Toenails!

Hello Anna12345.

It is a good idea to mention any side affects to your chemo team or the oncology team.

Do you have a community nurse allocated to you? they do a great job.

On your appointment card you should have several contact numbers in case of any problems.

Hope this helps.

John

Hi Anna12345

My toenails fell of five months after my last chemo - so you could have problems for a while. All my fingernails became infected and I needed anitbiotics (that was towards the end of my chemo) My GP prescribed antibiotics for them, and I wore latex gloves to stop keep catching them , it remains for me the very worst part of my whole cancer treatment..

So I would suggest a call to your GP for advice, and really make sure at any sign of infection you get some antibiotics. 

I feel your pain, it is unbelievable how much we catch our finger and toenails on a daily basis, normally we don’t even know about it …..

Jo x

Thanks, I was starting to think these look like they need attention, they are sensitive to touch too, my fingernails aren’t joining in at the moment, they’ve a few weird bumps and a slight yellowy colour, but you’re right, it’s not pleasant at all x

Thanks I will, I’m back at the hospital on Monday x

Hi Anna, I have a similar issue and have found that cutting the nails short has helped and I am using oil each night to keep the skin underneath moisturised, also found that the skin was blistering a little and coming off. I finished my chemo 2 weeks ago and my big toe nails are still hanging on in there and I hope that I can keep them as have made it this far! I wear dark nail varnish on hands and feet and I have a lovely friend (she u it’s a podiatrist) you gives me a pedicure every 2 weeks, keeping the nails short and tidy and painting them so I don’t see the mess they are actually in. I would talk with your care team and if they say it’s ok then a visit to chiropodist I hope would help  

Yes I’m scared to try to cut them myself  I think I’m going to go to a chiropodist, I’ll also get some oil. I’ll speak to them on Tuesday, thanks very much x

Hi I lost two big toe nail just as chemo was finishing I asked for GP for referral to podiatrist. They cut nail to cuticle twice the nail then grew but was then ingrown so I keep them short . I have found that both toe and fingernails are brittle and break easily . 
one suggestion I was given was to use a couple of drops of tea tree oil which really did help to dry toe nails up .

Hi Jo, was gobsmacked to learn you lost your nails 5 months after finishing your chemo. I used very dark polish, lots of nail oil and wore cooling bootees and mitts and now 4 weeks post Docetaxol my nails are just as they were before chemo. I thought I had managed to escape the problems but obviously nail loss could still happen . 
At a loss as to what more I can do - anyone got any suggestions?!!! 

Hugs to everyone on this terrible journey. X

I’ve been trying to look after mine as well with cuticle oil and nail strengthener  etc. However I’m now 9 weeks post chemo and the ends of my nails have changed colour and are quite brittle. They have  gone all white at the top half and so I’m keeping them cut short. However it looks like new growth is ok so I’m hoping they may now be better once white area has grown out?? .I’m Going to have gel Nails done so that may protect nails keeping them stronger while growing out and also I’m Using rimmel nail strengthening  varnish in the meantime which also seems to be helping. Hope yours are all ok xx