Question? What is Nail Pitting?

[Guest guest]

hi I am usually a lurker...just trying to learn...but what is

pitting of the nails?

Cat

Editors Note: Welcome on out Lurker! Stay on out- it's safe!!

A nail pit is a small dent- sometines with a white coloration to it.

Doctors look for me because they are one of the few signs that

are a hall mark for psoriatic arthritis and nothing else!!

S

group leader

[Guest guest]

Here is a pretty good picture of it on the middle finger.

http://merck.praxis.md/images/bpm/BPM01DE06F02.gif

My nail pitting is what led me down the right path, I looked it up on

the web and psoriasis is the only thing that came up. I figured I wasn't

getting some sort of vitamin or that it was caused by cleaning

chemicals. While nail pitting isn't attractive, I'm glad I had that

warning sign, it started after the arthritis but before any other skin

symptoms.

> hi I am usually a lurker...just trying to learn...but what is

> pitting of the nails?

>

> Cat

>

> Editors Note: Welcome on out Lurker! Stay on out- it's safe!!

> A nail pit is a small dent- sometimes with a white coloration to it.

> Doctors look for me because they are one of the few signs that

> are a hall mark for psoriatic arthritis and nothing else!!

>

> S

> group leader

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

OK, I will try to stay out of lurking mode...I am really very shy...lol.

I have what they are calling multiple site arthritis which is fairly severe. I

also have psoriasis. I guess I am really wondering if the two are connected.

My nails have ridges that go from the cuticle outward to the end of the

fingernail.

I didn't know if the ridges were the same thing as pitting or not.

any thoughts on this?

Thanks

Cat

[Ed. Note: I had both ridges and pitting before I started the biological

anti-TNF drugs. Ron]

[ ] Question? What is Nail Pitting?

hi I am usually a lurker...just trying to learn...but what is

pitting of the nails?

Cat

Editors Note: Welcome on out Lurker! Stay on out- it's safe!!

A nail pit is a small dent- sometines with a white coloration to it.

Doctors look for me because they are one of the few signs that

are a hall mark for psoriatic arthritis and nothing else!!

S

group leader

[Guest guest]

> hi I am usually a lurker...just trying to learn...but what is

> pitting of the nails?

>

> Cat

Hi Cat, Welcome to the forum! I uploaded some pictures of my own

pitted fingernails to the forum some time ago. They are at:

http://snurl.com/1q42

Thanks to Remicade, and then later Humira, they are almost perfectly

clear now however - hurrah!

-- Ron

[Guest guest]

At 12:18 AM 7/4/2003 -0500, Shad wrote:

>My nail pitting is what led me down the right path, I looked it up on

>the web and psoriasis is the only thing that came up. I figured I wasn't

>getting some sort of vitamin or that it was caused by cleaning

>chemicals.

Actually your nail pitting may still indeed be caused by lack of a certain

mineral. A well-known symptom of zinc deficiency is white spots on the

nails. Pitting is less common.

Interestingly, therapeutic use of zinc includes treating acne, ezcema,

psoriasis and rosacea. It's also good for preventing prostate problems.

It's an essential trace mineral that our body requires for proper functioning.

Zinc has also been studied in psoriatic arthritis:

1) Psoriatic arthritis treated with oral zinc sulphate. Br J Dermatol.

1980 Oct;103(4):411-5.

Clemmensen OJ, Siggaard-Andersen J, Worm AM, Stahl D, Frost F, Bloch I.

2) [Zinc sulfate in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis]. Recenti Prog

Med. 1989 Nov;80(11):577-81.

Frigo A, Tambalo C, Bambara LM, Biasi D, Marrella M, Milanino R, Moretti U,

Velo G, De Sandre G.

Both studies show an improvement in psoriatic arthritis from taking about

50mg of elemental zinc 3x daily.

Taking supplemental zinc sulphate 50mg once daily for a few months cleared

up the white spots and pits on my nails.

Elfstorm

----------------------------------------

Ed. Note: According to the National Institutes of Health:

" Intakes of 150 to 450 mg of zinc per day have been associated with low copper

status, altered iron function, reduced immune function, and reduced levels of

high-density lipoproteins (the good cholesterol). " See:

http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/supplements/zinc.html#risks

-- Ron

[Guest guest]

Interesting...I will try that. Thanks. Cat

RE: [ ] Question? What is Nail Pitting?

