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
hello 101 dalmation.. I am 52 yrs old and have have been diagnosed with this disease. It is very rare and the doctors have taken photo graphs of my nails. I would love to find out how you are going now with your yellow nails.. do you have any coughing or swelling in your lower legs with the condition. I would love to make contact with you..thanks
Lois
Hi 101 Dalmation and Lois, I was diagnosed with YNS a few years ago after a couple of difficult years of recurrent chest I infections, sinus problems and many infections in my disgusting yellow/blue/green mis- shapen finger nails leading to the total loss of nine nails. A diagnosis was such a relief. No I was not going mad or inventing what appeared to be totally unrelated issues. Reading the possible list of signs and symptoms of YNS for the first time was like reading a list of my complaints, I was a text book example. Yes it also affected my toe nails but not to the same degree and my left leg can swell quite nicely at times.
That said my finger nails have all grown back normally, apparently this only happens in 1/3 of cases, so I have been lucky. This all happened as mysteriously as it had started. I now see a respiratory specialist and use inhalers and have had just one chest infection in the last 2 years, a big improvement even if I have a persistent productive cough.
The exact cause of this syndrome is unknown but I do know that mine developed at a very stressful period in my life. I have chronic pain following what was a fairly minor car accident which has pretty much pulled the rug from under my life as it was.
Great to meet you both, keep in touch,
Helen.
it is so good to hear from another person with YNS. mine started with constant nail bed infections, I had my old misshapen humped yellow and black nails removed on both big toes and 3 fingers last week. 3 other nails not looking that great also. under my old horrible nails are lovely white moons hopefully they are regrowing. when your nails grew back did you have lovely white moons on your nail beds to start with. you are so lucky your nails grew back. do you have hasimotos? I also have it. I cough up a gel like mucus sometimes white but lately clear jelly like. if I sneeze I will sneeze up mucus. my sinus are dry and blocked and I struggle to breathe through my nose. yes mine started after a very stressful time and during menopause. autoimmune diseases are rife throughout my family im off to see the respiratory specialist tomorrow. thanks for replying I am so happy to speak with you.
Hi Lois, Yes lovely to hear from you. That is tough that you had to have your nails removed, must be very sore. No I have very little if any cuticles or white moons now. But yes I remember the new nails started to grow out beneath the discoloured ones particularly the ones that did not come off following infections.
Hasimotos? Sorry I don't know what that is.
There are sprays which help with dry blocked sinuses, I remember using Avamys, which was helpful. I live in Ireland as I don't know where you are it may be called something different. Discuss it with the respiratory person tomorrow. I found it handy to write down my list of questions before visiting the Dr's, it is easy to get baffled with one thing and another particularly with such varying symptoms.
Clear and white mucous is good, well in so far as it means there is no infection there. Best of luck tomorrow.
Helen
hello Helen. Hasimotos is when immune attacks the thyroid gland apparently there may be a connection to YNS. I just got home from the respiratory specialists she says from my scan my lungs are clear and heart is good, my blood tests are all good. the coughing is coming from the bronchial tubes. upper respiratory. I am taking vitamin E, D, Garlic, C and digestive enzymes, Magnesium with selenium. looks like I might be going to beat this yellow nail syndrome.. nails still looking terrible but I now have hope thanks to your comments that they will grow back.. i have a nasal spray for sinus now. thank you so much for commenting and helping me.
Hi Lois, glad all went well today. Yes I definitely used to feel that my immune system was on the blink but it seems to have sorted itself out. Supplements can help no doubt but make sure to eat well, lots of fresh fruit and veg, think that's what stood to me. Do hope the spray helps.
No thankfully I don't have hasimotos, thyroid seems fine. How does it effect you?
Helen.
This website is so good! Fancy finding someone on the other side of the world who has this disease! I am in New Zealand. with only approx.100 people in the world with it. So how do you think you sorted out your immune system Helen. I eat and grow lots of veges, no sprays! have a strict low carb diet have done so for last 4 years after diagnosed with hasimotos, lost 15kg. now I am a healthy weight this problem arrived 2 years ago. with the good diet.. go figure.. but I think stress has a big part in it. and reducing stress seams to be what is making me better. I limit my time I spend with the people that stress me. With Hasimotos I gained weight, had low energy, had freezing cold hands and feet, dry skin, scalp and my hair which was thick and lusty became fine and brittle. now I am on levothyroxine(replacement thyroid hormone) I still gain weight easythe cold hands and feet are gone, skin is better.I am very slow in the mornings, I only started supplements 3 months ago and I am already seeing good results..
