Chemo-Loss of Big Toenails...

juli0212

Chemo was in last part of 2006, lost both big toenails.  Now they have grown back VERY thick and VERY curved into the skin.  I had gone to a foot doctor for a few years now to have them numb and trim back the toenail.  I had a 'permanent' procedure done on the right big toenail in December, where the toe was completely numbed and they dug down into the root, put a substance in there, and trimmed the nail completely away from the sides.  The sides have not grown back, YAYYYY!!!!   Did not have that done to left toenail, as it wasn't bothering me all winter...I now let that toenail dig in and grow a 'tad' too long, and it's getting trimmed Friday at same foot doctor's.  Did anyone else have this problem with their toenails????   I will look into the 'permanent' solution on that toe if it continues to bother me, but if it's a yearly thing, I can just go have it trimmed at foot doc's, who is excellent, never any pain there.  My thumbnails turned black, but did not fall out.

(Not to mention all hair loss, which was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!   NO hair to shave anywhere, WHOOOOO!!!  

Thank You, and bless you all...juli

mimiof4

I don't have a solution, but I want to symphathize.  I have just finished my chemo infusions, and I seem to have infection under my big toenails.  I am afraid they are going to fall off because they are loose.  It is painful too.

juli0212

mimiof4:  I'm sorry, I hadn't checked the box to get email notification, sorry to respond so late.

I hope you will get to your oncologist to see if you DO have an infection, as you well know, any fevers or infections need to be attended to ASAP.  Mine never got infected, just turned black as well as my thumbnails, but my big toenails fell completely off.  Re-grew in VERY hard and curved, took a long time of course, but eventually grew into the skin, so I see my foot doc every 3-6 months for numbing and trimming out of the skin. I did get the right big toenail *fixed* with the 'permanent solution' (foot doc numbing and digging down on both sides of nail to the root, no pain and no worries about growing back into the skin, left the middle of the toenail alone, I haven't done that yet to the left toenail, we'll see how long this lasts with just the trimming this time.) One of the side effects of chemo.

I wish you the best and thanks for writing!  Keep me posted, okay?  I'm HOPING you do NOT have any infections going on, you don't need that also.  Now that you are done with chemo, are you also having radiation treatments, especially since you also had lymph involvement?

ALL my best to you.  *HUGS*   ~juli

Deborah51

That sounds rather familiar because my big toe on my left foot looks awful and was very dark and ugly looking but not had any trouble with it falling off thank god !  I have a pedi done every five weeks and would love to have french done but it will show through but last time the lady said it seems as though the infection is moving to the top of the toe now ! 

Debs

juli0212

Hi Deborah~

Yeah, my big toes started looking awful, then turned black, then eventually fell off, they didn't get infected.  That you will HAVE to get checked if you believe there's an infection.   Hope it's 'just' the normal chemo stuff we go thru (normal???   lol).   My toenails fell off in 2006/chemo, and I still have to return to the podiatrist for chemo-ingrown-toenails, as they grew back REALLY hard and VERY CURVED into the skin all the way up from bottom.  Got a 'permanent' solution done on right toe (very well-done, both sides cannot grow back now)...and will consider the left one if I have any more troubles with it.  One of those things!   ~juli

PatriciaDarden

How are your toenails now?  I wish mine would grow out faster.  I am wondering if they will ever be the same. I has been 2 years since chemo, and the big toenails have grown little.  The toenail that is attached to the toe is only about halfway up the bed.  There is toenail that comes out further but is not attached.  Toe nail is still thick and the one that did not come off is curved.  Other toenails seem to be more normal now.

juli0212

Hi Patricia~

My big toenails did indeed fall off (thumbnails almost did, just turned black) and took forever to grow back in, yours sounds about like mine.

The trouble was they grew back in curved and very very HARD.  I have to still (since 2007) go to a podiatrist once a year for them to cut out the nail that's grown into the skin.  I had a permanent procedure on the right big toenail that basically took out the roots from both sides, so the nail cannot grow into my skin, I have not had that done to my left one as it doesn't seem as bad.  Once a year to get the nail cut out of my skin (before it gets infected, I never can 'feel' it due to neuropathy from chemo) isn't so bad for me.

Give it time, the toenails grow very very slowly, and I hope yours don't grow in curved and hard like mine.  There's no trimming them yourself if so.   Good Luck!   BEST to you always~~~juli

*Keep me posted if you wish*