I was reading a post yesterday and someone mentioned that IF you are lacking in B-12 you won't have half moons on your fingernails. Hmmm... SO, I looked down and I don't have ANY moons at all!!! Do most of you take B-12?? What does a lack in B-12 do other than the fingernail thing??? Yes, I am headed to the store after work and picking up some, but I was just curious the effects of a low B vitamin diet. Thank you!!
Yes I heard that too...I have moons on 7 or 8 of my fingers but it should be on all 10...I take sublingual B12 as well as a B complex vitamin and liquid vitamins.
I was sent an email by Deb a while ago and this is what it said:
Good vitamin B12 levels give you white moons on all
your fingers; the thumbs' are the last to go. (Tessa
Jupp, R.N., active in the Post-Polio Network, Dec.
2001)
If your moons have disappeared, you may have been
short of vitamin B12 for a long time. If so, you may
notice other symptoms of B12 Malabsorption Illness:
tingling hands and feet
numbness
memory problems
feeling exhausted
depression
sensitivity to noise
hundreds of brown spots
bleeding gums
burning sensation (possibly on thighs)
your legs jump at night
bone pain
balance and gait problems
heavy menstrual bleeding
diarrhea
Before your moons disappear, lines develop on your
nails. These can be faint, to very visible ridges like
fine wax drippings on a Chianti bottle -- lines on top
of lines, like hog back hills. To see them clearly, use
a magnifying glass or even reading glasses.
If you have faint lines, no more noticeable than the
tassels on the wheat in the image to the left, then run
through the barbed issues above, looking for ones
that apply to you. If three or four do, then be
warned that the others may be only a few years
away. If, that is, you do nothing.
Blue skin under your fingernails indicates that you
may be short of red blood cells and by extension,
the oxygen they carry.
I was sent an email by Deb a while ago and this is what it said:
Good vitamin B12 levels give you white moons on all
your fingers; the thumbs' are the last to go. (Tessa
Jupp, R.N., active in the Post-Polio Network, Dec.
2001)
If your moons have disappeared, you may have been
short of vitamin B12 for a long time. If so, you may
notice other symptoms of B12 Malabsorption Illness:
tingling hands and feet
numbness
memory problems
feeling exhausted
depression
sensitivity to noise
hundreds of brown spots
bleeding gums
burning sensation (possibly on thighs)
your legs jump at night
bone pain
balance and gait problems
heavy menstrual bleeding
diarrhea
Before your moons disappear, lines develop on your
nails. These can be faint, to very visible ridges like
fine wax drippings on a Chianti bottle -- lines on top
of lines, like hog back hills. To see them clearly, use
a magnifying glass or even reading glasses.
If you have faint lines, no more noticeable than the
tassels on the wheat in the image to the left, then run
through the barbed issues above, looking for ones
that apply to you. If three or four do, then be
warned that the others may be only a few years
away. If, that is, you do nothing.
Blue skin under your fingernails indicates that you
may be short of red blood cells and by extension,
the oxygen they carry.
OH MY!!! I have SO many of those other symptoms!!! Yikes!! I had better get on some B-12 ASAP!! Thank you Kaiti!!! Wow... who knew???!! I am COVERED with brown spots. Thought I was just getting age spots early!! Thank you SO much... 
I found something about Vitamin B-12 on a german website. I tried to translate the most important stuff:
Vitamin B-12, also called cobalamine, is like folic acid there to help building the bloodcells. A lack of vitamin B-12 leads to the socalled pernicious anemia, where the bloodcells aren't completely build. Before the blood picture gets abnormal a little lack of vitamin B-12 shows through weakness, change in moods, light depression, lack of memory, flagging muscular system and athetosis.
Vitamin B-12 helps to transform the beta-carotine into vitamin A for the eyes.
Vitamin B-12 is very important for the metabolism.
Because every human has a lot of vitamin B-12 in the body and doesn't need THAT much it takes 3 to 6 years until the first "lack of vitamin B-12"-symptoms appear. Because 60% of all vitamin B-12 (2 to 5 mg) can be found in the liver (30% are in the muscular system, the other 10% in the renals, heart, spleen and brain), alcoholics and people with liverproblems/diseases are the first to be affected by symptoms due to lack of vitamin B-12. Also women in pregnancy and nursing (especially vegetarians), people with malabsorption (celiac disease), diabetes, people with severe thyroid problems, as well as breast-fed children of vegetarians and persons, that are older than 60, can suffer from lack of vitamin B-12.