At 12:18 AM 7/4/2003 -0500, Shad wrote:

>My nail pitting is what led me down the right path, I looked it up on

>the web and psoriasis is the only thing that came up. I figured I wasn't

>getting some sort of vitamin or that it was caused by cleaning

>chemicals.

Actually your nail pitting may still indeed be caused by lack of a certain

mineral. A well-known symptom of zinc deficiency is white spots on the

nails. Pitting is less common.

Interestingly, therapeutic use of zinc includes treating acne, ezcema,

psoriasis and rosacea. It's also good for preventing prostate problems.

It's an essential trace mineral that our body requires for proper functioning.

Zinc has also been studied in psoriatic arthritis:

1) Psoriatic arthritis treated with oral zinc sulphate. Br J Dermatol.

1980 Oct;103(4):411-5.

Clemmensen OJ, Siggaard-Andersen J, Worm AM, Stahl D, Frost F, Bloch I.

2) [Zinc sulfate in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis]. Recenti Prog

Med. 1989 Nov;80(11):577-81.

Frigo A, Tambalo C, Bambara LM, Biasi D, Marrella M, Milanino R, Moretti U,

Velo G, De Sandre G.

Both studies show an improvement in psoriatic arthritis from taking about

50mg of elemental zinc 3x daily.

Taking supplemental zinc sulphate 50mg once daily for a few months cleared

up the white spots and pits on my nails.

Elfstorm

----------------------------------------

Ed. Note: According to the National Institutes of Health:

" Intakes of 150 to 450 mg of zinc per day have been associated with low copper

status, altered iron function, reduced immune function, and reduced levels of

high-density lipoproteins (the good cholesterol). " See:

http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/supplements/zinc.html#risks

-- Ron

[Guest guest]

At 08:09 PM 7/4/2003 -0400, you wrote:

>----------------------------------------

>Ed. Note: According to the National Institutes of Health:

> " Intakes of 150 to 450 mg of zinc per day have been associated with low

>copper status, altered iron function, reduced immune function, and reduced

>levels of high-density lipoproteins (the good cholesterol). " See:

>http://www.cc.nih.gov/ccc/supplements/zinc.html#risks

Keep in mind that those are *elemental* zinc levels.

Your typical 50mg tablet of zinc sulphate has only 11.3mg of elemental

zinc. I would have to take 13 tablets of zinc sulphate a day to even begin

to reach the levels (150mg elemental) where it is going to start to have

negative effects.

Amounts of elemental zinc in 100mg of zinc supplements:

--------------------------------------

Zinc amino acid chelate: 10mg

Zinc gluconate: 13mg

Zinc oroate: 17mg

Zinc sulphate: 22.7mg

(source: Thorson's Complete Guide to Vitamins & Minerals, revised ed. 2000)

Taking one to three tablets of 50mg zinc sulphate daily for three to four

months (depending on nail growth rate) would be enough to determine it's

effect on your nails. Psoriasis should respond sooner.

Elfstrom

[Guest guest]

, does the sulfate in zince sulfate mean it has sulfa in it? I'm allergic

to sulfa so I don't want to try that if it does. Thanks. Sylvia

[Guest guest]

At 04:38 PM 7/5/2003 -0700, Sylvia wrote:

>, does the sulfate in zince sulfate mean it has sulfa in it? I'm

>allergic to sulfa so I don't want to try that if it does. Thanks. Sylvia

No, sulfate in this case we're talking about a metallic salt that has the

element sulfur in it. Sulfur (or 'sulphur' if UK English rather than

American English) is required for our bodies and is in all sorts of foods.

You are allergic to antibiotic sulfonamides aka " sulfa " , not the element

sulfur.

[Ed. Note: Sylvia, I caution you to check with your doctor before trying Zinc

Sulfate. Zinc Sulfate and the sulfonamides both have sulfur in them. The only

difference are the elements present and arrangement of the molecule. Zinc

Sulfate (ZnSo4) only has Zinc and Sulphur in it, whereas the sulfanilamide

molecule has Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Sulphur in it. Ron]