• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Vertical ridges on fingernails

Messages
6
Dr. Eric Berg (on YouTube) has a video about how different deficiencies affect hair and nails. He mentions that horizontal ridges across the nails are linked to Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) deficiency, and that can be linked to the consumption of highly processed grain and flour products that are not only lacking many nutrients, but that also force the body to have to utilise a great amount in order to be processed through the digestive system. Beri-beri was first discovered in groups that ate mainly white polished rice that was also missing the germ - the most nutritious part. These are foods that rob far more out of the body than they give.

I can testify to that as the very deep horizontal furrows in my thumb nails went away after I dumped gluten grains and most carbs and added in some decent supplements including B complex and extra Thiamin.

I am still trying to rectify the vertical ridges. They can apparently be linked to thyroid issues, but I suspect they are more likely to be linked to the deficiencies that trigger thyroid issues. Not caused by the Thyroid issues but a part of the same issue. Some have mentioned that taking Synthroid etc. has not stopped the ridges, but that may be because the Synthroid addresses the Thyroid symptoms but not necessarily the cause.
 

Gingergrrl

Senior Member
Messages
16,171
I wanted to post an update that I finally saw my dermatologist this week for another issue and while there, she was able to look at my toenails. She is a brilliant doctor and extremely knowledgeable re: MCAS and things the average doctor doesn't know about. She said that the issue with my toenails was absolutely nothing to worry about and was a type of "banding" that can occur due to many different causes (autoimmune, malnutrition, etc) and that a toenail grows out very slowly (years vs. months like fingernails).

She was not surprised that it started on both my fingernails and toenails over a year ago during the period that I was experiencing malnutrition and in the hospital for MCAS/anaphylaxis. She was also not surprised that my fingernails are completely back to normal but my toenails still have the horizontal red line. In any case, she said it will eventually grow out and disappear and is nothing to worry about (and is not related to a hidden cancer or cardiac issues, etc).

I was really relieved and can put this issue to rest now!
 

Sundancer

Senior Member
Messages
569
Location
Holland
I stumbled on this website
https://health-boundaries.com/fingernails-2/

B12 and Fingernails
Vitamin-B12-and-Fingernails-300-not-Bold.jpg

Ridges on Thumbnail
This is a fingernail, Obviously.
What is equally visible but not as obvious is that the person has health issues. If you know what to look for, you can see vitamin B12 deficiency in fingernails. For instance, no moons on fingernails except thumbs is one sign of low vitamin B12 levels. Pictures of vitamin B12 deficiency in fingernails show how fingernails change when there is a vitamin B12 deficiency.

really stumbled, think it came along on twitter.

Now, these are my nails, for many years now, and since I became bedbound it has become much worse, thicker ridges, knobbly too.
No half-moons on the fingers and left thumb.

3 months ago I started adding more B12 to my daily regimen. Now I see that the ridges have lessened considerably, there are no knobbles on the ridges anymore and on the left thumb a small moon is beginning to appear.

so, I'm happy, things are working
 

Sundancer

Senior Member
Messages
569
Location
Holland
month later, the nails of my index-fingers are almost ridge-less, If I would put nail-varnish on them ( which I never do) they would look normal. The right index-finger now has a small but definite moon.

something is happening

@jesse's mom , you have problems increasing the dose of B12? ( I do have that)
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
3 months ago I started adding more B12 to my daily regimen. Now I see that the ridges have lessened considerably, there are no knobbles on the ridges anymore and on the left thumb a small moon is beginning to appear.
Those ridges look like the ones I have too, yet I inject B12 every other day. :(
 

Sundancer

Senior Member
Messages
569
Location
Holland
Those ridges look like the ones I have too, yet I inject B12 every other day. :(

sorry for you, maybe injecting every day? or trying another form of B12, or adding folate?

just ideas mind you, I am totally perplexed about this, did nt expect it, still a long way to go but there is definite development and not just in my nails.
 

IThinkImTurningJapanese

Senior Member
Messages
3,492
Location
Japan
by the way, I am losing my fingerprints...

Can You Lose Your Fingerprints?
A 62-year-old man from Singapore was traveling to the U.S. to see relatives last December and was detained after a routine fingerprint scan showed that he actually had none. So how did this happen?

The man, identified in a medical journal case report only as "Mr. S," had been on chemotherapy to keep his head and neck cancer in check. As it turns out, the drug, capecitabine (brand name, Xeloda) had given him a moderate case of something known as hand–foot syndrome (aka chemotherapy-induced acral erythema), which can cause swelling, pain and peeling on the palms and soles of the feet—and apparently, loss of fingerprints.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
by the way, I am losing my fingerprints..
So am I. Dr. Cheney said that about 50% of his patients had lost or partially lost their fingerprints. He brought in a professional fingerprinter and he was unable to fingerprint many patients.
or trying another form of B12, or adding folate?
I've tried other forms of B12 and tolerate hydrox the best--also take daily bio-available folate.
 

jesse's mom

Senior Member
Messages
6,795
Location
Alabama USA
you have problems increasing the dose of B12? ( I do have that)
Yes, it upsets my stomach and sometimes makes me shake more... I shake enough that it is embarrassing and really, I don't like to have my hands shaking, its unnerving.

