Toenails and Skin!

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

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?

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.

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.

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?   

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

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.