From the Desk of Dr. Lenz
Ice Craving: A Sign of Anemia
We had a couple of patients in our clinics which developed ice craving. They loved to crush and chew on ice chips all the time. When they saw their physician for another reason, blood tests showed low level of hemoglobin, known as anemia.
It turned out that these patients had iron deficiency coming from blood loss from colon cancer. These iron deficiencies can lead to a craving to chew or eat ice chips. Iron deficiencies can affect the mucosa in the gut and mouth, and ice chips may relief some of the discomfort caused by iron deficiencies.
My patients diagnosed with anemia underwent colonoscopies and were found to have colon cancer, which in both cases resulted in a curative removal by surgery and successful adjuvant chemotherapy.
Usually iron deficiencies develop over a long period of time. When diagnosed it takes months to replace iron in the storage in the body. Iron is critical for red blood cell production. We usually use Slow Fe because it is better tolerated than other preparations which can cause stomach upset.
You need to know if you take iron supplements your stool may look black, similar to patients who have bleeding from their stomach. When there is bleeding in the stomach the stool is black because of its interaction with stomach acid. When bleeding is in the colon, the stool is red.
If you are abnormally craving ice chips, make sure you are checked for iron deficiency.
This news article was originally posted on May 7th, 2009 and was accurate at the time of publication. Since then, information may have changed or links may now be outdated. Please call our Answer Line 1-877-427-2111 for the latest information, or talk to your doctor before making any medical decisions.
Posted by Heinz-Josef Lenz, MD on May 7th, 2009
Tags: anemia, iron deficiency, Managing Symptoms and Side Effects, Preventing Colorectal Cancer
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j.d.
May 7, 2009 at 5:00pm
If the hemoglobin is around 11 – 11.5 for a male, then would it be recommended, and generally considered safe, to take iron supplements while receiving chemotherapy?
Heinz-Josef Lenz
May 7, 2009 at 5:48pm
would check first the iron panel before taking it in patients wiht cancer they may be high. HJL
sunny
May 13, 2009 at 2:49pm
A couple of months ago my hymoglobin was 16.2.
Doc said to stop taking iron pills which assisted with my menstrual cycle. Am I anemic?
heinz josef lenz
May 13, 2009 at 4:09pm
not knowing any detail……you are certainly not anemic in fact opposite….HJL
Steve P
May 13, 2009 at 9:05pm
My mother (stg II/III rectal cancer) has a HGB of 9.9 but she still got the next round yesterday. The doc says HGB isn’t a criteria for withholding chemo but instead a transfusion is given if it goes under 8. Maybe it won’t go that low and she can get by her last two cycles of FOLFOX. But assuming otherwise and since iron tablets take time to work, would an iron panel be advisable, and if it shows deficiency, can infed infusion be an alternative to a blood transfusion? And should she do this now rather than wait 2 weeks for the next results?
heinz josef lenz
May 14, 2009 at 7:01pm
he is correct she can get the chemotherapy. you may want to check if she is iron deficient which is common for colon cancer because of the gi bleed associated with colon cacner but sometimes it is sthe chemo suppressing the red blood cell production. we also only transfuse when Hb under 9
denise
May 23, 2009 at 8:13pm
After two ferritin level checks at six weeks apart, and level is 18.4, my doctor is concerned about a possible internal bleed and is recommending occult blood test. What is the normal range for ferritin level?
susan
May 31, 2009 at 4:06pm
Heinz-Josef Lenz,
With regards to your article titled ICE CRAVING: A SIGN OF ANEMIA… I think that the ice craving is more than a symptom of anemia. I had an incredible ice craving, crushing ice to the point where my teeth were splitting, and couldn’t stop. Some days I would crush about 8 glasses full of ice cubes. Then when I was cold, I would turn the heat up or sit in a hot bathtub. Then I would return again to the ice crushing. It was a repeating cycle. It turned out that I had three benign tumors and just like your article, the bleeding caused a severe iron deficiency. Immediately after having the tumors removed I was still extremely iron deficient, enough to have a transfusion, having lost alot of blood during surgery. I remember waking up in recovery and seeing a cup of gingerale with crushed ice next to my bed. I couldn’t bear the ice. My ice craving was completely diminished, even though the anemia was still present. It is my conclusion that the ice was my body’s natural defense reaction to the tumors. In fact, for months after the surgery, I couldn’t crunch a single piece of ice. Then one day, a colleague noticed that I was beginning to crunch ice again. The sound of me crunching ice cubes was unpleasant to others in the office, and easy to pick up on. My colleague asked, “are you crunching ice again?” I didn’t think much of it, but sure enough, I had another small benign tumor, this time not causing anemia, and not large enough to cause significant health problems. The biopsy of the tumors showed that the cells were deceasing, and tumors were not malignant. Is it possible that the ice craving is more than just a link to the secondary anemia? Could the ice craving be the body’s reaction to tumors, cancer, etc? I really think that this is something to be researched. Some tumors like warts for example are frozen to be removed. Is the body trying to freeze the tumors?
I have another friend who has a rare disorder where benign tumors develop all over. He has mentioned to me that he craves cold and often has to stop for a snowball or Italian ice. His tumors are benign, and he hasn’t had secondary anemia. Please write back and let me know what your thoughts are on this issue. It is my thought from personal experience that if you are craving ice enough to crunch full ice cubes then you need to get an MRI to diagnose where the problem is.
Heinz Josef Lenz
May 31, 2009 at 9:01pm
wow that is a long comment. it seems that iron deficiencies are particular linked to ice crushing since iron deficiency also attacks the mucosa and lead to burning of the tongue which is reliefed with ice which is one explanation not aware that any other anemia is associated with this craving HJL
shantel
June 4, 2009 at 1:01am
I like chewing on ice it has to be a certain kind sometimes I get addicted to a certain kind,I do have anemia an is very worried about some of these comments that I am reading an is very scared,what should I do my doctor never told me any of these things
Heinz-Josef Lenz
June 4, 2009 at 9:42am
see your doctor and let him evaluate you for the reason for your anemia which could be iron deficiency. He will know what to do. No reason to be scared. HJL
Angela
June 9, 2010 at 8:08pm
2 weeks ago, I had surgery to have a polyp removed from my uterus (hysteroscopy) and a DNC. I worked at night so I eat ice to stay awake. I have found myself craving for ice like an addict or something, but it is not all the time. Does this mean I may be anemic of have colon cancer? Please advise.