I never really was grateful enough that my hands were steady as a rock before this illness.

It makes me feel really old.
 

Wolfcub

Senior Member
Messages
7,089
Location
SW UK
I have these horizontal ridges too. (Beau's lines) They are pronounced but only on my left thumbnail. They started at the end of March when I first became unwell, and they were really deep, like gashes across the nail. I have been able to track this illness by observing them.
It takes me about 3 months to grow out a fingernail.
So there are many at the top end which I have cut off now -and glad to see the back of them because I know they mean I am not well. My mother told me that, way back and she's right.

Then there was a kind of "remission" when I was no so bad...and sure enough there are still some very faint ridges showing up every week or so, but they are so faint. That's when I was feeling generally that I might be getting better. Then about 3 weeks ago they started up again and the last one coming up the nail is a real deep one timed at about 2 weeks ago.
That's when I was doing the high dose vitamin B complex and the Echinacea and garlic trial. (stopped that after a few days)
They give me the creeps to be honest. I want them to stop appearing.

But only in the one nail and none of the others. And not on toes.
 

rel8ted

Senior Member
Messages
451
Location
Usa
I can testify to that as the very deep horizontal furrows in my thumb nails went away after I dumped gluten grains and most carbs
Mine went away, too after I dumped all grains after my Celiac diagnosis. My gut was such a wreck that I could no longer tolerate any of them. My nail ridges went away, I have the best looking skin I have ever had & I can actually enjoy eating instead of dreading the torture that every meal used to be.
 
Messages
9
I was wondering if anyone else had updates on their Beau Lines.

I am also seeing I too get much more pronounced indentations during carb intake.

My fatigue also increases (need more sleep) during these times too.

I also have symptoms of low dopamine; OCD, Depression, etc.

I had taken B12 in the past, but didn't notice any huge benefit.

Also notice a wierd 'pinch' sensation under my left ribcage region... This seems to come and go, as well as a weak cough (mabye due to post nasal drip)?

Just mentioning some of these extra details, to see if it resonates with anyone else.

Love to hear of anyones progress though!
 

Pyrrhus

Senior Member
Messages
4,172
Location
U.S., Earth
as well as a weak cough (mabye due to post nasal drip)?

Another name for "Post-Nasal Drip" that is sometimes used is "Upper Airway Cough Syndrome", since coughing seems to go along with post-nasal drip so often, but not always. There appear to be different causes and different types of post-nasal drip.

The form of post-nasal drip that I experience is actually a type of dysautonomia called "Laryngopharyngeal Reflux". In this specific type of post-nasal drip, both the upper and lower esophageal sphincters fail to close correctly, allowing splatter from the stomach to fly up the esophagus, landing at the back of the throat and even falling down the windpipe into the lungs. The irritation at the back of the throat triggers mucus production in the nose and the splatter into the lungs causes coughing. I never knew this type of post-nasal drip could be so complicated!

For more info on laryngopharygeal reflux (LPR), see this discussion:

Gastrointestinal Reflux as Dysautonomia
https://forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/gastrointestinal-reflux-as-dysautonomia.86644/
 
Last edited:
Messages
2,565
Location
US
Also notice a wierd 'pinch' sensation under my left ribcage region... This seems to come and go, as well as a weak cough (mabye due to post nasal drip)?

Just mentioning some of these extra details, to see if it resonates with anyone else.

Love to hear of anyones progress though!

I have a pinch under my left ribcage. For me it's related to tightness and misalignment in my upper spine.
 

GreenMachineX

Senior Member
Messages
362
Another name for "Post-Nasal Drip" that is sometimes used is "Upper Airway Cough Syndrome", since coughing seems to go along with post-nasal drip so often, but not always. There appear to be different causes and different types of post-nasal drip.

The form of post-nasal drip that I experience is actually a type of dysautonomia called "Laryngopharyngeal Reflux". In this specific type of post-nasal drip, both the upper and lower esophageal sphincters fail to close correctly, allowing splatter from the stomach to fly up the esophagus, landing at the back of the throat and even falling down the windpipe into the lungs. The irritation at the back of the throat triggers mucus production in the nose and the splatter into the lungs causes coughing. I never knew this type of post-nasal drip could be so complicated!
With this type of reflux, is there a big risk of pneumonia? I was just diagnosed with it. What have you found to help it or is it chronic?