Toenails and Skin!

Mocity

I was trying to find someone that has had issues with their skin and nails from Chemo.  I am doing 12 weekly treatments of Taxol/Herceptin.  I had #9 on Tuesday.  My side effects haven't been as bad as I have expected.  However, once I hit treatment #6 I really started feeling tired and fatigued. I have had a bloody nose the entire time as well.  I am hairless obviously but what has thrown me (probably because I wasn't warned) it my skin and nails.  My skin is breaking out so bad... just zit after zit.  I went from covering myself in moisterizer to putting clean and clear all over my skin.  Then on top of that the skin is dry so in an effort to fix the acne I am creating dry spots!! My nail beds (fingers and toes) have been "sore" for about a week but yesterday..... my big toe nail and cuticle started swelling up.  Now that toe nail is turning black and it hurts!  All the others are just very sore.  My fingers are swelling too and between each finger is bright red! 

My NP looked at it yesterday and was suprised it is so bad since I am on the weekly dose.  She is giving me a cream for the rash on my hands but said the toe nails will probably come off.  ARG!  It hurts and looks terrible. 

Anyway, curious if anyone else has experienced any or all of this.  Any tips, advice, help????  How do you prepare for a nail coming off?  Just let it fall offf?  Oh my gosh, how bad does that hurt?  It is hurting right now!

Thanks, Cristl

dlb823

Cristl ~  I can share a few things I've learned on these boards, especially the August 08 chemo thread.  First, if your nail is already loose and falling off, use wig tape (not adhesive or paper tape) to hold it on.  For preventing further damage, see if you can use ice on your nails during your Taxol tx.  The  ice is frequently used with Taxotere, and I'm assuming Taxol is the same, since you're getting the same SE.  Some onc facilities even supply ice mitts, but if yours doesn't have them, you can just use a bag of frozen veggies, as I did.  Some of my nail beds had started to darken with Taxotere, and the ice stopped further damage.  You can also use Tea Tree Oil on your nails.  Massage it into the nailbed.  Hope these tips help.  Take care ~  Deanna 

debisongbird

Hi Cristl, Sorry to hear of your SE. The same thing happened to me (not the zits - but I am post-menopausal, so maybe that's why.) But after I started weekly Taxol treatments, I woke up one morning and my big toenail was completely black (1/2 way up.) It was sore, too. It happened overnight. My onc said he didn't think it was from chemo (but I knew it was - after all I didn't drop a 20lb. turkey on my foot while I was sleeping.) Eventually, they looked it up - and yes, it is a side effect (but uncommon - more common in women of color though, for some reason?) Anyway, my fingernails have turned dark maroonish color - but the doctor said not to worry about it, so I'm not worried about it. I try to keep the black nail dry, and protected and it's been with me about 6 weeks, so far hasn't fallen off and doesn't look like it will. But who knows. I didn't try ice or anything. Just making sure it's kept dry and not to bump it, etc...Your skin overall (especially face, etc.)  will dry and you may even notice dry spots in the middle of your tongue. So dry, it's crazy. For skin, I use a very emollient cream (I made with extra E, C and oils in with a tub of regular night cream. The onc said to use an oil based cream (like hemp or something.) For the mouth being dry there is Biotene mouthwash (available at TArget) that does help some. That's all I did for mine - but talk to  your Chemo Pharmacist or onc for further remedies. Hope this helps some. God Bless. Debs

dreamwriter

I was on Taxotere weekly and had to see a dermatologist as I had nail discoloration, then they humped over to look like talons and THEN they got infected (stunk).  I was dipping them in hydrogen peroxide for the smell until I saw the dermatologist who gave me something to put on daily.  (it was actually ear drops but they worked for this too).  I will let you know that I am now 2 yrs past chemo and my nails are almost normal looking (right hand is slower to heal as it has lymphedema) and they are all the pinkish color they were originally.  As for skin, you do have to be careful not to cause sores from drying out those pimples.  It may be that you leave them alone until after treatment.  I know it is bad when you look in the mirror and want to run.  It will pass... it is better to kill off those cancer cells then worry about a little acne.

HensonChi

I finished taxotere on October 28th.  I have had terrible problems with my nails.  One has fallen off already.  I will see a dermotologist in 2 weeks.  I also got 2 things that look like age spots on my face and I will ask the dermatologist about that also.....I am way too young for age spots, and I think the chemo cvaused them.  Dreamwriter, do you remember what the dermatologist gave you for your nails?

dreamwriter

As a matter of fact I still have some left - It is Garamycin.  They are otic drops (for the ears) but a drop per nail 3 times daily helped heal and get that nasty smell gone.

smerf

I had four rounds of ac, followed by twelve weekly taxols in"06. My nails developed ridges, and turned an ugly shade of brown during the taxol. I was lucky, and they didn't fall off, but they also didn't get infected. They are still not completely back to normal, but pretty close. The ridge is still present on one toenail, and still a little discoloration. There are many posts about the problem in either the taxol or taxotere se's thread.

