GRAEDONS | The People's Pharmacy Ice craving can be sign of zinc deficiency

Q. I need help. Twenty years ago, I developed a craving for cornstarch during my second pregnancy. It disappeared with the birth of my son.
I thought that was the end of it, but some years later, it returned for no apparent reason. It was pure torture, because I could not stop myself from eating it once I'd begun again. I never suffered from significant weight gain or constipation, but I felt that it was unhealthy.
My solution was to find something to replace the cornstarch, and I found crushed ice to be a good substitute. Now I can't stop eating ice.
I feel like an addict. Sometimes, if I am very stressed, I will eat nearly the entire compartment of ice from the ice-maker in an hour or so. My teeth, tongue, throat and stomach are suffering from all the ice that I eat, but I can't stop. I have tried, and I can't.
I had a physical when the craving first returned. My CBC (complete blood count) came back normal, so I was told to eat certain foods that were supposed to stop the craving. It's been several years now, and I can't stop. My voice has changed, my tongue burns, and my throat feels scratchy. I suppose the ice has caused damage. I bought my refrigerator for the sole purpose of getting crushed ice, and the blades cracked from overuse. What can I do?
A. It's time to go back to the doctor. Strong cravings like yours for nonfood substances are called pica. This condition is often associated with a deficiency of iron or zinc and usually disappears when the deficiency is corrected.
The normal CBC did not indicate an iron deficiency. Ask for a work-up on zinc. If that is normal, your doctor might want to look more closely at your iron status. We hope this helps you overcome your ice craving.
Q. Are there any herbal remedies that actually promote hair growth? I have heard radio ads that contend herbs can be used to treat baldness. Propecia is too expensive, but I'm interested in other approaches.
A. There is a limited amount of research on herbs for hair growth. Scottish dermatologists found that oils of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedar were significantly more effective than a placebo in treating an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata (Archives of Dermatology, November 1998).
This disease is quite different from the usual hereditary baldness. Alopecia areata is difficult to treat, however, so the results of this double-blind trial were promising.
Our guides to hair care and battling baldness contain details on this research. Anyone who would like copies, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (60 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons' People's Pharmacy, No. HQ-317, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, N.C. 27717-2027.
Q. I laughed about the nosebleed remedy of dropping keys down the back. I agree the results are amazing, and I'll try it on my 9-year-old.
But how in the world did someone discover that dropping a key down the back would stop a nosebleed? I bet that would be an amazing story.
A. We agree with you that it would likely be an amazing story, but one that might be lost in the mists of time. This folk remedy was known in Colonial America and seems to have come from the British Isles. It might have started as a magical cure because scissors or a knife was first used, rather than keys, to "cut" the flow of blood.
XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, N.Y. 10019, or e-mail them at pharmacy@mindspring.com or via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.org.
& copy; 2004, King Features Syndicate Inc.