destruction of fingerprints (atrophy of fingerprints due to perilymphocytic vasculitis and vacuolisation of fibroblasts)

that was suppose to be added in there in first paragraph

I'm guessing being underweight would also affect the fatty finger pads as well as dehydration.

Fingerprints don't change. A scar can make a change of course. Ridges are worn down by carrying concert blocks or such or chemicals.

Ridge height is the only aspect of fingerprints that can actually change with your health status. People that were anemic didn't have changes like celiac disease did. I guess being dehydrated could cause it but I didn't noticed then. Being thin .. I don't think so unless do to eating disorders maybe?

They had samples of fingerprints on website and I do have lines .. many of them. However, to have celiac disease your IgA levels have to be abnormally low.. mine are elevated twice as high. They have been since I first got sick.

My left hand has so many lines that I can hardly see the print. My right hand is much better but I use it more.

I should have given this a better title. Oh well. Thank you for responding.

I think you would like to read chapter 14 in Peggy Munson's book "Stricken - Voices From the Hidden Epidemic of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome". The title of the chapter is: "The Paradox of Lost Fingerprints: Metaphor and the Shaming of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome"

They have it on Amazon in paperback for something like $25.

I have also found references to this unusual symptom by Googling "lost fingerprints+chronic fatigue syndrome" or some similar wording. Apparently this is very rare in the general population, according to law enforcement. But I think it is fairly common with people who have CFS/ME.

My own fingerprints are so far gone you need a magnifying glass to see any ridges at all. Things tend to slip out of my hands.

I suppose this is just another one of those imaginary symptoms we supposedly dream up. Perhaps one day I will just snap out of it and my fingerprints will be back.

for what it's worth, i've the same symptoms as well. for some reason, my body can't absorb water normally; i heard second hand from a nurse who works with many cfids patients that this is unfortunately 'common' with us. not only do i get wrinkled fingerprints, but chapped lips as well despite decent hydration.

My fingertips are all wrinkly as well as having lost the ridges. They say the skin is an organ of the body, just like the heart, liver, etc. It has important work to do, all sorts of glands, and so on. If ME messes up our organs, it seems reasonable to me that it might mess up the skin, too.

I have noticed that over the past year or two, my skin can no longer tolerate exposure to the sun without burning, so I have to cover up whenever I work in the yard, or even go shopping. I can get a sunburn in ten minutes.

The loss of fingerprints comes from vasculitis, or inflammation of the veins(I think that's what it means, I'm still not educated on the meanings and physiology of pro-inflammatory vs. anti-inflammatory).

Actually there are two groups I think, one that has increased inflammation and one that has decreased inflammation. Anyways I think what vasculitis means is the veins constrict, lowering circulation. This is why the fingerprints are lost, because blood doesn't circulate all the way to the end of the line, so to speak. That's also the reason behind cognitive difficulties, and basically every symptom we have. If blood doesn't flow adequately through the brain, guess what happens? Cognitive difficulties. If blood doesn't flow through the liver, guess what happens? A person can't remove toxins from their blood. If blood doesn't flow adequately through the kidneys, guess what happens? Etc, etc. It's also why we can't tolerate heat or cold, because the blood doesn't circulate to heat us up or cool us off when we get hot.

I personally don't have lost fingerprints, but for those who do, this is why I'm pretty sure. Here's a paragraph from the IACFS/ME Conference overview-

"Nicole Porter (Chicago,USA) showed the importance of looking at viral versus non-viral onset in CFS, with differences in cytokine production and expression. In the viral group there was Th1 shift and in the non-viral group a Th2 shift. Viral and bacterial onset patients should be separated in future studies. A pattern of protein production in the non-viral group is likely to be immune cell mediated anti-inflammatory activity with chronic suppression of immune system activation. In the viral group, there is pro-inflammatory activation with persistent hyper-immune response."

Note- I don't think this has much to do with the CDC's current research in which they link inflammation with obesity using patients diagnosed with the 'Empirical Definition'.

Here's also a patient handout from a doctor in Sacramento, Erich Ryll, who experienced an outbreak of ME in the mid 70's at Mercy San Juan Hospital before the term 'CFS' was invented. He called the disease 'infectious veniculitis' and was asked to investigate similar outbreaks in other places-
http://web.tampabay.rr.com/lymecfs/ryll.htm

Also-
http://www.meresearch.org.uk/information/breakthrough/Breakthrough_Spring2008.pdf

Wow, a lot of interesting reading from all this links posted in here. I remember getting bruises almost behind the knee and couldn't figure out how they got there. Reading the last two links on ME/CFS makes me wonder about MS. It stated

"The magnetic resonance brain image (MRI) often reveals evidence of demyelination - damage to the myelin sheath covering the brain. The MRI can show the same findings in other diseases as well, including multiple sclerosis."

Double vision, weakness in legs. My lesions were on the frontal lobe and subcortical where it states you would find them in M.E. How am I to know the difference? Because I get more lesions in different places? I am taking Avonex for MS which isn't cheap but with awful side effects to the liver. Most doctors don't believe in ME/CFS .

My neurologist dx me with Fibro '92 and now MS in '06. However, I don't fit that RRMS profile. They are still working. I had neck injury and wambam downhill - disabled in less two years. He blames some of my weird symptoms on anxiety. I can't tolerate overload of simulation of senses. It brings on tremors or disorientation, dizziness, black-outs. My neuro won't understand this. Because I not showing that much progression as far MS is concerned. He sees me in a wheelchair and wonders why?

I can't regulate my temp. I am hot one minute then cold with shivers. I was hot in the winter time and when it warm up I was cold. I remember the times in the hospital for dehydration because I couldn't keep food down. This is not normal MS symptoms. Rare. I was in the hospital because of orthostatic hypotension.

So how do I know that I really have MS? please someone tell me. I have read of others on forums stated they had both.. is that really possible. And oh my goodness one is bad enough. Both are neurological diseases both have similar symptoms both have MRI similar .. and I need a definitive test to show what I have. (hopefully my Medicare Plan pays for it)

I am sorry for going on. The more I read about this. It makes me wonder and confused.