Terry's nails excuse the picture of my disgusting feet. So I've been on here a couple of times and I understand that your are not doctors and can only offer advice. Would someone be able to tell me if this looks like Terry's nails I'm convinced it is . So a bit of background about me I've been drinking everyday for the last 9 years last year in January 2015 I had a blood test it came back that I was vitamin b12 deficient I then had the injections for it I had another test in May tests fine I had an ultrasound in September all came back Normal another test in December all came back normal anyway I have been to the doctors 3 times this year I thought I had yellow eyes was told I didn't been in about spider veins told I haven't and even if I didn my tests are completely normal he even said he's not sure why I received vitamin b12 injections as it was only slightly low. This all started last year after my first test I started getting pains under my right ribs and I still get that slightly now I have been told by three doctors that I'm suffering from anxiety I haven't been told to stop drinking just to minimise it I now only drink weekends have been doing this for about four months last doctor I seen said there's nothing wrong me and to live my life no one will give me any more blood tests as my last one was on December I have asked if I should come in yearly and have one at least but they said no as there is nothing wrong with me and I don't drink the way I used to do there isn't a problem anyway yesterday I took my nail varnish off and noticed my white nails I couldn't get a xl doctors appointment so entry to see a nurse she wasn't concerned and said maybe it'll grow out see how it goes I mentioned Terry's nail she'd never heard of it I told her to google it and she said if my tests were fine why would I have it I just wandered if any of you think this looks like it thank you in advance x
Terry's nails : Terry's nails excuse the... - British Liver Trust
Terry's nails
Terrys nails are common with people with liver issues but It's not considered a diagnosis if you have it anyway. Not convinced that you have it from that picture.
However-vitamin b12 deficiency consistent with alcohol use as is vitamin D.
When the blood tests were done did they include GGT? I don't think we have the full picture here. You may not have a serious condition yet but very possibly some damage has been done. Any other symptoms apart from slightly dodgy nails? Cutting down the drinking is obviously good-suggest you keep it to the new guidelines which for women is the same as the old guidelines i.e. 14 units but dont binge if you can.
I would recommend a full liver panel blood test and a fibroscan and if you cant persuade your gp to do it then do it privately if possible.
best
Thank you for your response yeah I have all the liver tests done but I haven't got a copy they always tell me they are normal my last. I had a full blood panel test last May which came back fine vb12 deficiancy gone
My last bloods were in December just for liver came back fine they say I have anxiety issues and won't issue any more tests X
sorry didnt see that reply-well thats good really. Cant comment about the anxiety...I would feel reassured in that case. Stick to the alcohol limits though. best
ok actually very similar to my experience when I moderated my drinking-b12 cam eback to normal. A good sign. Still think a full panel should be done for your peace of mind. My liver test were always normal other than GGT which is not normally tested. If you have no other symproms-its a good sign though.
Yeah they won't do it now as they say I'm fine I wish they would just for my piece of mind lol but they say I've had all the relevant testing and it came back fine and I've now cut back my drink so there's no need the last doctor I saw told me to get a life and go out and enjoy
It and to stop worrying as there's nothing wrong. If you don't mind me asking do you have liver disease? X
dont mind at all yes I certaily have fatty liver from years of overdoing the vino. Started moderating about 3 years ago when I joined this forum. I think I've had a few bouts of mild to moderate alcoholic hepatitis as well as vitamin deficiency all reversed by abstinence. I'm no liver expert but I know a lot about various symptoms caused by too much alcohol -have had most of them. I don't know if I have any thing more serious-hopefully not. I'm 60 btw so had been drinking for about 40 years on and off no spirits just wine beer but a prime candidate for something heavy.
This site is brill though
GGT is a good indication of heavy drinking, not liver damage.
Oh sometimes other my symptom is. Pain in liver area but doctors just say it's the anxiety X
that could be fatty liver actually-may be low level and possibly not picked up by ultrasound. IF GGT levels are normal though-probably nothing to worry about. Does the pain increase when you drink? A lot of GPs don't know much about fatty liver symptoms
It's not really possible tell. It only looks like the big toe might be a bit paler. Anyway I once asked a consultant why some other consultants look at finger nails. I think there's a number of clues with finger nails but none of them are really used in prognosis as the're not reliable indicators.
