Cracked/split nails/fingers w/Herceptin

Hi Henny and congratulations on your clean scan, great news! About the nails, I've always had very strong nails, I used to have to have my dh clip the ones on my right hand because they were just to tough for me to do. I had the a\c, taxotere, rads and finished my year of herceptin this past December. My nails are a mess. Some will grow a little, but will break and split quite easily. I've even had some split in half so it's like I have two layers of nails,yuck! I've recently tried coating them with something called "hard as nails", to soon yet to see if it will make a difference. I'll let you know if it works for me. Again, congrats on the clean scan, that's the most important thing!

Hugs

Susan

I have the same problems with my fingers (and toes).

I had my last herceptin infusion on February 13 so I am hoping that the nails will eventually grow out and the skin peeling and cracking will stop.

The best thing I found for the splitting skin was a handcream that contains paraffin from Bath and Body Works.  It is from the True Blue Spa line and is called "Look, Ma, New hands."

I also would put Bag Balm on my feet and wear a pair of socks while it absorbed.

SO it's the herceptin that causes the splitting.  My nails are strong but each treatment makes 2 or so fingers have splits on the end.  Painful and annoying and interferes with my typing LOL

I finished my year of Herceptin back in December 2007 and my nails are STILL weak.  They split and peel very easily.  Before treatment, I had very strong nails.  My fingers seemed to have quit splitting though, so that's a good thing.  Crazy the stuff this treatment does to one's body...

I also did AC/T and my nails were terrible after the taxotere! But I finished my second round of herceptin in August of last year and my nails are very thin with lots of ridges (run from base of nail up to tips) . The nails on my hands tear easily as soon as they reach the end of the nail bed but don't split along the ridges. I asked my Onc when this might correct itself and she did'nt have any idea.

My fingers stopped cracking (almost).

I wear gloves when doing dishes and cleaning with water or any type of chemical.

I also wear gloves outside and coat my hands with Vaseline at night...

Also, keep cracks covered with bandaids (I have developed new and bizzare ways of wrapping my finger tips) and some antibiotic cream so they don't get infected.

Good Luck,

Jan

I finished my herceptin treatment on 2/19/08.  I noticed today that the skin on my finger tips and toes is no longer cracking and peeling.

I hope my nails recover sometime in the next year.

I finished Herceptin 11/2006 and my fingers still split and my toes still look like I have a fungus. My dematologist told me to fill the split fingers with super glue, that it wouldnt hurt me and its cheaper than liquid bandaid. I give up on my feet.

dx 2/5/5 stage III 2 lymph nodes + Her2+

Penneyz

Hi all

 I always heard of the problem with nails and taxol.  My nails were a little thinner on the taxol but I didn't have the nail splitting problem I have now with the herceptin (I like the croissant analogy!).  It was during the summer, though, so my hands and nails always fare better in the warmer weather.   I had skin splitting until vacation a few weeks ago in the sunny carribean.  So the cure from finger pad splitting is a vacation! 

As a nurse practitioner I'm washing my hands constantly and figured it was a combination of the meds, cold winter and handwashing.  Now, however, my finger nails split into layers as soon as they get to the end of the finger.  It's very annoying.  Fortunately, my toes are fine.  I do get a pedicure once a month (I never get manicures) so I wonder if the nail polish is somewhat protective. 

It gets better. I had the cracked nails, skin, fungus on toenails, everything imaginable. I finished my year of Herceptin in early 2007 and my nails are back to normal and the skin is only as dry as it was before treatment. I used Tea Tree oil, Aquaphor, Bag Balm, you name it. Get something that smells good (sure ain't Tea Tree oil) and just know you're kicking cancer butt and will soon be back to that new normal. Really.



Anna

I get this too. I've found that putting polysporin on it with a band-aid for a couple of days helps. I've also read that dipping your split fingertip in yogurt (I kid you not) helps, since in many cases it's a fungus (haven't tried this one).

I finished Herceptin in January and my nails are all splitting and breaking.   Glad to know I am not alone.    Thought I was!

I guess that I am very lucky-I have been on Herceptin for 4 1/2 years and will be on it for life. I am Stage 4 with liver mets that have been in remission for 3 1/2 years (thanks to Herceptin).

Anywho, my nails split a bit along the sides, but they do best if I keep them short.

In most of the above cases, definitely Taxotere or Taxol will cause the major nail problems.

Denise

 Denise, just had to comment, you've been on herceptin for 4 and a half yrs. That sounds good to me , I have been on it for 2and a half,its helped me too, I have bone mets and he says I will be on it for the rest of my life. Some problems , my nails are awful , it is the herceptin [ didn't take taxol] . I think it is affecting me in other ways, but I don't want to get off it.

 Mary jo  I have never been on Taxol, but my nails have been a mess since I started on herceptin 2 and a half yrs. ago. they have split,my thumbs have cracked open,it hurts, can't use them for anything, my nails pull off and expose raw flesh. I had very strong nails and used them for everything.