PMID: 30215844Sep 15, 2018Paper

Pagophagia in a Female with Recurrent Depressive Disorder:A Case Report with Review of Literature

Türk psikiyatri dergisi = Turkish journal of psychiatry
Aseem MehraSandeep Grover

Abstract

"Pica" is the term used to describe craving for non-food and nonnutritive items like dirt, chalk, or paper. Pagophagia (compulsive ice chewing) is a particular form of pica that is characterized by ingestion of ice, freezer frost, or iced drinks. It is usually associated with iron deficiency anemia or mental abnormalities like intellectual disabilities, autism, etc. Very few case reports have reported association of eating ice cubes with compulsive behavior or depressive disorders. In this case report, we present the association of pagophagia with sadness in a patient with recurrent depressive disorder. A 44-year-old female suffering from depressive disorder since the age of 33 years presented with symptoms of an intense desire to eat ice cubes that she was unable to resist and would feel better only after consumption of ice cubes or iced drinks. Initially she would consume about 250-500 g of ice cubes per day, but gradually the quantity of consumption of ice increased to about 10-12 kg of ice cubes per day. These symptoms were related to low mood and stress. The preoccupation with consumption of ice was associated with significant psychosocial dysfunction and interpersona problems with the spouse. She was managed with venlafax...Continue Reading

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