I just noticed today that the beds of my nails have become a thick white horizontal line instead of the small half moon that they usually are, and the line is about 2-3mm thick. I have tried looking it up online and the only things I can find is when your nail is white for almost the whole nail, not just the nail beds.

I did read it could be Protein deficiency, but I have been doing a really good job getting my protein and Water in - unless it's just growth from the past few weeks when I wasn't getting as much protein. I had a lot of pre-op tests and I doubt that it's attributed to a liver/kidney issue as all my blood work came back normal pre-op (a month ago).

Anyway, I was just curious if anyone had experienced this - I was thinking maybe low protein or anemia?

I looked through the search function and I couldn't find anything on this. I know you guys aren't doctors and I'll call my doctor if it keeps growing this way, but I was wondering if this is common or if anyone else has had this?

Thanks!

Are you taking extra Biotin to try and stave off hair loss? They could just be getting thicker and growing faster because of that.

If you're getting your Protein, taking your Vitamins and they're not thin, brittle, yellow, curved inward or painful, you're probably fine saving the question for the next doc visit.

I do remember reading something about Iron and nails once, but I can't Google it easily right now.

I'm no doctor, but I read somewhere that white horizontal lines on your nails could mean that your kidneys can't filter Protein out of your urine. This would mean that your body is losing protein faster than you can consume it, which could lead to kidney failure.

However, it could also mean you banged your finger against something hard.

This was on Yahoo yesterday:

If you see bright white stripes

It could mean everyone gets white spots on their nails from time to time (usually it's a sign that you banged your finger in a drawer), but If you see long horizontal bands of discoloration on the nail's surface and you've been feeling fatigued lately, it could be bad news for your kidneys.

"These bands can be a signal that the kidneys aren't able to filter out Protein from your urine," Ostad says. That means your body is losing protein faster than you can shovel in filet mignon--and that can lead to kidney failure. Visit your doctor ASAP for a urine test.

I just thought I'd follow up and let you guys know what I heard back in case anyone else experiences this and is worried/wondering. I did call my surgeon's office today and his medical assistant told me that the pale nail beds issue was a known side effect of the surgery and that it's just less common. She said to try the skin/hair/nails Vitamin that I have been planning to start anyway when I can take tablets. She said the color should return a week or two after starting it and if I continue to have problems to let them know. I guess it's probably related to something similar as the issue with hair - vitamin deficiency or something. I'll try and get more information when I go in for my 6 week checkup on September 6th.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions - I was worrying about kidneys too, but they said since I have no swelling, no oliguria, and no back pain that they aren't concerned.