There are different medications that can dicrease the absorption of vitamin B-12 into the metabolism. Pektin (I do not know the english name, sorry), a natural gelling agent in appels, makes it difficult for the body to get vitamin B-12, as well as sugar, candies/sweets, sweet beverages and laxatives. It's easier for the body to get vitamin B-12, when you eat foods reach in calcium like herbs or milk products. Vitamin B-12 is in liver, renals, oysters, crabs, herrings, mackerels, sardines, trouts, eels, meat and milk products. The only reason mussels and shellfishes have Vitamin B-12 is, because they eat microorganisms that are rich in vitamen B-12. The human body can partly build vitamin B-12 in the intestines with the help of coli-bacterias. But you need healthy intestines for this. Even with beer (yeast), which mostly men consume too much, you can satisfy the needs of vitamins up to 11%.
Well, there was a lot more to this text, but I couldn't translate everything. This is quite interesting, though.
Vitamin B-12, also called cobalamine, is like folic acid there to help building the bloodcells. A lack of vitamin B-12 leads to the socalled pernicious anemia, where the bloodcells aren't completely build. Before the blood picture gets abnormal a little lack of vitamin B-12 shows through weakness, change in moods, light depression, lack of memory, flagging muscular system and athetosis.
Vitamin B-12 helps to transform the beta-carotine into vitamin A for the eyes.
Vitamin B-12 is very important for the metabolism.
Because every human has a lot of vitamin B-12 in the body and doesn't need THAT much it takes 3 to 6 years until the first "lack of vitamin B-12"-symptoms appear. Because 60% of all vitamin B-12 (2 to 5 mg) can be found in the liver (30% are in the muscular system, the other 10% in the renals, heart, spleen and brain), alcoholics and people with liverproblems/diseases are the first to be affected by symptoms due to lack of vitamin B-12. Also women in pregnancy and nursing (especially vegetarians), people with malabsorption (celiac disease), diabetes, people with severe thyroid problems, as well as breast-fed children of vegetarians and persons, that are older than 60, can suffer from lack of vitamin B-12.
There are different medications that can dicrease the absorption of vitamin B-12 into the metabolism. Pektin (I do not know the english name, sorry), a natural gelling agent in appels, makes it difficult for the body to get vitamin B-12, as well as sugar, candies/sweets, sweet beverages and laxatives. It's easier for the body to get vitamin B-12, when you eat foods reach in calcium like herbs or milk products. Vitamin B-12 is in liver, renals, oysters, crabs, herrings, mackerels, sardines, trouts, eels, meat and milk products. The only reason mussels and shellfishes have Vitamin B-12 is, because they eat microorganisms that are rich in vitamen B-12. The human body can partly build vitamin B-12 in the intestines with the help of coli-bacterias. But you need healthy intestines for this. Even with beer (yeast), which mostly men consume too much, you can satisfy the needs of vitamins up to 11%.
Well, there was a lot more to this text, but I couldn't translate everything. This is quite interesting, though.
I can't remember if I've posted this before but what finally convinced me to take B12, besides reading that folks like us are often deficient, was reading this page from the Merck Manual.
Normal Laboratory Values - Merck Manual
I had had a comprehensive metabolic panel done three times in less than a year as my doctor was trying to track my too-high cholesterol (before finding out about the gluten probelm) and I noticed my "alk phosphotase" was below normal values each time, in fact getting lower each time. I asked what that meant, he said don't worry unless it's high. Well, after reading the Merck Manual page above, I found that this low level is indicative of pernicious anemia. THEN I learned about the ridged fingernails, depression, lack of energy, etc. Totally me. I hadn't read before that sensitivity to sound was a symptom but I am hypersensitive to all sounds and often wish I would just go deaf. I'm totally serious (OK I would probably be unhappy about that but it does get to me - I wear ear plugs most of the time I'm at home and even used to at work sometimes!!!)
My levels of alk phosphotase were: 34, 30, and 25. Normal is 38-126, according to this lab. I haven't had my B12 levels tested and by the time I get around to seeing the doctor again and requesting such a test they may be pretty normal as I am diligently taking my B12 now, as well as B6 (something I was also low in, as my ALT and AST levels were on the lowest possible number in the healthy range - indicating B6 deficiency). Anyway, I find this really interesting, being able to finally translate lab values and wonder why doctors just don't care about that end of things - the stuff that can be treated with vitamins, but could indicate something much worse. That is very frustrating to me!
Anyway, thanks for the info...
Stephanie
PS I have strong moons on my thumbs, sort of moons on both index fingers, and a hint of on one of my middle fingers. Also lots of ridges and a split in my thumbnail that grew with my nail for 3 years until I went low carb/low gluten, and then it went away...
