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Ridge on toenails

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
After a period of severe relapse, I get a horizontal ridge or raised band on both big toenails. The length of it corresponds to the length of time in severe relapse.

I wondered if this could provide a clue to what's going on in the body but an internet search gives lots of contradictory diagnoses and vague stuff about toxins.

Anyone else have this, and anyone have any idea what it could mean?

Jenny
 

gracenote

All shall be well . . .
Messages
1,537
Location
Santa Rosa, CA
I notice that kind of ridge - more like a horizontal (speed) bump - on my right thumbnail. I've wondered, too, as it does seem to correspond to changes in my body or medication protocols.
 

wciarci

Wenderella
Messages
264
Location
Connecticut
Oops. That was my only guess. I have been treating for methylation block for years and have both horizontal ridges and vertical lines.

Wendy
 

Sunday

Senior Member
Messages
733
Even so, it still might be possible that you have the deficiency. If you're taking the B12 in the form of cyanocobalamin, many of us can't convert that into the active B12s we can actually use and absorb; it's a very inactive form but the most common one used. If you're taking B12 in the form of hydroxycobalamin, that's a bit more active, but still has to be converted into a usable form by the body - and many of us can't do that. In the case of folic acid, that's another form that needs to be converted and may not be; methylfolate is the active form.

Because we have more trouble than the general population converting inactive forms of vitamins, if you are treating for methylation using these forms, you may still not be getting enough B12. In fact, taking inactive vitamin forms sometimes blocks the receptors for the active forms, so you get nothing at all. High blood (serum) counts of B12 tend to indicate not that you have a lot of B12 in your system, but that it's swimming around in your bloodstream because it's not landing on the receptors properly. The only way people with neuro problems can accurately measure B12 levels is in the cerebral spinal fluid.

This is sort of the babyspeak version of some of the stuff I have learned on the "Hidden Story" B12 protocol thread. There's a lot to be learned about methylation and B12 deficiencies. Some think this protocol is too drastic, but while I don't enjoy startup symptoms, I can really really feel the progress after 4 months. I'm wondering if this years-long methylation treatment is having noticeable effects for you?
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
I haven't seen it on my toenails, but I have seen it on my fingernails. I get ridges and pits in the nails. I've always thought it had something to do with the disease.
 

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
Thanks Sunday - no the methylation protocol hasn't helped me I'm afraid. I'm still doing a version of it - I was doing Rich's protocol until 3 or 4 months ago, but now I've substituted methylB12 (5000mcg) and active B12 dibencozide (3000mcg). I still take Folapro and sam-e.

I've read the 'Hidden Story' posts - ramping up in the way suggested would be just too difficult for me at the moment. Because my symptoms fluctuate so much anyway and I'm doing lots of other things as well it would be impossible to identify any positive or negative responses to the doses. I certainly don't feel any immediate effect from any of the different B12s or the folates, and never had any probs starting them as some people do. Not sure what that means though!

I do have some of the SNPs that affect methylation though so I think I do need to do something in this area.

Jenny
 

Athene

ihateticks.me
Messages
1,143
Location
Italy
I've had these ridges in my nails and they correspond with ME relapses. When I had my heart operation the doctor told me people sometimes get them after their heart has been through a trauma, eg heart attack or surgery. He said I would get them after my heart op and sure enough I did. So I think they can be caused by various things.
 

Sunday

Senior Member
Messages
733
I'd never heard about the heart connection, that's interesting. One thing about this DD is, I'm learning a lot!
 

wciarci

Wenderella
Messages
264
Location
Connecticut
Wow, am I learning a lot from posts. I am changing many of my supplements. Thank you Sunday. Thank you Jenny for posting this thread, I hope you feel better, I know how it feels.

wendy
 
Messages
44
Location
UK
I have horizontal ridges on both thumb nails and vertical ones on my fingernails. I have been ill for about two years, and have been on cyano injections every month for a lot of that time because of low B12 levels - I stopped the injections just before Christmas because I wasn't convinced I was getting any benefit from them... around the time I was entering into a bad relapse. The ridges on my thumbs I think probably line up with the start of the relapse - interesting that they might have a connection with B12, maybe I should get a new blood test done and see how my levels are doing.
 

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
Thanks Athene

It says my ridges are a marker of past severe illness - well I kind of knew that!

Interesting explanations of other nail problems - though I do always wonder what their evidence is.

Jenny
 

Adam

Senior Member
Messages
495
Location
Sheffield UK
I have horizontal ridges on both thumb nails and vertical ones on my fingernails.

Exactly the same for me. And now I have black line (sometimes fade to grey and then back to black again) Vertically on thumb nail!
 

SaraM

Senior Member
Messages
526
Vertical lines on all of my nails . The moon parts of the nails have also disappeared.
 

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
Vertical lines on all of my nails . The moon parts of the nails have also disappeared.

Hi SaraM

Half moons are interesting - the only ones I have left are on my thumbs. People on the CPn (chlamydia pneumonia) board have talked about this - some say that half moons returned after treatment with combinations of abx.

Jenny
 

SaraM

Senior Member
Messages
526
Hi Jenny,

Thanks for the info.I was recently tested for Chlamydia pneumonia and the result came back negative although I had got pneumonia years ago. I also took ABX for one week just a few days ago, but could not continue due to side effects and noticing no improvement.
 
Messages
44
Location
UK
For about a year they thought I might have Pernicious Anaemia, so I joined the Pernicious Anaemia Society in the UK - they have a great forum. Interestingly, most of the members mention a lack of moons on their nails - quite possibly caused by a deficiency in B12 / folate / ferritin. I have large moons on all my nails, but I am on B12 injections monthly.

Thanks for the link to the nail info, looks interesting