Hi
This may seem like a bizarre question, but Im very interested in your responses!

My mum pointed out to me a few days ago that there is something wrong with my finger nails and I have been fascinated by this ever since!

Over the last few years I have developed vertical ridges on my nails and I have pitting (small pits that look like the surface of a thimble). I also have small splinter heamorrages under my nails. None of this has been caused by trauma to the nail bed as I really dont do anything! I do the dishes with rubber gloves as I have sensitive skin, I also wear gloves if and when I do any cleaning!

Has anyone else noticed a change in their nails since becomming ill? Has anyone ever spoken to their Dr about a change in the condition of their nails? Has a Dr ever examined your nails?

Im really keen to hear your responses. I have really only just noticed how much worse they are. Ive certainly never had a Dr look at them. Ive never said to the Dr that my nails have changed.

Thanks.....I know it seems nuts but it could be very interesting and I do want to hear from the guys as well as the girls!

Love
Rach

Mine are that way too, I don't have small splinter heamorrages, but I have the ridges and the "dimples" I don't know what causes it but I just figured maybe it had to do with aging?

From what Ive read ridges can be to do with several things depending on how they occur. If you have horizontal ridges its due to damage of the nail bed.

The vertical ridges are linked to ageing, but Im only 35, so I don't think mine can be attributed to that. It can also be signs of various conditions. I just wondered that due to the stress our bodies have been under due to MG if our nails reflected that stress?

Thanks for the response

Love
Rach

Over the years I've searched nail sites, that could help answer nail questions. This is the best one I have found so far:

http://hooked-on-nails.com/naildisorders.html

Vertical ridges are considered age related, or thyroid related.

However splinter hemorrhages can reflect serious illness, including endocarditis.

Rach, I'm busy with my dog right now but had to respond to your post 'cause it scared me. My dog has a tooth abscess and infection and I'm worn out.

Those vertical dents are from a lack of oxygen. I have them too. They are called Beau's lines. That combined with your chronic kidney infections and the splinter hemorrhages, make me concerned that you do have subacute bacterial endocarditis (as Mrs. D. has pointed out is a serious cause). If you are having damage to your heart from an infection, that might cause your hypoxia as well.

You HAVE TO go see a cardiologist as soon as possible. None of this UK socialized medicine waiting around for six months for an appt. When was the last time you had an ECG? Have you ever had an echocardiogram? Sometimes, and this was the case with a friend of ours, they have to do a transesophageal echocardiogram. It's where they go through your esophagus to look at your heart. With your GI history, and MG, that may not be a wise thing to do, however.

Please get this taken care of right away!! You'll be in my thoughts.

Annie

Rachel...You also mentioned before that you were having tachycardia...That is also a symptom of endocarditis...

The best thing to do is just go to the hospital...Tell them that you've been having a rapid heartbeat, fever on and off with a past kidney infection, breathing problems, and then show them your nails...The bleeding under the nails is definately a sign of heart trouble...I have a book about illnesses that show up in the nails and that symptom is very specific to heart problems...

Please take care!
Nicky

Hi sweetheart! The ONLY change in my nails since the meds has been that they grow like crazy and are super strong - think "diamond" strong and you have it!

My hair also grows super fast and is really thick - guess it is the roids?

I'm really worried about you. You KNOW how crazy about you I am and consider you a true friend, so reading all of the other posts scared the crap out of me! Please call someone NOW and get in to get checked out!

My thoughts and prayers are ALWAYS with you, honey!

Love,
Erin

I believe that Beau's lines are horizontal across the nail, not vertical. Beau's lines can show arsenic poisoning and malnutrition.

You can get one or two splinter type hemorrhages if you catch your nail on something and it gets pulled back. I've had that happen on rare occasions. If you have several in one finger or more and did not have an "incident" to explain them, or have several on several fingers, that seems serious to me.

I typically have fast growing hard nails too, but when winter comes they tend to get brittle. I am also hypothyroid and winter is hard on me even with hormone replacement.

Mrs. D., My impression of what Rach said is that she has lines running across the nail, as in side to side and not up and down. Vertical is also called longitudinal bands. Horizontal are what Beau's lines are, running across the nail from side to side, not from tip of nail to the nail bed. Phew. Glad that's clarified.

I think a little consideration is needed when a person has sleep deprivation and major stress! I am not running on all cylinders but you guys get the drift anyway.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040315/1417.html

http://www.livestrong.com/article/18...s-fingernails/

Bottom line is that those splinter hemorrhages aren't normal and, like you said, you haven't been hitting your hands on things! That pain you've been having is suspicious now too. If they simply "guessed" it was your gall bladder instead of doing a scan, maybe it's referred pain from either your kidneys or heart.


Annie

Hi Rachel,

Sorry...I put some wrong information up there...I said that the hemorrhages were specific for endocarditis...But I found that people with Lupus, APS, vasculitis can have these too...And also there's been an injury...

Also, you mentioned that your nails are dented and I remember that in the past you mentioned that you have alopecia areata...The denting and alopecia go together sometimes, so both, along with the bleeding, might be caused by one of the autoimmune processes...

Truth be told, it's better to be safe than sorry like what everyone's saying, especially if the bleeding is new...

I hope that you get some answers and relief very soon!
Nicky