One of my best friends is addicted to eating toilet tissue. She also likes to put baby powder in her mouth. yuk! She puts massive ammounts in her mouth then spits it out..... whats up with that?
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well im sure those were helpful answers!!lol
Anyway, i vaguely remember a client when i work treatment that used to sneak and eat baby powder and corn starch. Our units doctors said she was craving cause she was pregnant and had several vitamin deficiencies. maybe your friend has a vitamin defficiency. Possibly..There is a medical reason hon..i have known people to eat clay or dirt because of a lack of certain vitamins..Good luck
tammi
Anyway, i vaguely remember a client when i work treatment that used to sneak and eat baby powder and corn starch. Our units doctors said she was craving cause she was pregnant and had several vitamin deficiencies. maybe your friend has a vitamin defficiency. Possibly..There is a medical reason hon..i have known people to eat clay or dirt because of a lack of certain vitamins..Good luck
tammi
Eating disorders are nothing to laugh about. I heard about a guy who had a thing for swallowing large amounts of coins, another about a girl in England who died after years of chewing her hair (they removed a hairball in her stomach about the size of a rat). You need to discuss this with a doctor.
Since baby powder and toilet tissue have similar associations, I think your friend wojuld do well to consider any trauma or associations she might have with diapering, toilet training, etc. I agree that she might have nutritional problems, as well, particularly vitamin B and iron. I have seen elderly people suck wet toilet tissue in nursing homes. Again, I think nutrition plays a role in this behavoir. It wouldn't hurt your friend to begin taking a multiple vitamin every day. After a month, see if there has been any improvement. Also, she could try limiting the amount of time she spends doing this. At first, set a timer and let her do her thing. Next time, cut back by three minutes. Keep doing this along with vitamin therapy and see if she can get past it. If she doesn't indulge for a week, celebrate. Hope this helps.
Pica
Pica includes strong cravings for non-food items. The most frequent are
Dirt, clay
Paint chips, plaster, chalk
Cornstarch, laundry starch, baking soda
Coffee grounds
Cigarette ashes, burnt match heads
Rust
Other items that are not usually considered food
Pica is usually found in
Pregnant women
People whose diets are deficient in minerals contained in the consumed substances
People who have psychiatric disturbances such as hysteria
People with developmental disabilities or similar impairments.
People whose family or ethnic customs include eating certain non-food substances
People who diet, become hungry, and then try to ease hunger and cravings with low-calorie, non-food substances.
Some pica is harmless
But if the craved substance is toxic or contaminated (intestinal infections and parasites are particular concerns), or if it blocks the intestines, it can lead to medical emergency and death. Medical evaluation is essential.
Pica: facts and theories
The person must regularly eat these craved substances for a month or more before a diagnosis is given.
The name "pica" comes from the Latin word for magpie, a bird that is famous for eating anything and everything.
Perhaps ten to twenty percent of children have pica at some time before adulthood.
Depending on the population, zero percent to sixty-eight percent of pregnant women have pica. Those in lower socioeconomic groups seem to have more of these cravings.
In some cases, pica is related not to dietary deficiencies but to folk traditions passed on in families or ethnic groups.
Some people treat clay or dirt eating as a part of daily routine, somewhat like smoking.
Others believe that eating dirt will help them incorporate magical spirits from the Earth into their bodies.
Still others believe that certain kinds of clay will suppress morning sickness when eaten.
Some children with pica may be imitating a pet dog or cat.
Stress may be a precipitating factor, especially the stress of dieting when the person tries to relieve hunger and cravings with non-food substances.
There is evidence to support the hypothesis that at least some pica is a response to dietary deficiency. Pregnant women, for example, have given up pica after they were treated for iron-deficiency anemia.
But other cases of pica can cause dietary deficiencies because the consumed substances block absorption of essential nutrients in the intestines.
If pica is a lifestyle choice that does not harm the individual, and if it is not part of an underlying eating disorder, it can go untreated, but care should be taken to protect against toxic substances (such as lead in paint and plaster chips). The person must be alert for symptoms (pain, lack of bowel movements, abdominal bloat and distention) that suggest the substance has formed an indigestible mass that has blocked the intestines. If such is the case, immediate medical attention is necessary.
Pica includes strong cravings for non-food items. The most frequent are
Dirt, clay
Paint chips, plaster, chalk
Cornstarch, laundry starch, baking soda
Coffee grounds
Cigarette ashes, burnt match heads
Rust
Other items that are not usually considered food
Pica is usually found in
Pregnant women
People whose diets are deficient in minerals contained in the consumed substances
People who have psychiatric disturbances such as hysteria
People with developmental disabilities or similar impairments.
People whose family or ethnic customs include eating certain non-food substances
People who diet, become hungry, and then try to ease hunger and cravings with low-calorie, non-food substances.
Some pica is harmless
But if the craved substance is toxic or contaminated (intestinal infections and parasites are particular concerns), or if it blocks the intestines, it can lead to medical emergency and death. Medical evaluation is essential.
Pica: facts and theories
The person must regularly eat these craved substances for a month or more before a diagnosis is given.
The name "pica" comes from the Latin word for magpie, a bird that is famous for eating anything and everything.
Perhaps ten to twenty percent of children have pica at some time before adulthood.
Depending on the population, zero percent to sixty-eight percent of pregnant women have pica. Those in lower socioeconomic groups seem to have more of these cravings.
In some cases, pica is related not to dietary deficiencies but to folk traditions passed on in families or ethnic groups.
Some people treat clay or dirt eating as a part of daily routine, somewhat like smoking.
Others believe that eating dirt will help them incorporate magical spirits from the Earth into their bodies.
Still others believe that certain kinds of clay will suppress morning sickness when eaten.
Some children with pica may be imitating a pet dog or cat.
Stress may be a precipitating factor, especially the stress of dieting when the person tries to relieve hunger and cravings with non-food substances.
There is evidence to support the hypothesis that at least some pica is a response to dietary deficiency. Pregnant women, for example, have given up pica after they were treated for iron-deficiency anemia.
But other cases of pica can cause dietary deficiencies because the consumed substances block absorption of essential nutrients in the intestines.
If pica is a lifestyle choice that does not harm the individual, and if it is not part of an underlying eating disorder, it can go untreated, but care should be taken to protect against toxic substances (such as lead in paint and plaster chips). The person must be alert for symptoms (pain, lack of bowel movements, abdominal bloat and distention) that suggest the substance has formed an indigestible mass that has blocked the intestines. If such is the case, immediate medical attention is necessary.