Lunulas

[Sasha]

Hi parisflower (and welcome to the forums!) - that's very interesting. I had no lunulas last May and still don't despite having tried Fred's b12 protocol (but only for a few weeks because of problems) and Rich's methylation protocol for 12 weeks. I'm about to start on methylB12 again so it will be interesting to see if any turn up. It would be lovely to see a visible sign of progress! Glad you're seeing this.

 

[Calathea]

Parisflower - hang on, how fast do nails usually grow? That sounds like a very fast response to me, but then I really don't know how fast nails grow, either normally or when ill. I just trim mine whenever they're annoying me.

Lunulae on thumbs only, as ever, and I haven't tried the methylation protocol apart from for a few weeks, after which I stopped it as I was already having enough trouble with gabapentin withdrawal.

I've noticed that my fingernails are a lot more ridgy than usual. Vertical ridges, mildest on the index finger. Does anyone know what that's about?

 

[parisflower]

My nails have always grown quickly. They are also really strong.

Calathea, I don't know if the B12 I've been taking is what's behind the little moons on my two fingers showing up. I can only tell you that there are tiny slivers right now and they weren't there two weeks ago. I have a lot of fine ridges on all of my nails too.

Sasha, wouldn't it be great to have a visible sign of progress? I'll keep you posted. What would be most interesting is if I start to feel better AND get moons back on my nails!

 

[SaraM]

I have none, and my nails grow very fast. B12 protocol did not change it.

 

[HistaSista]

Hi people

This is a fairly old thread, but I'd like to add my penny's worth as I suffer from various malabsorption syndromes and have an issue with the lunula on my nails.

Firstly, I am definitely deficient in B12 for which I take either a sublingual or transdermal B12, which brings me to the point that if I am deficient in B12, I am probably also deficient in stomach acid. I am taking betaine HCl for the stomach acid deficiency and have been told that betaine is necessary for methylation.

I'm not an expert and cannot claim that I have great knowledge in any of these things, but I try to help myself as much as possible as doctors have never been of any help to me at all. Just thought if I added the above, the info might help somebody else.

I have read elsewhere that the disappearance of lunula is related to one's nutritional status and mine is poor due to damage done to my small intestine by gluten. Unfortunately this is probably happening to millions of others as it is not obvious until you finally realise that you are not well. In my case I was well into my fifties before I became aware that I am gluten intolerant. There are no obvious symptoms, but upon researching this in depth, I now know that gluten can cause up to 300 different symptoms and illnesses so it's not doing anybody any good. This is not just a fad idea of mine. There is screeds of information online about it thanks to a small band of dedicated gastroenterologists world wide who have done all the work in this area. The Celiac Disease Centre of the University of Chicago states that there are over 300 illnesses and symptoms caused by gluten and they are a prestigious institution. The immediate improvements in my health after going gluten free were the disappearance of debilitating chronic fatigue and IBS. It can take a few years for the intestinal damage to heal on a GF diet. I can tell there is some improvement but I still have a way to go.

I'm not sure if there's any improvement in my lunulas as yet, but now that I've learnt the added info from this thread, I will be watching their progress with great interest!

 

[Lou]

Looking at the results so far, I can't help wondering, what's so special about thumbs? Why are the lalunae on the thumbs the last to go? (Not that it's important; it's just that I often wonder about life's little mysteries.)

Don't know the why part, but it sure seems from all the data given here we can use our fingers much like a gasoline gauge, in this instance a lunulae gauge, reading pinky(full) to thumb(empty).

You'd think some medical research group would try to figure this out, might even lead to reverse engineering a treatment (or even a cure) for an ailment or two.

My two cents goes with those thinking it an issue of nutrient availability. Not just the B's but minerals as well, especially zinc and copper.

 

[silverseas2014]

What a great topic! Two and half years ago, before starting Thiroyd (like Armour thyroid) I drew pictures of my lunulas on both hands just to create a record. I had no lunulas except for my thumbs--and even when pushing down the cuticles I couldn't even see the faint line of any forming. I had read that lunulas are signs of a healthy, robust metabolism. Now, two and a half years later, and after taking Thiroyd for those years plus starting a methylation protocol, I have lunulas on all my fingers. My health is better, my metabolism is more robust; I have not figured out all my health issues, but I am well on my way.

 

[john66]

The man I work for has written a book on fingernail and tongue diagnosis, based on traditional Chinese Medicine. A search can give some basics on what lunulae or lack means to health in western and eastern philosophies.

 

[Gingergrrl]

I am confused... Do PWC's commonly have lunulas or not have them? And do normal healthy people normally have them or not have them? Can someone explain what they mean?

