Anyone else have REALLY weird cravings?

Question

I have the STRANGEST craving to eat sand. Like, just have it in my mouth, and than swallow it. I KNOW it's weird, but i just have the strongest desire for it...anyone else have strange cravings?

hahaha!! i used to fantasize about eating homework too, it sounded good..... Your answers are hilarious thanks!

Answer 1

sand NO! umm the wierdest was french fries and choclate yummy


What Is Pica?

The word pica comes from the Latin word for magpie, a bird known for its large and indiscriminate appetite.

Pica is most common in people with developmental disabilities, including autism and mental retardation, and in children between the ages of 2 and 3. Although kids younger than 18 to 24 months can try to eat nonfood items, it isn't necessarily considered abnormal at that age.

Pica is also a behavior that may also surface in children who've had a brain injury affecting their development. It can also be a problem for some pregnant women, as well as people with epilepsy.

People with pica frequently crave and consume nonfood items such as:

* dirt
* clay
* paint chips
* plaster
* chalk
* cornstarch
* laundry starch
* baking soda
* coffee grounds
* cigarette ashes
* burnt match heads
* cigarette butts
* feces
* ice
* glue
* hair
* buttons
* paper
* sand
* toothpaste
* soap

Although consumption of some items may be harmless, pica is considered to be a serious eating disorder that can sometimes result in serious health problems such as lead poisoning and iron-deficiency anemia.
Does My Child Have Pica?

Look for these warning signs that your child may have pica:

* repetitive consumption of a nonfood item, despite efforts to restrict it, for a period of at least 1 month or longer
* the behavior is considered inappropriate for your child's age or developmental stage (older than 18 to 24 months)
* the behavior is not part of a cultural, ethnic, or religious practice

Why Do Some People Eat Nonfood Items?

The specific causes of pica are unknown, but certain conditions and situations can increase a person's risk for pica:

* nutritional deficiencies, such as iron or zinc, that may trigger specific cravings (however, the nonfood items craved usually don't supply the minerals lacking in the person's body)
* dieting - people who diet may attempt to ease hunger by eating nonfood substances to get a feeling of fullness
* malnutrition, especially in underdeveloped countries, where people with pica most commonly eat soil or clay
* cultural factors - in families, religions, or groups in which eating nonfood substances is a learned practice
* parental neglect, lack of supervision, or food deprivation - often seen in children living in poverty
* developmental problems, such as mental retardation, autism, other developmental disabilities, or brain abnormalities
* mental health conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia
* pregnancy, but it's been suggested that pica during pregnancy occurs more frequently in women who exhibited similar practices during their childhood or before pregnancy or who have a history of pica in their family

Theories about what causes pica abound. The nutritional theory suggests that nutritional deficiency, such as iron deficiency, trigger specific cravings. Some evidence supports the hypothesis that at least some pica is a response to dietary deficiency - nutritional deficiencies are often associated with pica and correction of that deficiency has improved symptoms. Some pregnant women, for example, have stopped eating nonfood items after they were treated for iron deficiency anemia, a common condition among pregnant women with pica. However, not everyone responds when a nutritional deficiency is corrected, which may be a consequence of the behavior (rather than the cause). But there are also people with pica who don't have a documented nutritional deficiency.

Known as geophagia, eating earth substances such as clay or dirt is a form of pica that can cause iron deficiency. One theory to explain pica is that in some cultures, eating clay or dirt may help relieve nausea (and therefore, morning sickness), control diarrhea, increase salivation, remove toxins, and alter odor or taste perception; some people actually claim to enjoy the taste and texture of dirt or clay. Some people eat clay or dirt as part of a daily habit (just like smoking is a daily routine for others). And some psychological theories explain pica as a behavioral response to stress or an indication that the individual has an oral fixation (is comforted by having things in his or her mouth).

Another explanation is that pica is a cultural feature of certain religious rituals, folk medicine, and magical beliefs. For example, some people in various cultures believe that eating dirt will help them incorporate magical spirits into their bodies.

Despite the wide variety of theories, not one of them explains all forms of pica. A doctor must treat every case individually to try to understand what may be causing the condition.
When to Call Your Child's Doctor

If your child is at risk for pica, talk to your child's doctor. If your child has consumed a harmful substance, seek medical care immediately. If you think your child has ingested something poisonous, call Poison Control at [phone].

If your child continues to consume nonfood items, he or she may be at risk for serious health problems, including:

* lead poisoning (from eating paint chips in older buildings with lead-based paint)
* bowel problems (from consuming indigestible substances like hair, cloth, etc.)
* intestinal obstruction or perforation (from eating objects that could get lodged in the intestines)
* dental injury (from eating hard substances that could harm the teeth)
* parasitic infections (from eating dirt or feces)

Medical emergencies and death can occur if the craved substance is toxic or contaminated with lead or mercury, or if the item forms an indigestible mass blocking the intestines. Pica involving lead-containing substances during pregnancy may be associated with an increase in both maternal and fetal lead levels.
What Will the Doctor Do?

Your child's doctor will play an important role in helping you manage and prevent pica-related behaviors. He or she will educate you on teaching your child about acceptable and nonacceptable food substances. The doctor will also work with you to prevent your child from obtaining the nonfood items he or she craves (i.e., using child-safety locks and high shelving, and keeping household chemicals and medications out of reach of your child).

Depending on your child's age and developmental stage, your child's doctor will work with your child to teach him or her ways to eat more appropriately. Medication may also be prescribed to help the behavior associated with pica.

If your child has ingested a potentially harmful substance, such as lead, a doctor will screen your child for lead poisoning, anemia, or other biochemical abnormalities and may order stool testing for parasites or imaging for bowel obstruction.

Fortunately, pica is usually a temporary condition that improves as children get older or following pregnancy. But for individuals with developmental or mental health issues, pica can be a more prolonged concern.

Following treatment, if your child's pica behavior continues beyond several weeks, despite the attempts to intervene, contact your child's doctor again for additional treatment. But it's important to remember that patience is key in treating pica because it may take some time to stop your child from wanting to eat nonfood items.

Answer 2

Are you pregnant? I craved Clorox, coffee grounds and ice when I was pregnant....all signs of a severe vitamin deficency. You might want to see a doctor. By the way, I have also eaten sand, just not as an adult. I ate my sandbox empty twice as a 2 year old. Doctor said it wouldnt hurt me.

Answer 3

LOLLLLL!!!!!!!!! OMG U SERIOUS???? I watched this show called Untold Stories In the E.R and there was this girl who has weird cravings too like she eats toothbrushes and batterries and stuff but maybe thats not your case BUT NO i have never had any cravings like that before

Answer 4

No- never like that. I've eaten raw meat off an animal I've killed because it looked good and I was hungry but I've never had any craving to eat something that could not be considered. food.

Answer 5

when i was pregnant i didn't crave anything too weird... think the strangest thing i craved was noodles in black bean sauce..... which isn't exactly weird... but the problem was that i wanted them at 6am... and funnily enough, most Chinese takeaways are not open at that time... lol.

Answer 6

If you are actually eating stuff other than food you need to go to a psychiatrist.
Really, that is some kind of mental problem and you can get really sick from it physically.

Answer 7

when kids eat sand it means they are iron deficient, try taking some iron suppliments. and yes i get weird cravings, but only for food.

Answer 8

Well, eat the sand and you craving will go away. :D

Answer 9

i once had a craving to eat a book

Answer 10

I was going to say yes b/c sometimes I like to drink pickle juice.. but yours beats mine hands down. Pica much?

Answer 11

strange craving for pig-brain soup (seriously not kidding)