Hello all YNS people. I also have Yellow Nail Syndrome and live in the UK. Maybe I am number 102 
I developed it a few years ago after attending the GP for sinusitis, cough etc. My nails were starting to detatch and so the GP sent me to dermatology where the disease was diagnosed. I have the full complement of Lymphoedema, rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchiectasis, all toe-nails and both thumbs affected though some finger nails have detached and grown back over the years. I also have sleep apnoea and hypothyroidism. I take 800-100 mg of Vitamin E daily which has helped the health of my nails. I had both of my big toe-nails removed as they kept detaching and getting infected under the nails.
Katie
hello katie, sorry to hear that you are now 102 but welcome to discussion.I am in business and it is embarrassing when people look at my hands/nails they look horrible. The skin on my hands has looked like an 80yr olds for years. i have been given Foban cream and pimafucort cream to put on my nail beds when they are infected. it works well the ends of my fingers split and then the infection sets in also wash my hands with triclosan and anitbacterial wash. I had the nails on my feet done big toe nails removed because of pain in shoes, they had lifted so high.. i still cough but not as bad as before. sorry to hear you have the swelling also. i have swelling in my feet and fingers. no high heels for me lately. lovely to talk to you both.. lois
Hi Lois & Helen, it's good to share information. I just wondered whether you both get any ongoing care from your GP or hospital consultant or if you have access to a YNS specialist?
I was diagnosed by a consultant dermatologist, had photograph's taken of my finger and toenails ( very yellow at that time), given support socks for the lymphoedema, Itraconozole for the nails and than had a chest X-ray which showed nothing. On my return visit to the hospital, I insisted that I had a CT scan to show the existence of the bronchectasis as X-Rays are no good at this. It did show that both lungs are affected but I was told by my GP that there is no treatment for it apart from deep breathing exercises, which I do. I was discharged from dermatology as they had done what was required for the moment. I was told to see my GP for antibiotics when I get sinusitis as I need to avoid chest infections. I have had 2 infections this winter requiring Amoxycillin for a week with the first chest infection and 2 weeks with the second.
My cough is particularly bad at the moment and my feet, ankles, face, hands and wrists are quite swollen with the lymphoedema. It seems that it comes in waves - things die down for a while and then the swelling, cough, sinusitis all start up again. I'm not complaining, just making observations.
I think that I am soon going to go back to my GP to see what can be done about the lymphoedema - I have the feet of an 80 year old at the moment which isn't very attractive Do you have a specialist in YNS in your respective countries?
hi again, i had my third appointment with Dr Raj who is a skin specialist this week, i have also had an appointment with an endocrine specialist and a respiratory specialist, (Lung function test and scan)and 3 differant GPs. Raj has just arrived back from a world conference with skin specialists and tells me he discussed my case along with photographs of my nails. Raj told me this week there is no cure for this. also mentioned to me that most of his patients with skin problems can be traced back directly to stress. There are drugs to control the immune system Methrotrixate which an aunty of mine is using for rhumatoid arthritis i asked him about using it for me. he told me the damage the drug does to our liver and kidneys is far worse than the condition. My mother had auto immune diseases and the drugs she was on ruined her liver and kidneys she died at 66 of ceriouses(spelling?) of the liver. so to avoid damage we probably must try natural remedies and reducing stress levels. unless i am getting worse i am to cope on my own from now on. I have a years supply of ointments for infections. I hope you are warm and dry and try to avoid people with coughs and colds I only have the phlem in the broncials but an xray and scan to compare if the condition gets worse. I try not to go on antibiotics as the condition is immune related and also did not have a flue injection as i dont want to upset it either. today i kept banging my middle finger on my right hand the nail is completly white and raised right up to the cuticle.. i have to use a toothpick to clear away bits and pieces up there..eeek. love to chat. lois
Hello again, I am glad that you have a specialist to look after you care lois. I had to be discharger from my dermatology consultant as there was no more to be done in her department. I actually saw a chest consultant when I went to see him for a sleep study test for sleep apnoea. He was very interested that I had YNS even though he was sceptical that I had YNS when I told him at my first appointment with him. I assured him that the diagnosis would be in my hospital notes if he cared to look and that was that. Sleep Apnoea was diagnosed, treatment options were discussed with a respiratory nurse and I was discharged from that clinic too. I agree with you about using natural treatments and supplements as much as possible and I also take Vitamin E, C, D, Selenium etc. I only take antibiotics when I have a secondary bacterial infection in my sinuses or my chest. I finish the course and don't abuse them. I also refused the flu jab. Thanks for the information about Methrotrixate - I'll bear that in mind. It's great having others to discuss symptoms with and compare treatment with and I feel that the internet is the only way that we will find each other.