 

[Gondwanaland]

Coincidentally one day after reading this thread I met a woman with unusually large lunulas in all fingers. I couldn't stop staring at them Her twin brother OTOH had "normal" ones and only in a few fingers.

Some time ago I read that absence of lunulas indicate a toxic liver and I stare at the base of my fingernails to see if they are growing, but they are not . Or are they? Just noticed a shy lunula raising from my right pointer finger So at my thumbs they are still shy, but are not alone anymore

 

[Sushi]

I am confused... Do PWC's commonly have lunulas or not have them? And do normal healthy people normally have them or not have them? Can someone explain what they mean?

Healthy people generally have them. ME/CFS patients often don't have many or have small ones.

I doubt if it is related, but the same goes for fingerprints--many of us can't be fingerprinted or have only faint fingerprints.

Sushi

 

[Countrygirl]

When this thread was started I had two lunulas, one on each thumb. Now I see that one of the two has vanished completely and the other is fading away. I am rapidly becoming lunula-less.

For a year now I have been taking high quality vitamins and minerals with Omega 3, so I do now wonder if nutritional status is associated with our disappearing lunulas.

Do we lose them anyway as we age or is it only associated with health status, I wonder?

 

[Gingergrrl]

I have two on my right hand and one on my left hand (none on either thumb.). What does this mean?!!!

As far as I know I have normal finger prints and can unlock my I-phone with my fingerprint with no issues.

 

[Sushi]

As far as I know I have normal finger prints and can unlock my I-phone with my fingerprint with no issues.

That is good. I've read that the loss of fingerprints is progressive--at least that is what Dr. Cheney thought. He once had a policeman try to fingerprint his patients and he could only get fingerprints for about half of the patients. Another group had faint fingerprints. We used to joke here that we had found the way to pay for expensive medical treatments!

I am not up on the meaning of loss of lunulas--maybe there are more clues further back in this thread?
Sushi

 

[Countrygirl]

I have just read this. http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/cl...aterials/learning-modules/NailExamination.pdf

It is a number of slides illustrating the association between various nail abnormalities and disease. According to this, lunulas or their lack depend on nutritional status.

So our lack of lunulas mean we are malnurished or/and have anaemia. I am taking very expensive and high quality supplements, so does it suggest that we have a malabsorption problem? Which ones, I wonder?

Ah! According to Dr Google it is due to a B12 deficiency.

 

[Hip]

Of interest:

Anolunula (absence of lunula) in HIV-positive patients was correlated with CD4 counts, stages of HIV infection, time since patient was diagnosed as HIV-positive, and status of antiretroviral therapy.

Source: Anolunula in Fingernails among Patients Infected with HIV

 

[Countrygirl]

Wow! Thank you, Hip, that was really interesting!

It would be fascinating if a study on anolunula (I've learnt a new word ) was carried out on us.

Here is an abstract:

Abstract
Lunula is the white, half-moon shaped area seen in proximal ends of some nails. Though a few studies have described the nail changes that can occur in association with HIV infection, none of these paid much attention to lunula. Aims and Objectives. To study the lunula in fingernails among HIV infected patients. Materials and Methods. An observational, cross-sectional study to record presence of lunula in 168 HIV-positive patients and compare it with age and sex matched 168 healthy HIV-negative control. Anolunula (absence of lunula) in HIV-positive patients was correlated with CD4 counts, stages of HIV infection, time since patient was diagnosed as HIV-positive, and status of antiretroviral therapy. Results. Anolunula was present in significantly more fingernails in HIV-positive patients compared to HIV-negative controls. There was a highly significant difference for total anolunula (anolunula in all fingernails) in study and control group. Incidence of total anolunula was directly proportional to the stage of HIV infection, increasing progressively as the HIV infection advances from stage 1 to stage 4. Conclusion. Absence of lunula is related to not only HIV infection per se but also the stages of HIV infection.

 

[Hip]

@Countrygirl
Although it seems that vitamin B12 deficiency is common in untreated HIV infection, so this may be one factor (or the factor) explanining the loss of lunulae on the fingernails of HIV patients.

 

[fredounet]

My lunulas "regrow" every time I eat steamed salmon, I think it is the omega 3 in it. But the results with omega 3 alone is not as good as real salmon. The regrowth certainly comes form the anti inflamatory effect of the good stuff in salmon

 

[mermaid]

@Countrygirl
Although it seems that vitamin B12 deficiency is common in untreated HIV infection, so this may be one factor (or the factor) explanining the loss of lunulae on the fingernails of HIV patients.

I only have lunula on my thumbs now and they are not very large. I have been taking high dose B12 (5000mcg) sublingually for around a year now, but of course that does not guarantee absorption.