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Newspaper Columns, Pharmacy Q&A August 25, 2008
Q. In 2001 I had a very strong urge to chew on ice. After reading in your column that this could be a sign of anemia, I told my doctor about it. The blood work showed anemia and I was advised to get a colonoscopy. This test showed cancer in the colon.
I had surgery and received six months of chemo. The operation removed 10 inches of my colon. Testing the lymph nodes showed the cancer had spread to three out of 15 tested.
I wouldn’t have mentioned the craving for ice cubes had I not read about it in your column. I thank you for that timely article. I have been cancer free for these past seven years.
A. Unexplained cravings for ice, laundry starch, cornstarch or other peculiar substances often signal a deficiency of iron or zinc and should be investigated. We are pleased your doctor took your anemia seriously and looked for the cause. The colonoscopy and subsequent treatment of the cancer may have saved your life.
Tags: colon cancer, colonoscopy, ice, iron, pica, zinc
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Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist. Teresa Graedon holds a doctorate in medical anthropology and is a nutrition expert. Their syndicated radio show can be heard on public radio. In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
© 2008 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Reader Comments
RE: cravings for ice and anemia. Iron supplements help.
I tried a small amount of iron supplementation for another problem: songs that play over and over in a person's mind.
After reading about ice chewing (I did that all my teen years;WISH I had know this back then; would have saved my teeth from hairline fractures;) I thought maybe there was a connection between anemia and songs or "hook lines" that won't go away and play over and over in my mind.
I purchased a bottle of Iron at a drug store and took one per day for three days. (To make sure it was not psychological, I just took them and forgot about it.)
After three days the songs went away. I have had to do this three separate times over the past 3 years. IT WORKS.
Posted by: Sheila H. | August 25, 2008 12:32 PM