Maarten Vasbinder lives in Isaan. His profession is general practitioner, a profession that he mainly practiced in Spain. On Thailandblog he answers questions from readers who live in Thailand.
Do you have a question for Maarten and do you live in Thailand? Send this to the editor: www.thailandblog.nl/contact/ It is important that you provide the correct information such as:
- Age
- Complaints)
- History
- Medication use, including supplements, etc.
- Smoking, alcohol
- Overweight
- Any laboratory results and other tests
- Possible blood pressure
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Dear Martin,
I have a somewhat unusual illness among the members. I have looked for information on the internet about this, but apart from the name there is very little information about it. The name is Adermatoglyphia. The complaint is that my fingerprints have disappeared.
I recently got a new passport, but fingerprinting at the embassy was unsuccessful. I expected that, so I contacted them in advance, and it was no problem. The disappearance of the fingerprints is about all I've been able to find on the disease.
According to the internet, the cause of the disease could be certain medicines – which I have never used, or a hereditary issue – but as far as I know this does not run in the family.
I can live with the disappearance of those fingerprints, but there is more going on. Not only my fingertips have become smooth, but the skin is starting to feel smooth in other places as well, mostly on my torso and thighs at the moment. The hair growth there is also disappearing - it becomes a smooth bald plain.
Now I don't lose sleep over that hair, and if all the facial hair that I have to shave off every day disappears, I would even really appreciate it. I would hate it if my eyebrows disappeared too.
Apparently something changes at the anus as well. Where I used to be able to fart and look at others accusingly, since a few weeks there has been a trumpet blast when I fart.
However, the question is what would happen if my whole skin became like this? Does it still function properly? And if it is a matter of heredity, could that affect the nervous system and the eyes and ears as well? Because they all develop from the ectoderm.
Furthermore, new blood blisters also form, but I don't know if that has anything to do with each other, that could also be related to age.
Medication use:
- Omeprazole 20 mg 1 time
- Levothyroxine 100 mg 1 time
- Bestadine 10 mg 2 times
- Aspirin 81 mg 1 time
- Stopped taking fludrocortisone despite the doctor's protest - after I read the package insert and saw what a mess it was and I understood why I was so nervous and walking around with trembling hands.
Betablocker quietly stopped - to avoid further nagging with the doctor - because when I was in bed my heart rate went up to 45 beats per minute, and probably fell much lower when I slept.
Blood values 15-09-2022
FT4 1,62
FT3 2,57
TSH 26,10
There have also been times when the TSH was close to zero, I understand very little of those fluctuations.
Potassium 3,8
Glucose (NAF) 113
Cholesterol 214
HDL cholesterol 65
LDL cholesterol 137
I had the potassium measured after I got muscle cramps due to a shortage of potassium due to the fludrocortisone.
That must have been in September 2020, when the value was 3,3.
I think the value is still on the low side. (3,5-5,5)
Age 68
• Complaint(s) – see above
• History – none
• Medication use, including supplements, etc. – see above
• Smoking, alcohol – I don't smoke or drink alcohol
• Overweight – not – 72 kg height 1,83
• Possibly lab results and other tests – added
• Possibly blood pressure - variable, low in the cool and higher in the heat.
Yours faithfully,
R.
******
Dear R,
I added an article about this problem.
A certain form of chemotherapy (Capecitabine) can also cause this. Further fall on dermatitis and leprosy (leprosy). The latter is common in Thailand.
There could also be a link with mRNA/DNA vaccines. You can say that again today.
As for the thyroid, TSH can indeed be close to zero at times, if T4 is high. The main value is FT4. That's the substance that works. Potassium can indeed be a bit higher. 4 bananas a day is a good remedy.
As for the medication, a beta blocker with a low pulse is indeed not so good. Also the Bestatin (atorvastatin) seems superfluous to me. We have recently learned that high cholesterol leads to a longer life. The industry has determined what is too high and that number is getting lower and lower, which of course increases earnings.
The chance that it is hereditary is very small. There are only four families in which it occurs. They are not allowed to enter America.
Rather, it appears to be a progressive condition, perhaps caused by bacteria. Not an easy thing to find the cause.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6456356/
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2012/626148/
In any case, I would consult a dermatologist, “the older the better”. Older dermatologists have seen much more in their lives and dermatology is largely based on empiricism. It is one of the most difficult medical fields.
I'd love to hear the follow-up with possibly some pictures.
Sincerely,
Dr. Maarten
Do you have a question for Maarten and do you live in Thailand? Send this to the editor: www.thailandblog.nl/contact/ It is important that you provide the correct information (see list at the top of the page).