening to the crunching. She got very sick and ended up in the hosp. She needed a blood transfusion (9 bags) and almost died. It wasn't until a few years later that we found out that craving ice was a sign of anemia.
 
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