Any advice on Beau's Lines please?

HI All

I've had the white fingertips of very mild raynauds for very many years now

However, this winter the white fingertips were really bad

And it has left me with a horizontal 'cut' in the middle of each fingernail, which are also slightly bloodshot

I saw a dermatologist today and he says it's Beau's Lines and one of the possible reasons is hypothyroidism - I am hypothyroid with TG antibodies at 178

Does anybody else have these lines please?

If so, what helps?

Thank you

Alps Holday

[Erin60]

Hi, yes I started these symptoms 2 winters ago. Horrid !

I now go on a medication called nifedipine 10mg usually for 2-3 months ( dec ) helps somewhat.

But it taught me to avoid or prepare for some cold situations.

[Hidden in reply to Erin60]

Thank you erin60

I take it you too have raynauds, but not beau's lines?

Thank

alps holiday

[Erin60 in reply to Hidden]

Yeah that’s it, no beaus but some slight vertical lines going on.

It’s so frustrating that every clinic and consultant endocrine/dermatology/eye clinic can reel off these numerous names for all these ‘things’ but woe betide they ever reel off a cure for any of them.. modern life , modern medicine, All they say in their diagnostic screen is the best we can do is “manage symptoms “

Trouble is when you have an autoimmune illness there are so many symptoms you have to manage it’s like a new occupation and the training is on the job !!

Rant over

[vocalEK in reply to Erin60]

And I have yet to meet a doctor who ever suggested how to manage my weak, splitting, cracking fingernails. And yes I have tried all the suggested stuff like biotin (I was taking crazy high doses of the stuff for a while), supposedly nail hardening polish, rubbing oil into my nails, etc. Nothing has worked, except that now I am taking T3 along with my T4 and I think I see some improvement. But my one thumb nail has not grown out enough to get past the bottom of the big chunk that broke off the edge. It has only been 3 months. Nails grow so slowly. But BTW, it wasn't a doctor who suggested taking T3.

[Mandtmummy]

I suffer with carpal tunnel and it's especially bad in the winter. I was giving the advice of keeping your wrists warm (rather than concentrating on your fingers). I have wrist warmers (from an online shop called turtle doves btw) and it made such a difference this year. I don't know if it would help you. Xx

[Hidden in reply to Mandtmummy]

Thank you mandtmummy

I take it you too have raynauds, but not beau's lines?

Yes I do use gloves a lot in winter

Thanks

alps holiday

[DippyDame]

Over about 10 years the nails on my right hand have slowly separated from the nail beds, vertical lines, discoloured, crumbled and had to be wholly or partially removed.

Middle nail had a bloodshot verticle split in the the middle.

Nail cuttings and scrapings tested several times..

Results...onycholysis but nothing fungal.

Over time nothing helped.

They looked shocking

I posted about this some time ago.

Over the last year I have been changing to/titrating T3-only.

As an optimal dose is (almost) reached my nails are now beginning to improve...one is back to normal

I can only conclude that long term depletion of T3 was the cause.

The nails on my left hand are fine.

I explained this to an endo last week

Response....mmmm interesting.

No help there!

Have you had FT3/full thyroid panel tested?

[Hidden in reply to DippyDame]

Hi dippydame

sorry to hear that you have nail problems too

Here are my latest Medichecks from 3/7/19

TSH 2.94 (0.27-4.20)

Free T3 4.68 (3.1-6.8)

FT4 12.5 (12-22)

Thyroglobulin antibodies 178 (0-115)

Thyroperioxidase antibodies 20.8 (0-34)

I note you have seen some improvement in your nails this year

what is your current dosing of T4/T3 please?

Thanks and hope the improvement continues

Apls holiday

[DippyDame]

Nail problems apart I would suggest that your current dose of 50mcg levothyroxine is leaving you undermedicated and therefore symptomatic

Your TSH is a little high...advice suggests 2 or slightly lower.

Your FT4 is far too low...this suggests undermedication....aim towards top of range

Your FT3 at less than half way up the range ... too low.

If FT4 is low then not enough is available to be converted to FT3 which is required in every cell of the body....they need a constant and adequate supply in order to function properly.

You need to ask your GP for an increase. Sadly medics have very poor knowledge of thyroid disease. If it were otherwise this forum would not exist

You ask...My situation is different I have the Dio2 gene variant/homozygous (very poor conversion) and thyroid hormone resistance which tests and trial and error have revealed that I need a huge dose of T3-only to ensure it reaches cellular level.....currently 100mcg.

Thank you... my nails are now slowly improving and I think yours will too once you optimise your thyroid hormone replacement.

Much valuable advice here....just ask.

Apologies if I'm telling you things you already know!

In haste

DD