You know alcohol will give you anxiety? Perhaps drinking every day for 9 years has contributed to this.
If you've had all the blood tests I would try not to worry. Maybe the anxiety needs to be treated?
yes I would echo Rodeljoe comments about anxiety and alcohol-I used to get panic attacks due to too much wine-think its vitamin deficeiency related. Dont get it anymore
They won't give me anything for anxiety as they say it's in my head and because I'm not depressed and don't get panic attacks I'm 27 so I started young. It's the big toe and the one next to and similar on other foot each nail is pale though I can't believe the nurse had never heard of it cx
ok well you're pretty young-highly unlikely to be a serious liver issue. As a suggestion why not stop drinking for 6 weeks completely and see if the anxiety decreases? I would ceratinly moderate your googling though...
That's all I do is google lol thank you for both your advice X
As others have said, your nails look normal and anyway doctors don't use the Terry's Nails symptom to diagnose any more. Tests have become more sophisticated and accurate!
I can understand your anxiety about your health, particularly with your family history and your own heavy drinking history.
In a perverse way, this anxiety might help you turn your life around.
You don't need tests and doctors and our opinions to know well from actual life experience in your case, that alcohol has absolutely no health benefits and can cause damage and heartbreak.
What you could focus on is less about whether you have any signs or symptoms of liver damage, but switch to why you drank, why you might still drink, why you might have a tendency toward alcohol addiction, and what you can do about it.
Adding a tendency toward anxiety in the mix makes the problems worse (is the drink to relieve the anxiety - vicious circle of behaviour etc etc).
Have you thought about talking therapy or counselling to get to the bottom of what you are anxious about, how to control it and what alternative techniques you could try that don't rely on alcohol.
Hi holly thank you for replying I'm not really sure why I started drinking but it became habit that when it was evening I'd have a drink, now I drink on weekends as I do enjoy it although I tend to stay away from spirits now not that I drank then regularly before. They suggested o did online therapy I really don't see how that would help lol I tried anyway but it was filled up the doctors just think it's the anxiety but won't give me anything or send me for councellong so I'm at a loss of how to control it I'm fine for a week or so and then I find something new. I think it's in my head and I think when they said I had the vitamin b12 deficiency it spiralled out of control my anxiety as I didn't have any before that first test X
Even though the "you" in your head enjoys the weekend drinking, your liver doesn't, and the anxious part of you gets more anxious knowing it's not helping but not knowing how not to be anxious .... Vicious circle.
Anti anxiety meds are not something the liver particularly likes either, and on top of alcohol I can see that the docs might be reluctant to go the anxiety meds route.
Can you at least go on a waiting list for counselling (assuming you can't go private that is). Are there any drop in type centres near you, often staffed by people trained in talking therapy or even just good listeners. Sometimes an anxiety shared is an anxiety halved.
Worrying about worrying is like a hamster on a wheel, round and round going nowhere, and a drink at the weekend isn't getting you off the worry wheel.
Those look just like mine and I dont have Liver issues.
If you are worried then what on earth are you doing "just drinking at weekends"?
To rest your anxiety I would recommend a Fibroscan, its about the best test to check for Liver scarring. The tests you have had so far probably mean you dont have serious damage. Your good tests arent a green light to carry on drinking though, a couple of years of healthy living would be a good thing and then perhaps think about some light alcohol use.
My doctors have never heard of the fibre scan and they say everything's fine and it's still fine to drink weekends. They will t give me anymore tests either as they say I'm fine I have got a doctors appointment though to look at them thank you for your response. C
ask for a copy and post them
For some clarity leanne, my 3 sets of blood were normal, my ultrasound was normal. After 6 months of no drink I went for a Fibroscan and its DID find a small amount of fat above normal. So I believe this did show my drinking days WERE starting to have affect on my Liver. It doesnt take much stretching the imagination to see that there was likely even more fat in it at the time of my initial tests. clear bloods doesn't mean the Liver isn't starting to become fatty, you probably dont have serious damage, but it is time to think about an extended break from alcohol and work on your health.