it is so good to talk to other sufferers of YNS. i felt so alone, being the only person in NZ to have it. I get frustrated having to explain the illness to nurses, salespeople at the chemist shops, differant doctors, and then just the general public when i notice them staring at my nails.. I have a cry sometimes about it. i am so grateful for this website and the people who open up about their experiences. thank you so much you are really appreciated.
Hi Lois, I know what you mean and I also try and hide my fingers when out in public. I do use nail varnish when all my nails are present and keep filing down the thickness where I can.
I also get fed up trying to convince medics and others that YNS is not another name for a fungal infection of the nails!! It is unfortunate that the Syndrome was not given a different name or named after the person who first diagnosed it.
Try not to get too upset about things - just remember that you are not alone
Hi Katie, sorry I did not see your post until now. You really seem to have full blown YNS which as we all know can be terribly uncomfortable. I wes telling Lois about special finger stalls which I dont think I would have survived without when my nails were bad. I lost 9 finger nails in total which have all grown back. This is similar, it comes in a long tube shape so tou can cut off as you need it. Cut it longer than you think you will need, just seems to work better. I also got latex disposable finger stals in the chemistl to put over the other ones if I was doing anything dirty or wet. My two bigtoe nails are effected as in dark and misshapen and very thick. That said they dont cause too much bother other than 6monthly visits to the podiatrist. I have learned the hard way that protection of my nails is paramount.
Yes like you it was a dermatologist who diagnosed me initially but I was also going to a respiratory specialist due to chronic chest problems. Must say they have been great but like you it is frustrating having to explain the significance of it to others. I found some great information on Google Scholar. I do think because it is so rare we really have to educate ourselves. As far I I have understood you are right there is no cure, it is symptom management. I also have some lymphodema, my left leg/foot and right side of my face. No cure for that, if you come up with anything, do let me know.
Take care and lovely to have you join in.
Helen.
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Hi Helen, it was good to see your post and advice about nails. I am lucky in that, since I lost most of my fingernails initially, since I started taking 800mg vitamin e each day, my nails did grow back. My thumb and forefingers are rather thick and curved but look reasonable enough when I file the thickness down and use nail polish. Typically of YNS, the 4th finger and toe nails remain unaffected!!
I didn't know about Google scholar so Thanks for that info - I will have a look. For the lymphoedema, I just wear my surgical socks from morning till night to try and prevent my skin from being stretched too much with the swelling. I do get my Thyroid levels checked twice a year, though my level is very good now with levothyroxine, iodine drops and the use of seasalt from the beaches of Normandy. I also have a chest X-Ray twice a year, I'd rather have a CT scan to monitor the progress of my Bronchiectasis but my GP can only request X-Rays - bit of a waste of time really. However, my brother died of Lung cancer 3 years ago so I feel that I should have the X-rays as coughing incessantly is also a sign of lung cancer. I'd rather play safe & get it done.
That's enough of me - I get obsessed about YNS from time to time
Regards to you and I hope that we all keep in touch here
Katie
hello all, its been a while since we spoke. I was wondering how you are all getting on. as to me. well, i have had 2 visits to podiatrists for my toes and fingers, they are looking a lot better but the ends of my fingers split and hurt if i try to do anything like pull a weed or peel a potato. I use foban cream for it and the pain goes away. a couple of fingers and toe nails look to be coming right. i dont have the cough now. but i have noticed a bit of swelling in my legs. i turned down a flue injection this winter as i dont want to upset the immune system. taking vit C and magnesium daily. low carb diet with lots of veges. managing to stay within 10 kgs of my normal weight is a challenge. I would love to hear how you all are. hopefully you have come right and there is hope for me. off to the skin specialiast who dosnt have a cure only management. wondering if i should ask to see endocrine specialist again.
Hi I am a podiatrist and have not seen anyone with this condition, could you send pictures so i can do further research on your condition? Thanks Tracy
Hi tracy. I am also a Podiatrist and didn't even diagnose myself. I was told at college that I would never see a case and so I didn't really remember the signs & symptoms or a differential diagnosis.
Katie