Early signs of scleroderma??

[Dancingc21]

I have some signs of scleroderma and I was wondering how long it takes to develop/whether it is likely to develop further?

I am 22 and have had Raynauds for about 18months and have the iloprost infusion every few months. My fingers often ache and get puffy, bit red and tight skin and also I find that after eating I quite often get reflux...it is not painful, food just comes back up. I also get black lines on my nails and the white line at the top often travels further down my fingers and is not a straight line across the top of my nail. My nails are also v brittle.

Has anyone experienced anything similar??

Thanks xx

[Hidden]

Depends what sort of Scleroderma you have? Diffuse is more serious and can develop swiftly, limited (crest) is much slower to develop and progresses slowly.

[dorothy69]

scleroderma has a mind of it's own!! i agree with inkedup, you need to find out the type you have, blood tests and a good doctor can get to the bottom of it. your nails are brittle because the circulation to them is not doing it's job, treated with medication. the reflux is also easly treated with medication. as for the black lines in your nails, that is a new one for me....get to bottom of this so you can go into battle fully armed!!!!

[MInerva]

I have severe Raynaud's and also have black patches on some of my nails which have been worsening during the recent cool weather. I assumed it was because of lack of oxygen, so hope I haven't developed scleroderma. It will be interesting to see if anyone else comments on this.

[Toniraquel]

The thng about autoimmune diseases is they are like sleeping bears. In the early stages you can smell the bear, you can hear the bear but it's sleeping and not attacking you yet. These diseases pass hints constantly and we need to listen. Your best option is to try and keep the bear in hybernation! One of the most important things you can do right now is take acid reducer medication, ie heartburn meds (of course ask your doc first). When first diagnosed with sleroderma I had been ignoring the acid reflux for years and now my throat is damaged and it's very hard to eat. When I swollow it's like knives going all the way to the lower part of my chest bone and I often choke. So make sure to ask your doc about the acid reducers and it's important to take them daily. Less acid means less damage! Good luck to you!

[Dancingc21]

Thanks for all the advice, I think I'll speak further with my rheumatologist to make sure I'm getting all the meds I need to prevent further damage and to see if I have scleroderma then what type it is. Best wishes to you all x

[SandraMarie]

When you say black lines, are they on your actual nail or on the cuticle?

[SandraMarie]

In response to your last comment, I'm afraid no medication can stop scleroderma. I've found they make matters worse and you'd be much better off going to a herbalist.xx

[Dancingc21]

Mostly on by actual nail but have occasionally had them on my cuticle. Oh thats a good idea, thanks x

[MInerva]

The blackness is on the nail itself and is in big patches starting at the top of the nail and extending down towards the cuticle. Does anyone else have this?