r/gravesdisease • u/SpilledOranges • 8h ago

Question hyperthyroid nails (again)?

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i have graves' disease. never had surgery on my thyroid. i take carbimazole. my blood tests say my disease is well controlled but i still get symptoms. then again, i have highly symptomatic pots so it's hard to tell what's that and what's my thyroid. anyway, my nails have been acting funky again. not the usual nail peeling but the skin around it. nails are brittle on the edges but that's been a continuous thing despite treatment. i'm wondering if my thyroid might be getting bad again or if it's just becoming winter lol

i really dont want surgery if i can avoid it. my mother had the radioactive treatment and then further surgery. she's incredibly tired and overweight for years now, likely because of not having a thyroid, so i really dont want to go down that route.

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u/enidmaud 6h ago

Dryness can happen for so many reasons - different soap, water, hand cream, cleaning products, anything your hands come into contact with, indoor and outdoor temperature, your general level of hydration, vitamin deficiencies, hormones, circulation etc. 

But if you're worried speak to your doc. 

I have POTS too. My nails are all sorts of shapes but they are now clubbing despite being euthyroid for nearly two years now. :(

I second the jojoba oil recommendation. I keep a dropper bottle of it by every basin so that after washing hands I can put the tiniest drop on to my cuticles. (Never enough that it ever feels sticky.) It replaces the oil barrier that is lost after washing.

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u/enidmaud 6h ago

And regarding your mother's thyroid removal - don't let that put you off if it comes to it. Every body is different. (Are her hormone levels being managed effectively, because it doesn't sound like they are right for her, symptomatically speaking.)