Normal Laboratory Values - Merck Manual
I had had a comprehensive metabolic panel done three times in less than a year as my doctor was trying to track my too-high cholesterol (before finding out about the gluten probelm) and I noticed my "alk phosphotase" was below normal values each time, in fact getting lower each time. I asked what that meant, he said don't worry unless it's high. Well, after reading the Merck Manual page above, I found that this low level is indicative of pernicious anemia. THEN I learned about the ridged fingernails, depression, lack of energy, etc. Totally me. I hadn't read before that sensitivity to sound was a symptom but I am hypersensitive to all sounds and often wish I would just go deaf. I'm totally serious (OK I would probably be unhappy about that but it does get to me - I wear ear plugs most of the time I'm at home and even used to at work sometimes!!!)
My levels of alk phosphotase were: 34, 30, and 25. Normal is 38-126, according to this lab. I haven't had my B12 levels tested and by the time I get around to seeing the doctor again and requesting such a test they may be pretty normal as I am diligently taking my B12 now, as well as B6 (something I was also low in, as my ALT and AST levels were on the lowest possible number in the healthy range - indicating B6 deficiency). Anyway, I find this really interesting, being able to finally translate lab values and wonder why doctors just don't care about that end of things - the stuff that can be treated with vitamins, but could indicate something much worse. That is very frustrating to me!
Anyway, thanks for the info...
Stephanie
PS I have strong moons on my thumbs, sort of moons on both index fingers, and a hint of on one of my middle fingers. Also lots of ridges and a split in my thumbnail that grew with my nail for 3 years until I went low carb/low gluten, and then it went away...
I am B12 deficient too. My doctor has me getting shots to get me back up to regular levels. Maybe you should ask your doctor for shots. They will probably want to do a blood test first to see how deficient you are. That's a faster way to get it back into your system. I don't have any moons on my fingernails. But I don't remember ever having them before either. I do have lots of ridges. And problems with nerves.
Thank you for all the replies! I went last night and bought a B-12 and also a B complex to take. I was told that liquid B-12 absorbs better, so next time I am in a large city I will hunt for that! 
Hopefully my levels will return to normal soon!! I can not believe how long it takes to "discover" all these things that are wrong with my body. Sigh... THAT is why I always read this site ~ I feel like I learn something every single day!!! Thank you all ...
Hopefully my levels will return to normal soon!! I can not believe how long it takes to "discover" all these things that are wrong with my body. Sigh... THAT is why I always read this site ~ I feel like I learn something every single day!!! Thank you all ...
whoa. this post hit me like a load of bricks. i've been wondering why i only have half moons on my thumbs. i seem to remember having half moons on my fingers at some point .
when you said lines on your fingernails, do you mean raised ridges that follow the growth of the nail? i developed those a couple of years ago. hmmm...what else can you tell us about this?
i've made a few posts about my energy/stress issues, but here's a quick recap:
tired all the time
depression/anxiety
easy startling
crying when startled
inability to deal with stress (feelings of being overwhelmed and wanting to cry or hide)
weakness
etc...
this may sound odd, but these things don't feel psychological. they feel chemical, or hormonal. my rational mind knows the the depression/anxiety/stress reactions are silly, i just can't convince my body of that.
anyway, this might make some sense, especially since both my grandfather and my sister have pernicious anemia.
.when you said lines on your fingernails, do you mean raised ridges that follow the growth of the nail? i developed those a couple of years ago. hmmm...what else can you tell us about this?
i've made a few posts about my energy/stress issues, but here's a quick recap:
tired all the time
depression/anxiety
easy startling
crying when startled
inability to deal with stress (feelings of being overwhelmed and wanting to cry or hide)
weakness
etc...
this may sound odd, but these things don't feel psychological. they feel chemical, or hormonal. my rational mind knows the the depression/anxiety/stress reactions are silly, i just can't convince my body of that.
anyway, this might make some sense, especially since both my grandfather and my sister have pernicious anemia.
OK, time for a seemingly stupid question: what are moons on the fingernails? My fingers have always been purply-blue under the nails, and I have always had ridges running lenthwise. They are not brittle, nor do they break easily. I do have problems with pernicious anemia, and require Bcomplex and iron supplements.
The moons under your fingernails (the white, semicircular bit of the nail bed at the cuticle) also "receed" as we get older, naturally.
I have never paid this much attention to my nails before. I also only have them on my thumbs and am sure that i have had them before. Very strange, must put that on the list for the doctor.
Could it be that the moons recede as we get older because as people get older, they become naturally deficient in B12? Just curious. Also, my husband is 17 years older than me, he is 50, and he has moons on all of his fingernails, really distinct ones, while I don't. BUT he does have really ridged nails as well. Either he's an exception to the rule or -- I don't know what he is! 
