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POTS/ blood pooling/ accumulation

Hello everyone,
Question, especially for POTS folks:
I recently developed a polyneuropathy after vaccination. It is very complex, and while I have so many questions, I will focus on this:
I was diagnosed with POTS/ autoimmune autonomic neuropathy, and I have blood pooling in both my hands and feet, presumably due to the POTS dysfunction. A couple months ago I noticed something quite disturbing: I have what seems to be a blood-like substance accumulating underneath my fingernails, against the area where your nail meets the skin (see photo). This photo shows about 3 days of accumulation. I did a simple test with hydrogen peroxide - it bubbled profusely, indicating that it contains catalase (something found in biological substances apparently), I went to my primary and convinced him to put it on a hemocult paper... it turned blue, just as a substance (usually they are testing feces) with blood in it would. He didn't know what to do or say.
It occurs in my toe nails as well, just to a lesser extent.
Have anyone with POTS experienced this? Is it due to the blood pooling and pressure related to that? A friend suggested this possibility, I had previously been convinced that I have also developed a connective tissue disorder, as I am noticing excessive loss of body hair as well. My theory related to why it happens more quickly in hands is that they are dependent without the pumping of muscles (as with calves) to assist in blood return.
Thanks for your help,
EE
3 Responses
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612876 tn?1355514495
I'm sorry but I've never seen anything like that mentioned anecdotally by any dysautonomia patients, nor does it appear in any textbooks or journal articles on autonomic dysfunction that I've ever come across. I hope your doctor can help you with it.
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Avatar universal
Don't worry, I feel like I'm the disgusting one. This substance tested pos. For blood  on a hemocult test at my primarys office. Yeah, I've worn a rubber glove to prove this, it still accumulates... thanks for your response.
Helpful - 0
612876 tn?1355514495
Not to be disgusting but, when my fingernails look like that it's because dirt has built up underneath them. What would make you think the stuff under the nail was being generated by your finger rather than getting under there from the outside environment as you use your hands throughout the day? Have you tried using a nail file and cleaning that all out thoroughly, then wearing nitrile gloves for 24 hours to see if stuff still ends up there?
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