ouch my nails!

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berries
berries Member Posts: 277

I am 4+ weeks post dose dense ACT and my finger nails are swollen and hurt so much. I had a toe nail come out already, but I am not prepared to lose any fingernails.

I am sorry if this is too much information, but they have also started to smell awful and leak a yellow-ish liquid. I keep them clean and painted so they are not noticeable, but OUCH!

Has anyone experienced this before? Did your MO suggest doing anything? I really hope they do not detach!

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  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited March 2020

    Berries - lost my long post, but basically if you have oozing & smells, you probably already have a fungus underneath your nails. First I'd stop painting. THen I'd get to a dermatologist (hair/skin/nails) as soon as possible. Although I ended up at a hospital podiatrist who had to cut my toe nails WAY back. Ugh. Treatment takes a LONG time, as toe nails don't grow back for a year or more.

    As your doc about starting Biotin. It made my nails much stronger.

  • berries
    berries Member Posts: 277
    edited March 2020

    Fungus on my fingernails? Ugh! I can’t imagine having that on a majority of them but I will ask my onc if she recommends seeing derm first. Thanks for your reply!

    My toe nails otherwise seem fine. It is my fingernails that are the issuemost painful!

  • lifeb4me
    lifeb4me Member Posts: 39
    edited March 2020

    Hi Berries,

    It’s from the taxol. I had that too. My nails also leaked a smelly yellowish liquid, but clear. My MO just told me to keep an eye out for infection. If the liquid became pus to get in touch ASAP. The nails also start lifting and really hurt. I managed to not lose any fingernails with the following routine. Every night after shower I would dry around the cuticles with some pressure to get as much fluid out as possible, then I would apply some liquid antiseptic and a bandaid on the most lifted or oozing. It looked weird having like 6 or 7 finger mails with band sid bit eorked for me. They were ugly but I kept them. I also kept mine painted to be minimally presentable at work. I lost about half of both my big toenails. They just lifted, got brittle and broke, but I found a lady in my town that worked with a German resin for restoration, so she would complete the toenail and then paint them and they were perfect. I also put this product on fingernails to make them stronger and more even. I loved the results.

  • berries
    berries Member Posts: 277
    edited March 2020

    can you share what produce you used?Thank you!

  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited March 2020

    My dermatologist recommended an OTC product called DermaNail. I've been using it twice a day for about four months now and my nails are doing much better. (FWIW--it's on Amazon but I found it cheaper if I bought two bottles on the company's website. I keep one in the kitchen and one by my bed.)

  • berries
    berries Member Posts: 277
    edited March 2020

    thank you. i just got a referreal to onc derm and i have an appointment next week. in the meantime, they suggested soaking my nails for 15 minutes in white vinegar and water each night. UGH. this is the worst!!! my nail is swollen and so painful :(

  • lifeb4me
    lifeb4me Member Posts: 39
    edited March 2020
    • Before and after

    LCN's Barefoot is a strong, yet flexible product that feels and looks natural. Anyone with damaged or unsightly toenails will love the results!

    LCN's Barefoot is the only anti-mycotic, light-curing, one component pedicure resin. Barefoot is a way to restore the toenail partially or completely, while providing an attractive cosmetic result.

    Barefoot contains the ingredient Piroctone Olimine, a proven anti-mycotic substance that is time released to keep working even after the product is cured. Due to the flexibility of Barefoot, the product adjusts to the movements of the nails and feet, feeling completely comfortable and natural.

  • berries
    berries Member Posts: 277
    edited March 2020

    thanks all. any recommendations on what to do for the pain and swelling until I can get in with a doctor next week? It is soooo painful and the swelling is uncomfortable. :(

  • berries
    berries Member Posts: 277
    edited March 2020
  • berries
    berries Member Posts: 277
    edited March 2020

    update: saw derm and they prescribed an antibiotic to help reduce inflammation and swelling.

    Two of my fingernails are now almost DOUBLE their normal size with bruising on the sides. this cannot be normal? The pain wakes me up at night. I saw them last week and it seems to be getting worse. I just sent them a message, but has anyone expeienced anything this bad before?

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited March 2020

    Berries - in addition to the antibiotic, check with the doc about soaking your nails in something like Epsom Salts.

  • MinusTwo
    MinusTwo Member Posts: 16,634
    edited March 2020

    Berries: This is what I was prescribed. When I was doing the treatment, you could only buy from docs, but maybe it's available over the counter now. I applied it twice a day over the existing coats for almost a year. Once a week you removed & started over. It made a HUGE difference in my nails.

    https://bakodx.com/product/kera-nail-gel/

    Edited to make the link active

  • Martaj
    Martaj Member Posts: 325
    edited March 2020

    I also had taxol, carboplatin, adriamycin and cytoxan, my nails are peeling off. Saw Derm, there is a good layer underneath, but I can't pick up small things because the nails spllt more. Toe nails the same. I have triple neg breast cancer, finished chemo end of December, mastectomy with reconstruction in Feb, now undergoing radiation. Hate the way my nails look and feel

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