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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 2/21/2009 4:15 PM (GMT -5)
does anyone have horizontal ridges running through their toenails or fingernails?

i just looked down and saw they are on my toenails and i know they aren't normal, but i am pretty sure there are many underlying helath problems that cause these and i was just wondering if UC was one of them. is it an autoimmune thing?  my dad has MS and he has them on his fingernails.

Posted 2/21/2009 5:15 PM (GMT -5)
I don't have indents but I do notice that my nails are very weak lately. I think it has to do witht he medications I take./
Posted 2/21/2009 6:07 PM (GMT -5)

I have indents on my thumb nails...often wondered where they came from..you might be right with it possibly being the medications we take sicklygirl.

I sometimes also get very sensitive nails - sore and tingly to touch. Not sure whether that has anything to do with UC?!

Posted 2/21/2009 6:33 PM (GMT -5)
I had deep ridges in my fingernails and I started taking biotin. Biotin is naturally produced in your intestines so if you are having chronic D then it can deplete your body of it. Biotin is what helps keep your nails and hair healthy. You can try taking a supplement Biotin - I personally found that 5mg or (5000mcgs) works better then the lesser mg's.
Posted 2/21/2009 9:17 PM (GMT -5)
My husband had deep pits in his fingernails when he injured his neck. The fingernails with the pits were the same fingers that were affected from nerve damage. He almost had neck surgery, but steroid shots into his neck reduced the swelling enough that he never had the surgery. The pits in his nails went away when he started feeling better.
Posted 2/21/2009 11:43 PM (GMT -5)

My sister and I both have raynauds disease and this is one of the symptoms.

Posted 2/22/2009 7:07 AM (GMT -5)
Years ago before i was diagnosed with UC I had a problem with psoriasis on my palms of my hands and bottom of my feet and this included ridges on my nails, this went away then I has a sore back and was diagnosed with ankolysing spondalytis..then this went away ...A couple off years later I gave up smoking and this bought on my first flare...was diagnosed with UC and then they discovered i have the HLA-B27 gene...I'm sure its all related...makes more sense knowing about the gene ....
Posted 2/22/2009 12:40 PM (GMT -5)
what is the HLA-B27 gene?
Posted 2/22/2009 12:50 PM (GMT -5)
I think some people just have them more than others, they can be very normal and it's not necessarily something to worry about. My mother is healthy as can be and she has always had ridges on her nails. I probably do, too, but I buff my nails regularly.

Treat yourself to a pedicure, I bet a good nail tech can tell you how common they are.
Posted 2/22/2009 1:52 PM (GMT -5)
I've had those ridges most of my adult life. I do pick at my cuticles, but I insist that's because they do not form properly and cause painful hang nails. I have been looking up various psoriasis conditions, and the nail ridges could even be related to that i believe.
Posted 2/22/2009 2:57 PM (GMT -5)
Perhaps this is something to do with the medications. I took Colitis medications for only three months. I don't have them.
Posted 2/22/2009 4:40 PM (GMT -5)
My husband has deep ridges in his toenails (but perfect fingernails). He has the healthiest colon (I'm jealous!). So, I don't think it's UC related.
Posted 2/22/2009 4:48 PM (GMT -5)
I has those with my 1st severe UC flare up. I think a lot of things can cause them. Supposedly it indicates an interruption in nail growth due to serious illness. I wouldn't be surprised if the meds cause them too though.
Posted 2/22/2009 6:01 PM (GMT -5)
HLA B27 is an inherited gene marker associated with a number of related rheumatic diseases. They share in common, features such as spinal and peripheral arthritis, skin and GI disorders, anterior chamber eye disease, and psoriasis like skin lesions. This gene is found with highest prevalence in patients with ankylosing spondylosis (>90%), reactive arthritis (80%), and patients with the combination of peripheral arthritis and either psoriasis or inflammatory bowel disease (50%).

Why get tested?
To determine whether you have human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) on the surface of your cells; to help assess the likelihood that you have an autoimmune disorder associated with the presence of HLA-B27

An american doctor working in our NZ hospital tested me for the Gene
Posted 2/22/2009 10:13 PM (GMT -5)
this is some totally useless info but here is the deal with the nail indents

When a person suffers a serious injury or illness the nails get pits in them.  And those are actually so accurate that when bodies from a long time ago, like the frozen ice man, thousands of years old, they can use the indents in his fingernails to see illness or injury in his life. 

i know that was useless to know,lol.

But anyway, it has something to do with your body needing so much to sustain itself during a serious health time that it takes away from things like nails and hair (which is why so many lose hair after a serious flare) becaue those are not as necessary for survival as your liver or heart.

Posted 2/23/2009 9:09 AM (GMT -5)
Interesting topic. I have had ridges in my fingernails for as long as I can remember - a long time pre-UC.
Posted 2/23/2009 10:12 AM (GMT -5)
I developed deep horizontal ridges in some of my toe nails when I was on 6mp - in addition to my hair falling out. I was only on it for a few months and that was years ago, but I still have these odd ridges.
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