Baking Soda Consumption Causes Woman's Heart Condition

If you're craving baking soda, don't think about having any. A woman who ate a one-pound box of baking soda every day for years before and during her pregnancy developed a muscle and heart condition and was hospitalized because of it, according to Live Science.

Doctors diagnosed her with pica, a condition common during pregnancy that involves constant cravings for nonfood items with no nutritional value such as cornstarch, baking powder, clay, dirt, and ice.

During her 37th week of pregnancy, the 35-year-old woman complained of weakness and dizziness. She was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, muscle weekness in her legs, and low potassium levels, which was responsible for her weakness and irregular heartbeat.

Lab tests found high blood levels of creatine kinase, an enzyme that causes a condition called rhabdomyolysis, which results from a breakdown of muscle fibers and can harm kidneys.

After being treated with heart medication and a blood transfusion, the woman gave birth to a healthy, five-pound, four-ounce baby boy on her fifth day in the hospital.

At this point, she hadn't admitted to regularly consuming baking soda despite questioning from doctors and nurses about her dietary habits. In fact, she continued to consume it while in the hospital. Finally, two days after giving birth, she admitted that she had been eating baking soda for several years to get rid of hiccups.

Once doctors were able to convince the woman to stop eating baking soda, they were able to treat her.