Anyway, I have been looking for info on the web about moons and B12 deficiency and can't find anything. I can find though that if you have certain kinds of lung disease that this can be the reason you lose the moons, or lunulas, as they are called.
Stephanie
Anyway, I have been looking for info on the web about moons and B12 deficiency and can't find anything. I can find though that if you have certain kinds of lung disease that this can be the reason you lose the moons, or lunulas, as they are called.
Stephanie
Well, genetics plays an important role as well! :-)
So are you guys saying that there is a connection between B-12 deficiency and anxiety disorders? I have had major difficulty with depression and anxiety throughout most of my life. It's gotten much better in recent years, but I totally hear you, Beezlebubble! I hate it when someone sneaks up on me "for fun" to surprise me. I am soooo easily startled and it's really unsettling and irritating. It takes nothing, and my anti-perspirant has failed me. My husband and I came to the conclusion that I am much more reactive than the average Joe. He laughs and says that I must have been a rabbit or squirrel in a previous life, because of how easily I'm startled. It's frustrating, because I don't think of myself as being a weak person, or lacking courage;it's more of a sensory thing.
Remember that, Beezlebubble...YOU are not weak. It's got to be physical, and I'm sure that it will ease up as we become better nourished on the gluten-free diet.
May you be well, may you be happy! (A Buddhist prayer.)
Paula
It's frustrating, because I don't think of myself as being a weak person, or lacking courage;it's more of a sensory thing. Remember that, Beezlebubble...YOU are not weak. It's got to be physical, and I'm sure that it will ease up as we become better nourished on the gluten-free diet.
May you be well, may you be happy! (A Buddhist prayer.)
Paula
I knew I had been slacking off on my B shots because I hate those needles, but I did not realize how badly until I read this post and took a good look at my nails. I guess I get to take a shot tonight. Yuck.
Hmm, the base of the nail near the cuticle has always been the purply-bluest on my fingers. Never had moons of any shape or size. Perhaps because I've always had anemia! Must remember vitamins, must remember vitamins!
Whoa! This is the second post in this forum tonight that has been blown me away (the first one was about Celiac's and Irish ancestry). I just looked at my nails and I barely have moons on thumbs. All my other moons are completely gone and I KNOW i had really prominent moons. Don't know when they went away though. Wow! And many of the symptoms described (anxiety, depression, tingling, etc) apply to me as well. Wow! I have learned SO much in the short time I've been on this board. Thanks everyone. Beverly
By the way, Steph, in English Pektin is pectin. It is probably pronounced very similarly to the German and has the same meaning.
Thanks, cdford, I think it's pronounced the same, yes. Good to know...
Hey maybe you wise people can tell me something about my fingernails. I have these horizontal umm... canyons in some of my fingernails. They are about as deep as a this -> V . No doctor has ever been able to tell me what is wrong with them but it looks really weird. I don't even put on fingernail polish because it draws too much attention to them. I usually keep my fingernails really short or else they curve up too much at the end. My thumbnails are the worst - two horizontal mini-canyons on each thumb about 1/4 of an inch apart.
Could this be related to celiac? Hmm...
Could this be related to celiac? Hmm...
Michelle, there was another post about fingernails in which I asked the same question. The others had been talking about vertical ridges and cracks, but what's going on with you sounds like what I've had, but mostly in my childhood. I really haven't been bothered with it much in recent years, but as a kid, my thumbnails looked like they had waves. They were so ugly and I knew that nobody else's nails were like that. I always wondered what it meant, and still don't have an answer, but I'd bet ten bucks that it's some kind of celiac related deficiency. (Like you, I also had dental enamel defects and since childhood have spent countless hours at the dentist getting fillings and crowns! Also, depression. Oy! Celiac is no fun 
, but things are getting better
Hope we get our answer.
Paula
, but things are getting better Hope we get our answer.
Paula
In the last couple of weeks I have had a new phenomenon with mine. It looks as though the rat of growth changed or something because there is a circular ridge as though there is an extra layer of nail growing from the cuticle area. It is getting closer to the end of my nails with time and is deep enough to see and feel. I thought at first that I had just not completely removed my last fingernail polish until I removed it again and again and they are still there. Any ideas guys?
I have a similar thing and I know I didn't have it before realizing I had Celiac's. Don't really know what it is. The only thing i can think of is that the nail polish i was using wasn't gluten-free (OPI)- I just ordered some gluten-free nail polish from Honey Bee gardens online so we'll see if that makes a difference. Weird? Also, it sounds like it could be a fungus. I have one on one of toe nails and I've been using Fung-Off (I love that name 
and it has helped a lot. Keep me posted.
and it has helped a lot. Keep me posted.
