Ice Eaters! Please Help!

Please help!  I eat ice continuously.  I have been for the last few months or so.  I eat the small pebbles that come from Sonic Drive in so I do not have to chew a lot and do damage to my teeth. I am wondering is it bad for my pouch.  I also wonder if it a good substitute for drinking water.  I take my vitamins everyday.  I just had my bloodwork done and all of my levels look good.  I did have to get on b-12 shots for a while.  I am 4 years post op on 2-23.

Hey there, This is not bad for your pouch, and ice is considered water. If you are having ice CRAVINGS, you need to have some iron studies done, but other than that, I don't see any problem.

Pre-WLS I went through an ice-craving phase.  I would buy it from Sonic by the bag full and go through a bag every other day!  When I had my routine blood work done my iron levels were extremely low!  So low that I was borderline needing a transfusion!   Check with your Dr. office again and find out if they checked your iron levels and get the actual reading (campare it to normal readings).  You may need to up your supplement or just invest in Sonice ;-)

I would see a hematologist ASAP.  Even though ice is non-caloric and you choose your type of ice carefully, it is a sign of pica and can lead to other cravings.  Pica in "normal" adults is commonly linked to a form of anemia (which can be iron or B-12)  I, too craved ice initially (hospital ice, which is like Soni****),  then ultimately craved cornstarch little by little until I had a box in my car, one hidden in my room, and one in the kitchen cabinet!  Even though my hemoglobin was within levels, my ferritin (which was not being checked) dropped to a 2 at its lowest.  I now get iron intravenously every 6-12 weeks, but am hopeful that once my stores get back up, I can maintain them with oral iron carbonyl supplements.  I recommend seeing a hematologists because PCP's tend to be less informed about our absorption issues and you may want to handle this sooner rather than later.  Best of luck to you!

Thanks to everyone that responded.  I haven't had iron studies done since I was pre-op.  I did wind up getting an iron transfusion at that time, but haven't had it since.  I will check with my hemotolgist and let you know the results.  Until then... stuck on Sonic's ICE!!!! ~sweets~

keep us updated. i'd like to know. thanks.

Yeo I was an ice craving fool for quite a while.  Time came for plastics and during the pre lab work found out I was very anemic.  Got a transfusion and now I take my iron everyday!  And I dont crave ice anymore.  Weird huh?

Wanted to update you all on this.  I woke up Saturday morning with a headache and a white tongue.  I went to my Dr. and he gave me a b-12 shot right in the office!  He said I probably had no B-12 in my body at all.  He also took blood from me to concentrate on iron studies to see if maybe I need an iron transfusion.  I have to take B-12 shots from now on and not miss like I have in the past.  So he gave me a years supply!  I'll let you know when my bloodwork comes back. 

Thats scary,  I better start taking my b12 more regularly, that is the only one that I don't take real regular, sporadic at best.  Keep us informed