Finger Nails - Has Anyone Had Trouble Growing Theirs?

[arizona girl]

I have never been able to grow mine. They would peel, split or break off easy. I never associated there not growing with my pots or even the newer small fiber diagnosis. Now I'm starting to wonder if there is a connection.

Since starting the plasmapheresis my nails are growing and they aren't peeling, chipping or splitting anymore. They actually look healthy for the first time. So I'm wondering what is now allowing them to grow? This is such an unexpected improvement and visual sign of change.

Which why I'm asking if any of you have had a problem with your nails?

[firewatcher]

I've never been able to grow mine. They are soft and thin and bend and tear easily. They are all funny shaped too.

[arizona girl]

thanks firewatcher for replying. That is how mine were, except mine are normal shaped.

It will be interesting to see if others have had problems with there nails. If I had known they were going to change I would have taken a before picture. I'm happy they are growing, I always wanted pretty nails, it is a nice unexpected improvement, but not something I was even looking to see.

I wonder if maybe circulation or pooling problems might have messed then up.

I've never been able to grow mine. They are soft and thin and bend and tear easily. They are all funny shaped too.

[firewatcher]

The edges of my nails curl up and out on the sides. They are as bendy as my tendons. It probably is part of that unidentified connective tissue thing.

[juliegee]

I'm so glad you brought this up. I've been meaning to post about this. My nails were also a mess, considerably shorter than the tip of my finger- OUCH!!! They were also ridged, split, peeled, etc. The shape was normal-ish, just so ridged that it made the shape look odd. I asked my dermo about it and she put me on Biotin. I looked it up, and lo and behold, a biotin deficiency is implicated in connective tissue disorders. Biotin not only helps nails and hair grow better. It also helps transform our food into energy- tired anyone? Kind of sounds a little like a mito problem too...

After only a month, my fingernails are growing beyond the tip of my finger and feel strong. They are less ridged and my hair, which had been thinning, is thicker and growing FAST. I wish I could report that I was full of energy- no such luck . I definitely think that connective tissue disorders can affect our biotin levels and supplementing has been helpful for me.

I'm not sure why plasmapheresis helps. (My memory is a mess- tell us why you are doing that again.) If you see an improvement in nails, I'm sure there is a connection. Kind of a tough way to get a good manicure . I'm sure you don't recommend it for that.

Julie

[potsgirl]

I have the opposite problem. My nails grow like crazy, and I no longer have the energy to care about giving myself manicures every week, although I love the look. I usually cut them short, except for special occasions when I paint them. My toenails, on the other hand, I keep painted all year.

[arizona girl]

Oh Mack mom's I am so laughing out loud by myself all alone at home. You are so funny! No I don't recommend it for a way to get better nails, but it sure is a nice side effect!!

It was just such a noticeable change, that I had to ask the rest of you. I did ask the nurse if the albumin they use to exchange my blood with might be doing it. He said no he didn't think so. Though the pheresis is a very easy treatment and seems to have no side effects for me just improvements. Now, surgically inserting the catheter, that was another story, ouch!

I'm getting the pheresis because my neurologist has diagnoses my pots symptoms by skin biopsy, as autoimmune small fiber autonomic neuropathy. I do have a history of a positive ANA and I've had a lot of viral exposures. Don't know if those caused the autoimmunity, maybe, my mom also had toxemia while she was carrying me and I have insulin resistance precursor to diabetes, which my cardio said is most likely autoimmune. Kind of like what caused the pots, well what caused the small fiber? Neuro says it is ideopathic.

That's interesting about the biotin. I'm not taking that, but my hair was very fine and thin as a child. It thickened up after I was put on dexamethesone, when they "get this" first diagnosed me with "Mixed connective tissue disease" over 25 years ago. I also got boobs for the first time in my life after taking that. That steriod though caused me to get cushings syndrome and may have caused the PCOS. I never felt better on it either. Interesting that both you and firewatcher mention connective tissue disorders.

[brownsea]

my nails tend to grow fast. i havent the energy, so i tend to keep them short. although my toe nails, the big toe, have lots of ridges on them. so much i now get the nail file and file the actual nail, and then paint them with clear nail vanish because i was fed up with their appearance.

[sue1234]

Mine grow very hard and fast. When you push on them they don't even bend. I also have ridges. I don't manicure--thanks to my healthy adrenaline levels, I just mindlessly bite them down.

[erik]

I looked it up, and lo and behold, a biotin deficiency is implicated in connective tissue disorders. Biotin not only helps nails and hair grow better. It also helps transform our food into energy- tired anyone? Kind of sounds a little like a mito problem too...

I've been trying biotin for a couple months... just something along with various B-vites (those you would often find in an Energy Drink). For energy, it seems it might be slightly helpful... like "supportive" of the body, rather than "correcting" anything that is wrong.

I don't seem to have a connective tissue thing so I wouldn't know if it helps along those lines. I also had mostly normal nails (guy nails, which means I don't really look at them that closely ... but with fludro on board things like hair & nails do seem to grow a bit quicker.

Shoddy nails can also be associated with endocrine troubles, so that is another avenue to pursue if signs are there. I do tend to have darkness at the skin near base of a couple of my nails, but not so severe as would be expected for Addison's or whatever.

[Maxine]

My nails seem average, but both thub nails split from the bottom up and look very unhealthy. No explanation for this from anyone other the the geneticist at NIH saying they looked clubbed and she thinks I have inflammatory bowel disease. We'll find out when I get my colonoscopy on June 1st. I go for pre testing Thursday.

Maxine :0)

[Chaos]

Another "bendy" person with very thin, breakable, weak nails. Have never been able to grow them out to any length whatsoever. Also have terrible riiiiiiiidges on them.

Mack's mom- thanks for the info on Biotin. I've been losing hair like crazy since I got sick last summer. May be worth a try. My throid has been tested repeatedly without anything being found to account for the hair loss.

[Rachel]

My nails used to always be soft, and they would split, peel, and chip. A few years ago I started taking calcium regularly, and this seems to have helped my nails. I wouldn't classify my nails as hard, but they aren't quite as soft anymore either. They do still have ridges, and they do still split sometimes. I have very little peeling and chipping now.

Rachel

[blueskies]

Yep, bendy, weak, splitting, tearing nails. Fingers only. Toenails are fine. My mother has them too. But all of my 4 sisters can grow their nails nicely.

It's nice that short nails are in fashion for once. I find if I keep my nails very short they are less likey to tear.

blue

[Kujiforo]

My nails are amazingly fast-growing, hard, and grow very shapely - people always ask me "Are those real?" I'm too lazy to keep cutting them down (although I hate long nails) but i do on occasion.

[juliegee]

We seem to be in 2 camps- strong, beautiful nails & weak, thin ones. Question: Does anyone with diagnosed (or suspected) connective tissue disorder have strong nails? I theorize that whatever underlies the connective tissue disorder also affects our nails.

Julie

[Tommyhoney]

I have very strong nails, that grow....they do have ridges though, very unsightly. And I have been diagnosed with "undifferentiated connective tissue disorder"

My nails have always grown very long, but the ridges started around the time I started being diagnosed with my "list."