Lisa Anderson from Piagnton, Devon, says she has a rare addiction to eating Talcum powder.
Talcum powder is made from talc, an ingredient used in making baby powder used to prevent rashes.
Talc is said to be poisonous when inhaled consistently or consumed.
Anderson(44) says she suddenly developed an “overpowering” urge to eat the powder after using it on her young son following a bath in 2004.
She said, “I’ve always had it (talcum powder) in the house and would douse myself with it after having a bath or shower. I’d use it on the kids after giving them a wash, no problem. ”
“And then one day I remember being in the bathroom and the smell was just overpowering. There was a bit of dust that had come off the top of the bottle.
“I had this sudden urge to eat it and I just couldn’t fight it. I just licked it off my hand and really enjoyed it. It just hit this spot. It was satisfying a craving I never knew I had.”
According to the mother-of-five, that was how the addiction started and says she now eats baby powder after every 30 minutes and sometimes in the night.
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Anderson who says she has spent an estimated £8,000 on the baby powder, said the longest she has ever stayed without it has been two days.
She reveals that she kept her habit secret for a decade before confiding in her ex-partner — who was said to have stormed into the bathroom one day after growing suspicious of her regular visits.
Medical sources told her she could be suffering from pica syndrome, a psychological disorder characterized by an appetite for substances that are largely non-nutritive.
“I do get it’s a bit weird – but it just has this nice soapy taste,” she said.
“I can get through a 200g bottle in a day but the bigger ones I get through about one-and-a-half a week. I remember getting really drawn to its smell. Now I can’t do without it.
“I go up and get some every half an hour. I can’t really go half an hour without it. The longest I’ve been without it is two days. That was the worst time of my life. I hated it.”
