White nails still worried.

[Peter20]

I recently got white nails and posted about this before. My liver blood values ​​are good and my doctor tells me not to worry. But they are still very white. I'm more and more concerned now. I also suffer from a depression. However, my doctor sees no reason to send me for further examination. I drank 12 glasses of beer a week for a long time and (hate to say) took drugs. Shall i ask for an ultrasound next week ? I don't think she wants to send me for an ultrasound. It is difficult to get an ultrasound. I'm not from England.

[Peter20]

They look more white than on this photo

Push for ultrasound

[AyrshireK in reply to Peter20]

White nails alone are not indicatory in liver disease - the condition you've probably seen linked with liver disease is Terry's Nails but even this is no longer used in diagnosing liver issues. In any event the picture you've posted clearly shows the lunular (crescent moon) visible and in Terry's Nails this is absent as the whole nail/nail bed is opaque with a 'ground glass' appearance.

Katie

[Hidden in reply to Peter20]

Look perfectly normal to me ! In a nutshell, lay off the drugs and alcohol which cause paranoia, anxiety and depression. Find something new to occupy yourself which will actually do your mind and body far more benefit than thinking you have something wrong with your nails. Doctors do know what they are talking about when they say you have NOTHING to worry about. So why question them?

[Richard-Allen]

Hello Peter, I'd just like to try and put something to you please. I'm not sure if this is going to make any sense.

Mental health issues and alcohol abuse seem to go hand in glove. A person can get into a horrible circle of events when trying to self-medicate with alcohol in order to try and lift the gloom.

Alcohol in it's self is a depressant, so, a person drinks because they are feeling low, this makes them even more depressed, so they drink even more alcohol. This cycle of events can, over time lead to anxiety issues. If you take a look at this NHS website link entitled, "Overview - Generalised anxiety disorder in adults": nhs.uk/mental-health/condit...

On here you'll see under the question, "What causes generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)?" you'll see alcohol-abuse is there.

Now, taking this a step further, this could also lead to health anxiety. This is where a person worries too much about their body and their health. They become convinced that something is wrong. Once again, this NHS website explains this in more detail: nhs.uk/mental-health/condit...

Hypochondria is a real medical condition. Have a read of these two NHS websites, and then speak to your doctor. He/she may well be treating you for depression or anxiety when really the condition could me better managed. A doctor can only make a diagnosis based upon what you tell him your symptoms are.

I think it's a safe bet to say that your liver has forgiven you for treating it so badly in the past.

Try not to go looking for things that just aren't there.

Good Luck

Richard.

[Jay986 in reply to Richard-Allen]

Really solid point, alcohol is an accelerant to many mental troubles, despite feeling like medication at first

[Peter20]

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I am reassured. I have stopped drinking since December. I hope my depressive / hypochondriac symptoms will disappear soon. If not, I'm going to seek help for this.