I had PBC and transplant in Nov 2014. during 2014 my nails were disgusting, bleeding all round the edges, mal formed, like claws, with extreme ridges , mis shapen ugly horrid. I have never heard of Terrys nails, they tried to work out what it was I had, in the end they said it was psorahiasis (spelling?) and the good news was the immunosuppressants (when I had my xplant) would cure it. It has!
about 15-20 conditions makes terrys nails, I have them too. Thyroid, B12, CMF, diabetes, HIV, Kidney, heart, low iron etc.
Hi, I have been receiving b12 injections cyanocobalamin over 4 months now for b12 deficiency. My nails are ridged mostly pale with thin red strip at top. My lanula are starting to come back but the nails still doesn’t look healthy. do you think it just takes more time? I’m really worried as some other symptoms still persists. Thank you!
Hi I know this is an old thread, but did you ever get to the bottom of why your nails look/looked like this?
Hi no I never I found out why and they are still like it
It's so infuriating isn't it? I assume you had loads of tests for various things etc 😕
It is but the longer I’ve had it the more I have actually noticed a lot of people have similar! And I’ve only had blood tests for the past two years. I last had an ultrasound on the liver nearly three years ago so a long time ago!
Jeez, it's really complex, and so hard to get answers. I know what you mean re noticing it on other people. I used to have blotchy palms, and when I started looking at other people's eg when out shopping, it was amazing how many people had them 😳
I would honestly say if all your bloods and ultrasound are coming back ok and you eat well and drink moderately that your ok and it’s just one of them things I don’t know if your the same as me but I’ve been worried for years about my liver and I only drink now once or twice a week and then have periods of 3 weeks and over off of it I don’t eat great since giving up smoking I’ve put in a lot of weight so I’m not helping myself. But I try not to worry as much as now it’s so much easier said than done and I do think it’s mind over matter sometimes. I can be absolutely fine and then think oh I’ll have a drink tonight and then I get twinges one my liver etc X
Yeah I'm trying to relax over it, but i keep reading on here how bloods and ultrasound aren't conclusive and how people have decent bloods but have cirrhosis etc. I have fatty liver, but just worry that they've missed something more.
It is worrying and I know it’s hard to trust the tests you have because of other people’s stories but I do think 90% of the time these tests are reliable and I think our bodies would let us really know. Like my mum passed from alcohol and she had fluid on one leg for over a year she was yellow on and off for two years she had spider veins on her cheeks, she lost lots of weight lost her appetite. Alcohol made her drunk quicker lots of different things pointed to it that’s what I try to remind myself of when I’m really worried.
I'm so sorry to hear about your mum. That must make it so hard for you to relax over your own symptoms, as you've already seen the damage that can be done 
That's the problem in my case - I do have lots of symptoms, BUT most of those can also be attributed to menopause/HRT/anaemia etc etc, so it's just a case of trying to trust that it might not be my liver causing them :/
Yeah, you're right - the majority of testing has to be correct, otherwise why would the doctors do an Ultrasound/bloods etc in the first place, if they're not even close to being reliable? It doesnt make sense.
In the meantime I've been eating cleaner, cut down on treats, doing Dry January etc etc - so I guess the bottom line is that I'm doing what I can <3
That ok thank you it was nearly 11 years ago that she passed. That’s the thing a lot of my stuff has been put down to other things such as ibs etc. I think your doing all the right things and the liver is her self healing x
Hi I know this post is old. But did you get to the bottom of it. That looks like Terry’s nails to me. My nails are the same and I want them checked. What I read it’s not just liver. It could be heart or kidneys renal serious problems. Think they should do more tests. Is your blood pressure ok ?
Is this Terry’s nails?
Is Cirrhosis still possible?
Endoscopic ultrasound 
Possible Terry's Nails with history of Kidney Damage from Sepsis.
