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yellow nail syndrome

Posted , 19 users are following.

101dalmation
101dalmation

I am 46 years of age, and for the past 2 years have been asking my doctors what was wrong with my nails (fingers and toes) but getting no answer, till finally i was refered to a dermatolagist at hospital, who diagnosed it as YELLOW NAIL SYNDROME which is a rare desease, and only 100 other cases have been known to have it. thats why ive called myself 101 dalmation as i may be the 101 patient lol. I was relieved in a way to find out what it was but curious as to why i have got it. but there is no answer to my question as no one knows of yet where it comes from. So i would like to share this with anyone who wishes to read about it, and ask any questions about it. I have taken photos of my nails for future ness if anyone requests to see them.

thank you for letting me express this out into the open.

101 dalmation

3 likes, 142 replies

142 Replies

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  • lois58127
    lois58127 101dalmation

    Posted

    hi there, my yellow nail syndrome came after i was diagnosed with hasimotos, where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland. apparantly there is a connection between the two.  after taking acitretin 10mg capsules 1 a day with food for the last 3 months my nails have now lost the blackness they are still yellow i have 4 normal nails now. occasional cough but no chest problems but we live in a climate that dosnt get too cold always between 10 and 25 degrees here in NZ.  i went through a stage with splits on the tips on the fingers and infections in the nail bed useing foban cream for that. i have some pain in the back of my legs and they swell when i go for walks in the hot weather, i have to wear flat loose shoes or my feet ache. I have slimmed down with these drugs and dont feel like i am retaining as much fluid. I now have a lot of flabby skin from the loss of fluid. the drug is a serious prescription only one as it causes birth defects as i am past child bearing age i am ok with that but only a specialist can prescribe it and it is usually used for psoriasis. its good to hear from you all.
    • Virgin19
      Virgin19 lois58127

      Posted

      Hi there in NZ,

      My nails have no blackness or splitting but they are thick and yellow. Some are tender.  I have had all the tests known to man!! CT scans, bronchioscopy, blood tests for EVERYTHING!! I have no swelling at all I'm hoping it will stay this way. I've had all the other symptoms for about 18 months before being diagnosed. How soon did your swelling appear? Are you able to work?

      Yes I have read about the Acitretin and it seems quite a strong drug. I will look into that. 

      Compared to some of the people on here I think I have it quite mild. Did yours start like this and progressively get worse? I'm so interested to hear all the different case scenarios.

  • lois58127
    lois58127 101dalmation

    Posted

    i was diagnosed 6 years ago when i was 47 with hasimotos, and when i was 51 i had constant nail bed infections, so bad i couldnt pull up my pants.. backwards and forwards to doc with anitbiotics then it got so bad i demanded to see a specialist by this time i was coughing up white/yellow mucus and no swelling. specialist diagnosed yns, my lungs are good but the broncols play up in cold weather,  i get sinus, dry and painful under eyes and down my cheeks, the swelling didnt start till this year. so that was 2 years after the symptoms started. I have had 22 prescriptions this year for this issue. the chemist knows me by my first name.. my legs are sore down the back of thigh and calf i dont have bulges but a general chubby ness.  i also eat well and have done so for 6 years now. lots of leafy veges, Kale etc. very little carbs. take vit C, D, Zinc, Magnesium, Fish Oil.

    stress and menopause could have had something to do with this. by the age of 50 i had gone through the change it was quick but my emotions were all over the place.

    • Guest
      Guest lois58127

      Posted

      Lois - I don't have Hashimoto's but I did develop Hypothyroidism 3-4 years ago and now need to take Levothyroxine - 100mg every day. It's strange that all our symptoms are similar and that they affect seemingly different parts of the body - lungs, thyroid gland, nails,  sinuses etc. and all believed to be caused by a breakdown in the lymphatic system.

