My mother's toe nails became very thick and yellowed. She was treated for a possible fungal issue, but nothing changed. She has PMR with overlapping Sclerosis and Sjogrens.
September 16
Not weird at all — toenail changes are actually pretty common with lupus! Discoloration, including dark or white patches, can happen for several reasons.
Having Raynaud's phenomenon alongside lupus can directly affect toenails, causing issues like looseness, pitting, grooves, and color changes. Raynaud's limits blood flow to Show Full Answer
Not weird at all — toenail changes are actually pretty common with lupus! Discoloration, including dark or white patches, can happen for several reasons.
Having Raynaud's phenomenon alongside lupus can directly affect toenails, causing issues like looseness, pitting, grooves, and color changes. Raynaud's limits blood flow to the extremities, which can show up in the nails too. Some lupus medications can also play a role. These include:
- Azathioprine
- Corticosteroids
- Methotrexate
- Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil)
- Biologic drugs
These can increase the risk of fungal nail infections or cause discoloration directly.
It's worth mentioning to your rheumatologist or a dermatologist, especially since the discoloration is in both dark and white tones. Once lupus is better controlled, nail symptoms sometimes improve on their own — so there's hope! 🙂
September 16
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