A bigger problem {more annoying} to me was the acne. I was 60 at dx, but I had fought adult acne since my mid twenties. I finally took Accutane when I was 53, and that cleared it up. It came back with a vengeance after my first ac chemo. I have lived with it for two years now, hoping it would clear up, but no such luck. I just went back to my dermatologist this week, and started on medication for it. I told him he should write up my case for a medical journal, as I must be one of the oldest acne suffferers in history!  I'm 63, and this is getting ridiculous. Anyway, hang in there, and you will be able to clear up the acne after chemo. My doc didn't tell me in advance because acne isn't so common, and it isn't too serious. To her anyway, after all, she doesn't have it. I know, I know, she meant it isn't medically serious.

I used lots of moisturizer during chemo too, but maybe stick to noncomedogenic for your face? I also went through many chapsticks, as chemo really dries you out.

Best wishes to you.

TXBadboob

Hi, Christl.  I am also doing tx in Houston.  With the 1st 3 mos. of tx, I had the zit problem, too.  I used a generic version of ProActive that I found at Walgreens.  It worked like a miracle. It's called Skin Essentials and is a three part system.  I have the nail problems too but they don't hurt yet.    I use my hands at work a lot so I keep them taped up well.  Lots of good advice here!  Hope this helps, Deen

Mocity

Thanks to ALL for the tips.... it seems to be getting worse and worse.  I see m Onc tomorrow before treatment #10. 

Regarding the ice - when do you use it?  During treatment or at night or something??

All I can say is OUCH!  I am an accountant on on my PC all day long.  My fingers and toes hurt!

dlb823

Cristl ~  You only need the ice during the Taxotere infusion.  Keeping your fingertips or toes cold while you're getting the Taxotere will slow blood circulation to them, which will prevent damage to the nail beds.   Deanna 

kayakgirl

Hi

To protect your nails and help prevent the black nails put tree tea oil on your fingernails and toenails once or twice a day every day during the entire chemo period. You can get it at Whole Foods or at a health supplement/food shop. This was recommended to me which I did and had no problem with my nails during my chemo. Now that I am done, I stopped using the tree tea oil and my nails are not as strong.

Sassa

My onc also recommended tea tree oil to me when I mentioned that I was having a problem with peeling nails and splitting skin on my fingers and toes during herceptin treatment.

The tea tree oil helped. 

GramE

My toe nails lifted off the nail bed, not near the cuticle.   My onco said it was ok to soak snippers in rubbing alcohol then snip off the dead part to prevent snagging, splitting and/or fungus getting under.  So far they are not growing back.  Half of my fingernails also turned dark maroon part way from the tip towards the middle and are still half dead.  I gently file them back to the end of my fingertips, but they still hurt.  Seems the finger nails grow a bit but not the toe nails.

Sorry if I do not understand:  tea tree oil -- do you soak or rub on or both?   

GramE

My finger nails are beginning to look more normal.  But they still hurt.  Toe nails are a lost cause and good thing it is winter and no open toe sandals...   

Sassa, I got some tea tree oil at Whole Foods, and cannot stand the smell of it.   I should have smelled it before I bought it.    Is it supposed to smell that bad?  

jdg1

Try Biotin, when I started Taxol, I had the same problems nails cracking, turning brown and even one fell off.  Well I started taking 2000mg Biotin a day and it seemed like it helped.  Someone on this board told me about it and the nails did stop cracking and turning brown

BrittaA

Hi CristlC,
I totally feel for you. I know that my nails became very brittle while I went through treatments, and my father suffered terribly with his nails turning black and sometimes falling off when he was going through chemotherapy and radiation as well.
At the time, I could find few resources to help either of us through this daily struggle with side effects. I recently started a blog, Cinco Vidas, as a resource for cancer patients and did a post on nail care during cancer treatments (http://blog.cincovidas.com/have-your-nails-become-brittle-and-weak-all-they-need-is-a-little-attention). I hope that this helps.

Love, strength and survival, Britta

Sassa

Just a timeline update.  It has been 1/1/2 years since I stopped herceptin. It took abput 7 months for my fingertips (nails and skin) to return to normal. It was about one year when I considered my toe nails back to normal. Last week I finally saw the last of my problems with splitting, peeling skin on my toes (one big toe was the hold out) disappear.

LeftyAKANacy, I just saw your comment about the tea oil smell.   Yes, my tea oil also had a strong odor.