      Katie

  • lois58127
    lois58127 101dalmation

    Posted

    hasimotos is hypothyrodism.. its where the immune system attacks the thyroid gland i had a thyroid reading of 15 TSH at my worse, had gained 15 kgs and had freezing feet and hands, dry skin and even though i have lots of hair it was coming out in handfuls. i now take 100 levothyroxin and 150 every other day. tsh is now 4 at the upper end of normal. yes what we have is autoimmune. our immune systems are out of wack. it seems to be an inherited condition as far as I can see.
    • Guest
      Guest lois58127

      Posted

      I hadn't realised that our hypothyroidism had a name lois. My TSH got up to 57 by the time I was diagnosed - same symproms as you - shivering during the night, hair starting to fall out etc. My TSH is down to 1 now which I'm pleased with. I do drink a few drops of liquid iodine in water each day as well as taking the levothyroxine. No-one in my family has even been diagnised with YNS.

      Katie

    • 101dalmation
      101dalmation lois58127

      Posted

      I dont seem to be gaining weight i keep losing weight even though im active around the house. i walk a lot. i dont drive thank god lol but i do love to walk. but im struggling with walking at moment as my toes are getting more painfull, the symptoms feel like my toes are broken though they are not. but the pain is the same as.
  • lois58127
    lois58127 101dalmation

    Posted

    hi katie, in my family i have aunties with rhumatoid arthritis, fibrymyelga and porsiasis,my daughter thrombocytophenia,  my mum had bulbus periogoid, i am the only one with YNS, they are all results of a "root cause". all auto immune conditions.

    acetriten is a immune suppressant i am using but methrotrixate is a stronger drug but shows good results, they can damage the kidneys so need to have regular tests for that.

    my mum died of kidney damage from these drugs. i have learnt about it from her suffering. 

    • Guest
      Guest lois58127

      Posted

      I'm sorry to hear about your family members auto-immune diseases lois. That is sheer bad luck to have so many things go wrong for you all. I am lucky in that it is only me who has developed an auto-immune disease im my family.

      Katie

  • lois58127
    lois58127 101dalmation

    Posted

    Yes its strange how auto immune is so random. i have other relations with no issues at all, but for us I am not sure where you can go from here katie. if it gets so you cant handle the pain (like me) try to get the drugs i suggested. otherwise you can only manage the symptoms with vitamins, healthy eating, dry warm home, relaxing etc. the specialist i went to said to me stress is the main reason people get problems that he sees. easy to say but hard to do i know. but i am working on it.. good luck. let us all know how you go..cheers.
  • helen01813
    helen01813 101dalmation

    Posted

    Hi everyone,

    It is great to see more people joining the discussion but sad also. Is this horrible condition on the increase? I think I am 4 years diagnosed now and seem to be stable. Take good care of myself diet, exercise, supplements, yearly flu jab etc. Fingers x i have avoided chest and sinus infections for the last two years. Ankles/legs only swell from heat or sitting too long. Nails pretty good, growing again ++. Have one which seems to be starting up again, very mis-shapen and bumpy but not discoloured. Have been applying coconut oil to it and I do think it is helping. Those of you whose nails are sore/painful, having lost 9 nails when things were at there worst, I dont think I would have survived without protrctive finger stalls which were lined with gel.

    Keep well, Helen.

    • Virgin19
      Virgin19 helen01813

      Posted

      Hi Helen

      that sounds great!! You sound well which gives me hope. I don't think I have it too bad at the moment - no swelling at all. Do you wear nail varnish? I keep varnish on all the time & put plasters on my missing 2 nails. I work in a customer facing job so no varnish would not be an option!!  I'm going to try the coconut oil. I know a guy at work who uses it for his teeth so it has multiple healing properties. 

      Thanks for the tips.

    • Guest
      Guest helen01813

      Posted

      I don't think it's because there are more of us but the fact that the internet has made it easier to find each other. We are probably more knowlegeable about YNS than most of the medics who treat us and it's good that we can share and compare symptoms and remedies.

      I keep elastoplasts on my nail when they are about to detach as I usually manage to catch the nail on something & rip it off which is a bit of a shock when it happens.

      I never have enough nails to warrant the use of nail varnish smile

    • Virgin19
      Virgin19 helen01813

      Posted

      Lovely - my sister has a house in co. Clare, my mum is from Roscommon and my father was from Kerry so I know Ireland quite well. Which part are you?

      i will also try the finger stalls. Thanks!!

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