Q. My nails break, crack, split and peel and grow out very slowly. They’re not strong enough to open a soda can.
I take Synthroid for my thyroid, hydrochlorothiazide for blood pressure control, simvastatin for high cholesterol and Prevacid for heartburn. Could any of these affect my nails? Is there anything natural I could take or use to help my sad nails? Nail hardeners seem to make the problem worse.
A. Many things may affect nail health. The proper balance of thyroid hormone has an impact. Cholesterol-lowering drugs like simvastatin (Zocor) have been linked to nail changes and so has the acid-suppressing drug lansoprazole (Prevacid).
Avoid nail hardeners, since they may aggravate the situation. Some readers report that taking a dietary supplement called MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), commonly used for arthritis, may be helpful. Others tell us that moisturizing the nails with products like Elon, Epilyt or almond oil is the ticket.
For more details on these approaches, we are sending you our new guide to Hair and Nail Care with a discussion of nail problems and many natural approaches for improving nails.