I have to admit I am rather perplexed, my moons went away after I went gluten-free, before I had huge moons on all my nails, and was told they should only be on my thumbs, that it was toxins being released from my body. I take mega doses of B12 for appetite control and my moons have never come back.
My seven year old daughter, diagnosed with celiac at nine months, recently shows me her fingernails, they have horizontal waves on them and pits, she is extremely embarrased and keeps a small nail grooming kit close at hand, odd for my country bumpkin who is not concerned with style. I did some research and found that people with who have eczema can also have eczema on their fingernails, and that it can be treated with cortizone shots into the cuticle bed - OUCH! Most of these sites also said that it is typical in individuals with an auto immnne disorder, hmm. However there were several warrnings mentioning that anyone with horizontal waves should check their water supplies because that is a sign of arsenic poisoning. We live in a rural/farming area and could possibly have run off from the fields entering our well. The fact is that waves on the fingernails are an indication of something further and I have no doubt it is related to celiac. I just want to find out what it is for sure. We are having our water tested.
The other thing she has and has had since she was an infant and has never cleared up are raised small rough bumps on the back of her upper arms. I want to get to the bottom of this for her sake.
Anybody else with these two symptoms?
My seven year old daughter, diagnosed with celiac at nine months, recently shows me her fingernails, they have horizontal waves on them and pits, she is extremely embarrased and keeps a small nail grooming kit close at hand, odd for my country bumpkin who is not concerned with style. I did some research and found that people with who have eczema can also have eczema on their fingernails, and that it can be treated with cortizone shots into the cuticle bed - OUCH! Most of these sites also said that it is typical in individuals with an auto immnne disorder, hmm. However there were several warrnings mentioning that anyone with horizontal waves should check their water supplies because that is a sign of arsenic poisoning. We live in a rural/farming area and could possibly have run off from the fields entering our well. The fact is that waves on the fingernails are an indication of something further and I have no doubt it is related to celiac. I just want to find out what it is for sure. We are having our water tested.
The other thing she has and has had since she was an infant and has never cleared up are raised small rough bumps on the back of her upper arms. I want to get to the bottom of this for her sake.
Anybody else with these two symptoms?
I have had those too in the past. They are better than they used to be, but yes I know exactly what you mean. My toe nails have always been like that, and I've had them on my thumbs as well in the past.
And amazingly enough I do not have moons. I'm only 45. Surely too young for them to disappear? I have small ones on my thumbs and slight suggestions of them on a couple fingers, but the rest just have no moons. I know I used to have them, I know I did when I was younger. I had beautiful strong nails back then. And I also know I didn't always have this blue tint. Well, chalk up another surprise from Celiac Disease.
I've been taking a B12 and COQ10 formula for the last six months as well as large doses of iron. Both have helped my mood. Before I started the gluten free diet the iron pills used to go straight through me and turn my poop a vivid forest green. Now days no matter how much iron I take that doesn't happen. Guess I'm absorbing it. Still got a long ways to go though according to tests.
And amazingly enough I do not have moons. I'm only 45. Surely too young for them to disappear? I have small ones on my thumbs and slight suggestions of them on a couple fingers, but the rest just have no moons. I know I used to have them, I know I did when I was younger. I had beautiful strong nails back then. And I also know I didn't always have this blue tint. Well, chalk up another surprise from Celiac Disease.
I've been taking a B12 and COQ10 formula for the last six months as well as large doses of iron. Both have helped my mood. Before I started the gluten free diet the iron pills used to go straight through me and turn my poop a vivid forest green. Now days no matter how much iron I take that doesn't happen. Guess I'm absorbing it. Still got a long ways to go though according to tests.
QUOTE(bean @ May 6 2005, 08:46 PM) 
Hey maybe you wise people can tell me something about my fingernails. I have these horizontal umm... canyons in some of my fingernails. They are about as deep as a this -> V . No doctor has ever been able to tell me what is wrong with them but it looks really weird. I don't even put on fingernail polish because it draws too much attention to them. I usually keep my fingernails really short or else they curve up too much at the end. My thumbnails are the worst - two horizontal mini-canyons on each thumb about 1/4 of an inch apart.
Could this be related to celiac? Hmm...
Could this be related to celiac? Hmm...
THERE IS GLUTEN IN NAIL POLISH?
I gotta stop reading here. This is just getting depressing. Granted I don't use nail polish, but I have this fantasy of one day finding the time to have my nails done. Another fantasy shot down in mid-flight . . .
I gotta stop reading here. This is just getting depressing. Granted I don't use nail polish, but I have this fantasy of one day finding the time to have my nails done. Another fantasy shot down in mid-flight . . .
