sue1234 Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 A few years ago I had read up on various nail signs in relation to disease. Mostly it was because I have only one lunula on a thumbnail and none on my other fingers.In the last month, I've noticed on my thumbnails, if I run my finger across the top horizontally, I seem to be getting a dip or depression in it. I know from a few years ago this usually indicates iron deficiency anemia. However, my last CBC showed my hemoglobin to be at the top-normal of the range. I have often wondered if my CBCs are not accurate possibly due to dehydration. So, now I'm wondering, if all the sudden my dehydration could be fixed, would my labs then reflect anemia? My symptoms of shortness of breath, tachycardia on ANY exertion, etc. I always chalk up to POTS. What if the numbers are skewed and I actually have anemia?I tried about a year ago to get an appointment with a hematologist, but they said they needed a referral, and I don't think any of my doctors believe I have any reason to see one. Of course, I only called that one office. Maybe a different doctor would not ask for a referral.Does anyone else notice this change in their nails? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maiysa Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 Hi Sue, I'm very new at this site. Nice to meet you. I just wanted to say I do have the ridges in my fingernails just like Ruffles. I have autonomic neuropathy and I'm also anemic pretty consistenly, but they usually have to find it in a total iron panel as it doesn't show up on my CBC some of the time. I've actually had my ferritin levels (iron storage) listed as low as 1, (can't remember the measurements used) but I was told they usually do a blood transfusion at 3, which they tried to talk me into. I chose to eat liver instead and eat iron tabs. Ew! So maybe have them do a ferritin level check. Even when my ferritin was that low my hemo and RBC were very close to normal. I think it also showed up on my saturation??? Not sure what that was, but it was in iron panel. Happiness to you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songcanary Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 I agree with Maiysa. I had low ferritin as well, but my serum iron was perfectly normal. I was symptomatic with nail ridges, hair loss, fatigue etc. The body will just keep drawing from the iron stores until they are depleted. That is why the serum iron looks normal.I had to see a different doctor to diagnose it because my primary was just going by the serum iron reading. Thank God for my allergist. He GETS it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louloutinks Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 I have horizontal ridges and vertical too. I also have a thickening of the nails ( for 10mm before where the white tip starts). What causes this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmreber Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 It's interesting you bring this up. A few months back (maybe around the time I got sick with POTS) I noticed that my nails had started to develop a very noticeable horizontal dip across them, most prevalent in my thumb and pointer fingers. I remember looking it up online because it struck me as odd but I never really found any answers. Then I stopped thinking about it and it wasn't until I read your post that I recalled this being an issue. Now they are pretty normal again, and I wonder if its because I have been taking a lot of vitamins and supplements including a lot of iron to help with the anemia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olive Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Dehydration will show a high hemaglobin and hematocrit. It will drop when properly hydrated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerA Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Wow! this disorder just amazes me sometimes. I have ridges in my nails as well and they dip across the top if I don't keep them perfectly filed round. I just thought that was the weirdness of being me! I never connected the two things. Anyway, I also have a high hemoglobin (14) so I didn't think about anemia either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sue1234 Posted September 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I also have the "rippled chips" ridges also. I am assuming it's from being dehydrated.I would love to have a doctor address the dehydration issue with me and figure this out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potsyturvy Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I have the vertical ridges in my fingernails and both vertical and horizontal in my toenails. I am anemic, so I guess that's the cause of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandymbme Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I have very deep ridges in my toenails, and more slight ones in my thumbs. As for anemia, I have frequent anemia, but thus far it has never been so low that I have needed a transfusion. Came close once, but managed to survive without it. I am also almost continually dehydrated, between POTS and Celiac Disease. (Figures I would have a disease that prevents absorption of bile salts and hydration, and a syndrome that requires enormous amounts of fluids and salt!) So I do a liter of IV saline via my port/cath, just to keep things running at all. Would be interesting to know if there was a correlation though?Sandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinkerbella Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 People often forget that the Iron stores are depleted when all else looks fine.BellaMia ~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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