Nail moons

[Alfabeta]

Hi Everyone

I read this week on the site about the lack of moons on ones nails was symptomatic of b12 deficiency. I have been having treatment for over a year and did not know about this physical aspect of the illness.

I have moons on both my thumbs and the research I did said this was normal but I have two moon on fingers on my left hand and one on my right hand. I have no idea what the situation was previously as I never knew to check.

The research I undertook also stated that ridges on ones finger nails was also a symptom of b12 deficiency and I have noticed for some considerable time that I had ridges on my thumbs - well before I was diagnosed as deficient.

These ridges were very pronounced and I feel that they are less pronounced now but I am not sure.

Does anyone know if the nails will go back to normal after sufficient treatment and, as such, if one monitors their changes (which I intend to do from now on) can one assess whether one is overcoming the damage done by the deficiency?

[Sleepybunny]

Hi,

Everyone's response to B12 treatment is different. I found my nail growth improved, some ridges on thumbnail disappeared and moons reappeared on some fingernails. I don't think moons are normally visible on little finger nail.

[pvanderaa]

Once your B12 levels get better, the moon and ridges do go back to normal as the nails grow.

If you find yours get better and then worse again, it is another piece of evidence that you may need more frequent injections.

Unfortunately GPs usually don’t accept this symptom as evidence and treat you as a complete nutter.

Start a logbook of all your symptoms and provide a list to your GP at each visit. You want to get them past the “I’ve got a hypochondriac on my hands” stage we all go through. If you can assess your own severity score and get your GP to buy into the concept of treatment by symptoms, you may get them to prescribe more frequent injections.

[jointpain in reply to pvanderaa]

Love the reference to GP thinking of patients as complete nutters! I often have to say I am not a nutter, but the doctors still think I am!! I know I am not my dog told me?

[ITYFIALMCTT]

I've never had half moons on any of my nails.

I have some odd things happening with my nails but that's primarily related to an auto-immune arthritis rather than anything else.