QUOTE(BERNESES @ May 7 2005, 12:01 PM)
I have a similar thing and I know I didn't have it before realizing I had Celiac's. Don't really know what it is. The only thing i can think of is that the nail polish i was using wasn't gluten-free (OPI)- I just ordered some gluten-free nail polish from Honey Bee gardens online so we'll see if that makes a difference. Weird? Also, it sounds like it could be a fungus. I have one on one of toe nails and I've been using Fung-Off (I love that name and it has helped a lot. Keep me posted.
and it has helped a lot. Keep me posted.QUOTE(VioletBlue @ Apr 27 2007, 01:08 PM)
THERE IS GLUTEN IN NAIL POLISH?
I gotta stop reading here. This is just getting depressing. Granted I don't use nail polish, but I have this fantasy of one day finding the time to have my nails done. Another fantasy shot down in mid-flight . . .
I gotta stop reading here. This is just getting depressing. Granted I don't use nail polish, but I have this fantasy of one day finding the time to have my nails done. Another fantasy shot down in mid-flight . . .
Lots of people here speculate about things that might possibly be making them sick, but it doesn't mean you have to be paranoid about every little thing. I'm pretty sure someone posted once that OPI is gluten-free. I don't do my nails often but I've never worried about gluten in nail polish.
Paranoid no. But if most people are like me, there are things they've just never considered. I do a lot of paper mache work. It didn't occur to me until four months after I'd be diagnosed to email ModPog and ask if their product was gluten free. Thankfully it is. But, it's basically glue which is notorious for containing gluten and I knew that, I just didn't make the connection for four months.
I spent 44 years living a certain way, not worrying about certain things. Now I realize that I need to be cautious and not simply do what I've always done without thought. That's s hard lesson to learn.
I spent 44 years living a certain way, not worrying about certain things. Now I realize that I need to be cautious and not simply do what I've always done without thought. That's s hard lesson to learn.
QUOTE(Mango04 @ Apr 27 2007, 03:20 PM)
Lots of people here speculate about things that might possibly be making them sick, but it doesn't mean you have to be paranoid about every little thing. I'm pretty sure someone posted once that OPI is gluten-free. I don't do my nails often but I've never worried about gluten in nail polish.
QUOTE(VioletBlue @ Apr 27 2007, 04:09 PM)
Paranoid no. But if most people are like me, there are things they've just never considered. I do a lot of paper mache work. It didn't occur to me until four months after I'd be diagnosed to email ModPog and ask if their product was gluten free. Thankfully it is. But, it's basically glue which is notorious for containing gluten and I knew that, I just didn't make the connection for four months.
I spent 44 years living a certain way, not worrying about certain things. Now I realize that I need to be cautious and not simply do what I've always done without thought. That's s hard lesson to learn.
I spent 44 years living a certain way, not worrying about certain things. Now I realize that I need to be cautious and not simply do what I've always done without thought. That's s hard lesson to learn.
Sorry if I came across like I was accusing you of being paranoid. What I was trying to say was I became paranoid about lots of things after I first started reading this board, and I realized eventually that although this is a really great resouce that helps you consider hidden sources of gluten, there are times when people suspect they've been glutened by something that turns out to be safe. Some nail polishes contain gluten but many don't, so you can sitll get your nails done if that's something you ever want to one day
That being said, to correct my previous statement about OPI, I just found this on another thread:
QUOTE
The following OPI products contain hydrolyzed wheat protein, which may have traces of gluten:
Acrylic Nail Base Coat
Designer Series Base Coat
Natural Nail Base Coat
Start to Finish basecoat, topcoat, and nail strengthener
Start to Finish, Formaldehyde Free Formula
Nail Envy, Original
Nail Envy, Matte
Nail Envy, Dry & Brittle
Nail Envy, Sensitive & Peeling
Nail Envy, Soft & Thin
At this time, all other OPI products are free of wheat, barley, rye, or oat extracts, and should therefore contain no gluten.
Acrylic Nail Base Coat
Designer Series Base Coat
Natural Nail Base Coat
Start to Finish basecoat, topcoat, and nail strengthener
Start to Finish, Formaldehyde Free Formula
Nail Envy, Original
Nail Envy, Matte
Nail Envy, Dry & Brittle
Nail Envy, Sensitive & Peeling
Nail Envy, Soft & Thin
At this time, all other OPI products are free of wheat, barley, rye, or oat extracts, and should therefore contain no gluten.
Not a problem
After this weekend I think I may invest in nail polish though. My nails have gotten worse and worse the last year. I keep them relatively short for that reason now. Saturday I bent one nail back halfway through the nail. It hurt so bad and it will be weeks before it grows out. My nails used to be so much stronger than that. I'm thinking of looking for something that can give them some strength while I heal.
