Just found this somewhere else ..
I am severely anemic due to an underlying medical condition...my hemoglobin level is down to 7.2. Of course, I have all the normal anemia symptoms of fatigue and breathlessness and heart palpitations. But I also have the most MADDENING craving for the wierdest things!
Like many anemic women, I crave ice, which is fine...it's an excuse to eat popsicles. I go through a box of 12 sugar-free popsicles in about two days...
But I also have a strong olfactory craving for the smell of gasoline, white out, car exhaust, kerosene...all very toxic of course. I am not tempted to actually seek these things out because I know how toxic they are, but when I happen to catch a whiff (such as when fueling my car), it sets off REALLY strong cravings! The doctor says it is a form of Pica (A craving for something not normally regarded as edible)...and that it has been documented with both pregnant women and iron-deficient women. He promises it will go away once we deal with my anemia...but in the mean-time, it is driving me crazy!
The other day, my window was down and I caught a blast of exhaust from a passing truck and I found myself
savoring the moment! I also spilled a little gas while filling up and I had to force myself to throw away the paper towel I used to wipe it up...it had that yummy gasoline smell on it...
Sigh...I cannot WAIT until I have the surgery that will fix this. Meantime, I feel like a drug addict...pssst...can you hook me up with some gasoline?
Lovely but deffo mad as a hatter lol...
