# Finger and Toe Nails



## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

Andros provided this link in one of her posts :

http://www.thyroidmanager.org/chapter/graves-disease-and-the-manifestations-of-thyrotoxicosis/

I read the entire thing, not sure how much I really understood.

I have the below quote on the 4th digit of my left foot. Now I know why. I have had this strange thin nail for several years. I wrote it off to when I broke both heel bones as the reason, specially since the tendon damage was worse than the breaks.



> Although the integument is thinned, manifestations due to alteration in the growth of the tissue are less evident. It is possible that the type of fingernail described by Plummer (onycholysis) belongs in this category (Figure 10-7). The process may involve all fingers and toes, but typically begins on the fourth digit of each hand. The free margin of the nail leaves the nail bed, producing a concave or wavy margin at the line of contact. The hyponychium may be ragged and dirty, despite the best efforts at personal hygiene. Plummer's nails are a frequent and interesting clinical finding in Graves' disease. Occasionally the spoon-shaped fingernails of hypochromic anemia are encountered.


Does anyone else have this? Does anyone know if and when my levels are normalized if this will go away or am I stuck with it?

This disease just keeps getting weirder and weirder.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

HotGrandma said:


> Andros provided this link in one of her posts :
> 
> http://www.thyroidmanager.org/chapter/graves-disease-and-the-manifestations-of-thyrotoxicosis/
> 
> ...


All my fingernails raised off the beds. It was very painful as well as an ugly atrocity.

I now have lovely nails. It took a while though; improvements came a long time after RAI.


----------



## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

Phew!! Thanks Andros. My eye's were my first asset, now they look crazy and are crossed. My second was my hais which is falling out in handfulls and dry. My third is the nails on my fingers are still growing like weeds. In fact I kid and call them my weeds. Didn't want them to end up like my toe. Guess I'm lucky so far its just one toe. But your are right again, it is painful, I have to keep filing it so it doesn't touch my shoe.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

HotGrandma said:


> Phew!! Thanks Andros. My eye's were my first asset, now they look crazy and are crossed. My second was my hais which is falling out in handfulls and dry. My third is the nails on my fingers are still growing like weeds. In fact I kid and call them my weeds. Didn't want them to end up like my toe. Guess I'm lucky so far its just one toe. But your are right again, it is painful, I have to keep filing it so it doesn't touch my shoe.


Very very painful!! It will be a good thing to develop new assets; I highly recommend it.

But........................given time, you will heal. My eyes were so bad they touched the lens' of my glasses. Strabisimus too!

That is why I am here; to give you and others hope! There is "much" hope; don't despair and don't give up.


----------



## StacyAr (Nov 10, 2012)

HotGma, my mom who, like us, has Graves, has had insane nail issues for years. Splitting vertically, deep ridges, etc. Nutty stuff. She said she never knew, till your thread here, it was Graves related, as her very knowledgable Manhattan Endo didnt even put it together. And yes, it started on her fourth finger. Wonder if this is new information, as it isnt on any of the sites Ive ever seen, and I research obsessively. Also, she has worsening vitiligo, her hair is impossibly thin, brittle, and dry.  And she had the RAI 37 yrs ago and has been on Synthroid ever since.


----------



## HotGrandma (Sep 21, 2012)

StacyAr:

Gosh, my finger nails have those vertical ridges, tried filing them down that just made them worse.

The guy that cuts my hair has changed the style in November and again in January cause of how thin it is. Also how lifeless.

The dry skin is horrible. I use jars of vasoline, drink maybe too much water and am still alligator dry. I am statically charged, everything I touch bites me with a bright blue spark. When I walk through a wood clad door I can hear the electrical current buzzing but not conducting material so I didnt get bit. The buzzing is loud like a swarm of bees above my head. Anyone else have this electric personality?

Okay, really examined each nail on my feet and there's 4 that are spooning. DRATS


----------