After this weekend I think I may invest in nail polish though. My nails have gotten worse and worse the last year. I keep them relatively short for that reason now. Saturday I bent one nail back halfway through the nail. It hurt so bad and it will be weeks before it grows out. My nails used to be so much stronger than that. I'm thinking of looking for something that can give them some strength while I heal.
QUOTE(Mango04 @ Apr 29 2007, 05:06 PM)
Sorry if I came across like I was accusing you of being paranoid. What I was trying to say was I became paranoid about lots of things after I first started reading this board, and I realized eventually that although this is a really great resouce that helps you consider hidden sources of gluten, there are times when people suspect they've been glutened by something that turns out to be safe. Some nail polishes contain gluten but many don't, so you can sitll get your nails done if that's something you ever want to one day
That being said, to correct my previous statement about OPI, I just found this on another thread:
That being said, to correct my previous statement about OPI, I just found this on another thread:
HI, Ya'll
WOW! I do have rigges on my nails always have as long as I could remember, I can grow my nails out but do chip easy. My moons I have on my thumbs 2nd and 3rd finger very visable, my first finger barly visabe and pinkys are faint. as far as depression yes I guess I don't know, anxiety that is defiantly a yes as long as I can remember I have always thought people have talked about me. Have had feeling that something was going on when nothing was really going on. But never gone to the doctor for anything. WOW who would have thought!
Donna
WOW! I do have rigges on my nails always have as long as I could remember, I can grow my nails out but do chip easy. My moons I have on my thumbs 2nd and 3rd finger very visable, my first finger barly visabe and pinkys are faint. as far as depression yes I guess I don't know, anxiety that is defiantly a yes as long as I can remember I have always thought people have talked about me. Have had feeling that something was going on when nothing was really going on. But never gone to the doctor for anything. WOW who would have thought!
Donna
QUOTE(beelzebubble @ May 3 2005, 05:00 AM)
whoa. this post hit me like a load of bricks. i've been wondering why i only have half moons on my thumbs. i seem to remember having half moons on my fingers at some point .
when you said lines on your fingernails, do you mean raised ridges that follow the growth of the nail? i developed those a couple of years ago. hmmm...what else can you tell us about this?
i've made a few posts about my energy/stress issues, but here's a quick recap:
tired all the time
depression/anxiety
easy startling
crying when startled
inability to deal with stress (feelings of being overwhelmed and wanting to cry or hide)
weakness
etc...
this may sound odd, but these things don't feel psychological. they feel chemical, or hormonal. my rational mind knows the the depression/anxiety/stress reactions are silly, i just can't convince my body of that.
anyway, this might make some sense, especially since both my grandfather and my sister have pernicious anemia.
.when you said lines on your fingernails, do you mean raised ridges that follow the growth of the nail? i developed those a couple of years ago. hmmm...what else can you tell us about this?
i've made a few posts about my energy/stress issues, but here's a quick recap:
tired all the time
depression/anxiety
easy startling
crying when startled
inability to deal with stress (feelings of being overwhelmed and wanting to cry or hide)
weakness
etc...
this may sound odd, but these things don't feel psychological. they feel chemical, or hormonal. my rational mind knows the the depression/anxiety/stress reactions are silly, i just can't convince my body of that.
anyway, this might make some sense, especially since both my grandfather and my sister have pernicious anemia.
Wow, someone else crying alot! I have all of your symtoms but have been able to get control over the crying (someones for days straight) by eliminating sugar and simple carbs. I can now eat some if I eat with fiber and protein. Otherwise, can eat chips, potato or corn, and burst into tears in an hour over absolutely anything, even watching the news! I spent 6 months on a psychiatric ward when I was 16 (I'm now 60) and no one knew it was the candy bars I was eating all day to make myself feel better. They put me there as I would slit my wrists and cut myself to get the hurt out. Your rational mind is right on, but it is not silly, it is an imbalance.
For glutenfreek:
You were asking about bumps on the back of your 7-year-old daughter's upper arms. This is possibly a hereditary condition called keratosis pilaris. All four of our children have had it to some extent. My husband and I also had it and grew out of it as we grew older. I don't know whether it's linked in any way to celiac disease, but it's quite common.
Here are some links to information about it:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...=image&celiac disease=2
http://www.helpforkp.com/keratosis_pilaris...ment_index.html
http://www.helpforkp.com/
We consulted a dermatologist when our third child started showing signs of it about age 10. The doctor recommended a lotion called AmLactin, available at drugstores (but watch out, it's fairly pricey). I can't tell you whether it's helped because my son has not been diligent in using it. However, the above links may help you. I hope so! Good luck with this and with the celiac disease!
