What do you think about this permanent discoloration?

[character28]

Hi, I've been having this permanent discoloration and many other symptoms for more than two months. They were all triggered after overexercising. Doctors seem to focus on my other symptoms but not on the color of my fingernails. Before their colour was like that of normal, healthy people's fingernails. Also my lips, tongue, scars, scratches eg my face after shaving have this same discoloration. Please tell me all the causes of the discoloration. I'll attach more pics here. Thanks in advance.

http://i.imgur.com/R6g8D.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/d8VwM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Y9Yxa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZkoOM.jpg

[Gio77Italy]

Borrelia is almost non existent in Italy. in some endemic areas Ticks carry rickettsia or meningitis I believe but not Borrelia. there is record of some cases of Lyme in the far north near the Alps.

did you go to the countryside and were bit by a tick?

You see since you are sick, you aren't very lucid because your CNS is affected, you are inexperienced, you will rush into labelling your illness with one condition or another, even "stretching" the diagnostic requirements when the realistically it is not plausible.

when were you in Rome exactly? I got what I believe was a almost asymptomatic flu in September 2011. weakness in the legs followed to a week-long headache, diarrhoea, mild paralysis to the right side of the face. watery nasal drip. (sinusitis)


your symptoms and low C3 all points to Autoimmune of some sort.  that doesn't necessarily mean that you are irreversibly ill, it could be something that will regress spontaneously.

[character28]

I think actually anemia can explain my symptoms. I'll see after the treatment. I heard of similar cases (with no discoloration). Megaloblastic or Pernicious anemia (what I probably have, a gastroenterologist is going to check it) can make CNS disturbances. Or at least it can according to the source I read:
http://www.freemd.com/pernicious-anemia/symptoms.htm
http://www.freemd.com/megaloblastic-anemia/symptoms.htm
And yes, I meant the complement system. According to medline, decreased complement activity may be seen in infections, autoimmune, malnutrition and other stuffs:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003539.htm
Can you explain a bit more about your Influenza A theory? Was that what you suffered from when you had these symptoms?
Also, you're from Italy right? Do you know about the incidence of Lyme disease in Rome and Venice? I also consider that possibility since I might have been exposed there and in other places in Europe.

[Gio77Italy]

anemia cannot explain all your symptoms. there is something neurological going on, something disturbing the central nervous system.

I've been collecting similar cases over the past few months, I suspect that they have something to do with a Influenza A viral pandemic that would trigger a autoimmune reaction of some sort.. autoimmune encephalitis.

what is C3 exactly? you mean the Complements System? how is that related with nutrition?

I had all of your symptoms and 10-20% paralysis in the legs, the only thing they found was high C3.

[character28]

well I have a lot of symptoms... including dizziness, lightheadedness, chronic headaches, fatigue, muscle numbness and twitching, weakness, numbness, brain fog, apathy among other things,

I had all the tests you mention and many others including CT, MRI, spirometry, xray, all of them were normal. I also got tested for EBV, mono, HIV, coaxackie, and others, all negative. Only MRI showed chronic sinusitis. An ENT wanted to treat it with corticosteroids, but I rejected the treatment. I had immunology tests like ana, anti sjogren, scleroderma, lupus and others, negative. Also low sed rate. Only my c3 was low, which as far as I'm concerned has to do with malnutrition. My last CBC was done in august, showing no abnormalities. It was not until september 14th that my blood was drawn to check for vitamins and minerals. Ten days ago I got the results and took them to my doctor who referred me to a hematologist who I'm seeing next thursday to treat the anemia.

I think all of my symptoms coincide with the megaloblastic anemia, but I found no explanation about the chronic fingernail discoloration. I agree with you that it's linked to anemia. And I hope so, because I found no resources in internet which talk about chronic fingernail discoloration like mine.

[Gio77Italy]

I don't know.. I read that Megaloblastic anemia is caused by B12 deficiency.

the different colour in peripheral blood can in fact be given by poor oxygenation. therefore I guess it's possible it is linked to anemia.

which are your other symptoms? your CBC values? how long have you been found with anemia and was it coincidental with the symptoms?

another specialist you should see as a precaution is the Cardiologist, do a EKG, Echo. and cardiac stress test.

[character28]

Hi, thanks for your answers. On July 14th, after going running, my hands fingernails turned purplish/bluish and stayed that way. Before that day, they looked normal pink. A week later, I started getting a lot of symptoms which last until today and won't let me go on with my life normally. If you check the pictures, you'll see that bluish colour.
I recently found out that I have almost no vitamin B12 in my blood. Doctor says it's probably a malabsorption problem and referred me to hematologist, gastroenterologist and neurologist. Do you think the fingernail discoloration has anything to do with the megaloblastic anemia I'm suffering from?