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Sickle Cell and Pica
I recently wrote an article about my experience with pica. Pica is an eating disorder characterised by a tendency to eat substances that provide no nutritive value such as soil, chalk, hair, paper, etc.
This is something that isn’t uncommon for people with sickle cell, yet a lot of people who experience it are unaware that it is sickle cell related.I would love to hear what you think about this and if you have ever experienced it before.
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6 Replies
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- Wow. I never knew. I ate the white school glue as a little child but soon started chewing paper. All types of paper. Sometimes I would swallow it. It’s less now but sometimes I still find myself doing it. Is it nervousness?
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You’re not alone Valerie!!! A lot of people with sickle cell experience it but are unaware that its sickle cell related.
I’m not 100% sure if nervousness plays a factor but I would say that you should speak with your doctor just incase they can help with it.
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Woah, that’s incredible, never knew that was related. I used to eat school chalk and plaster from inside the walls. Got disciplined by parents when caught so stopped doing it then they galvanised the chalks in school with a plastic coating so stopped that too.
Very interested to know the relationship between Sickle Cell and Pica.
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Hi David, a lot of people are in the same boat!! Sickle cell can impact every area of our lives, including our eating habits. I just wish we knew more about this earlier, that way, these habits may have been corrected more effectively instead of automatically resulting in punishments.
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Thanks for this inspirational and informative forum!
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You are very welcome Valarie, thank you so much for your engagement :).
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