You were asking about bumps on the back of your 7-year-old daughter's upper arms. This is possibly a hereditary condition called keratosis pilaris. All four of our children have had it to some extent. My husband and I also had it and grew out of it as we grew older. I don't know whether it's linked in any way to celiac disease, but it's quite common.
Here are some links to information about it:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt...=image&celiac disease=2
http://www.helpforkp.com/keratosis_pilaris...ment_index.html
http://www.helpforkp.com/
We consulted a dermatologist when our third child started showing signs of it about age 10. The doctor recommended a lotion called AmLactin, available at drugstores (but watch out, it's fairly pricey). I can't tell you whether it's helped because my son has not been diligent in using it. However, the above links may help you. I hope so! Good luck with this and with the celiac disease!
QUOTE (gfinnebraska @ Apr 26 2005, 11:48 AM)
I was reading a post yesterday and someone mentioned that IF you are lacking in B-12 you won't have half moons on your fingernails. Hmmm... SO, I looked down and I don't have ANY moons at all!!! Do most of you take B-12?? What does a lack in B-12 do other than the fingernail thing??? Yes, I am headed to the store after work and picking up some, but I was just curious the effects of a low B vitamin diet. Thank you!!
Hi, I know it's a few years ago but this may still help, I have b12 deficiency and my half moons have disappeared, you need to check if you can absorb b12, if not, rather take the sublingual b12 under your tongue. my half moons never came back but at least it was a sign of me lacking b12, regards Trevor
Over the years, I have read many times about the half moons on our fingernails. I now realize that it is quite normal for us to only have half moons on our thumbs and index fingers, not necesarily on any of the other fingers. Sometimes the ridges on our fingernails also are just an aging process for some of us, sometimes it is a vitamin deficiency, which many celiac's do have. If you have a ridge going crosswise of your fingernail, then probably you have bruised it in someway and as the fingernail grows, the ridge will eventually go away, I just had that happen. It does take quite some time for that to take place, if the bruise is at the base of the nail, it takes quite a while for it to go away.
I might add, I take 3000mcg daily of B12 and I have half moons on only 3 fingers still, after 3 years!
Here is a very good site that does explain all the different things that we see on our fingernails:
http://www.hpathy.com/papersnew/traub-fing...-homeopathy.asp
Deb
I might add, I take 3000mcg daily of B12 and I have half moons on only 3 fingers still, after 3 years!
Here is a very good site that does explain all the different things that we see on our fingernails:
http://www.hpathy.com/papersnew/traub-fing...-homeopathy.asp
Deb
Guess its time to get some vitamin b 12 in my system, I only have 1/2 moons on my thumbs and if i push my cuticles back i have little tiny ones on my pointer and i believe i remember having the 1/2 moons on more fingers then that. the rest are lacking in the 1/2 moon, my nails have always been very brittle, and have aquired really bad ridges in the past year or so they start at teh cuticle and end at the tip. also i went over that list and there is like 7 things that relate to me...is it normal for a 23 year old to be lacking in that much vitamin b12, guess i really need to find a doc now.
QUOTE (gfinnebraska @ Apr 26 2005, 01:48 PM)
I was reading a post yesterday and someone mentioned that IF you are lacking in B-12 you won't have half moons on your fingernails. Hmmm... SO, I looked down and I don't have ANY moons at all!!! Do most of you take B-12?? What does a lack in B-12 do other than the fingernail thing??? Yes, I am headed to the store after work and picking up some, but I was just curious the effects of a low B vitamin diet. Thank you!!
I have low B12 and am taking monthly shots. What you need to understand is that if you are not a vegetarian and you eat regularly and a normal healthy diet, you should not have low B12. If you do it is from malabsorption and taking B12 pills/supplements will not help as the initial problem is with you absorbing the vitamin. That is why b12 shots are the only way to significantly increase b12 in a person that is unable to adequately break down and absorb b12; it goes straight into your body, no work required to extract it from food. Also the reason for this malabsorption could be a variety of things, including celiacs or other food allergies, alcoholic, crohns, many other reasons. But I believe mine is caused by celiacs and I hope to get a definitive answer soon; already determined I have DQ2 marker.
As for the half moons, don't put too much into that, I have them on all my fingers and been consistently low on B12 even before I started the shots. If you have the symptoms, get the blood work done. Get the shots or eat foods with b vitamins, meats, fish, milk, fortified cereals; unless you are a vegan or vegetarian you shouldn't need b12 supplements/pills unless something is wrong.