Are You an Ice Chewer?

originally published 22 OCT 2014

Do you crave ice? Pagophagia is what they call it.

I am a recovered pagophagist (probably not a word but I run with it). For several years, I craved ice. I would buy those ice bags at the store or get large cups of it at Sonic (their ice was amazing!). After a while I even bought an ice machine and kept it going all day. I know, I know about my teeth. Believe you me, my dentist and I have had the conversations.

But, I was an ice addict.

I was also anemic. Severely anemic and it took me awhile to connect the dots. Started realizing over time that my friends who admitted also being ice chewers were anemic as well.

Kept chomping on ice until one night I ended up in the ER. Not from the ice but from incredibly low hemoglobin. They talked about giving me a transfusion. I didn't want one so they sent me to a hematologist. Best thing that ever happened to me. She scheduled me immediately for iron infusions the next morning.

On the way to my iron infusion, I had my my usual morning cup of ice. I'd been chewing ice for years. Had my first infusion. Have never chewed ice since. Haven't wanted it.

Now, when I meet ice chewers, I share my story and gently ask if they might be anemic. At one point, I went in to our local Starbucks and the guy behind the counter started thanking me profusely. I had shared my story on a previous visit and he went to get checked. Indeed, he was anemic.

If you are an ice chewer, get checked for anemia and have your ferritin checked as well. Low ferritin signals a problem with iron and could well explain your habit.