Thanks again everyone for good advice. All my finger nails are off now but surprisingly after first one the rest just came off in various manners with no pain. It is difficult though pulling ring cans Lanterna. I dropped some money in the q at the garage the other night and found it very difficult to pick the money up - don’t know what the people thought of me! (Can’t scratch anything properly).
Last Friday after a nice foot spa my toenails started to come off - no pain though. My problem at the moment is swollen ankles and feet 7 weeks after last chemo, although they are not as bad as they were a few weeks ago. Unfortunately I can’t wear proper shoes yet - I am still wearing summer sandals and with winter setting in I don’t know what I am going to do. Any advice please?
I do sympathise. I’ve had the last of 6 Taxotere. 4 fingernails gone, for the rest I think it’s just a matter of time!
I’ve had trouble with swollen feet and ankles (and fingers, stomach and other bits, too). I did manage to get my GP to prescribe a diuretic - 60mg of slow release frusemide. The hospital then told me to go easy with them, ie not to take them all the time as they can, coupled with the chemotherapy, upset the electrolyte balance of your blood (apparently). So…I’ve only used them when I’ve been desperate, such as when I needed to get outdoor shoes on! District nurse also suggested the obvious (which bird brain here hadn’t thought of), which was elevating legs and ankles as much and as often as possible. Finally, I understand that the more you can drink, the better, as it stimulates the kidneys to work more efficiently.
Take heart, the nails will come off but they’ll then come back - it’s all a temporary situation. I bought those finger stalls from the chemist, and cotton gloves from the chemist. Found they helped enormously. Can’t remember what I did about the toe nails that came out. Just got on with it, I suppose.
I finished my Tax 6 weeks ago and my nails have been terribly painful, but not yet fallen off.I was scratching my nose last night ( not picking honest!!!) and noticed that one of my nails smells, is this ok do you think
or should I see my doc?
I was advised by a Natrapath that if you juice celery and a little bit of parsley that it will help with the water retention. I have tried it and my legs are back to normal.
My legs have been quite a bit better since they reduced the dose of taxotere slightly. Ankles still puffy, but I can get my shoes on and get out for a walk, which of course, helps the swelling, too.
Re: the smelly fingernail, I had one like that, too and I think others on this site have, too. I think it is a localised infection. Mine smelt a lot better after I had dibbled my fingers in a weak bleach solution for about 30 seconds twice a day, if that’s any help.
Just read this thread with interest as my pinky fingernail has started to go white and looks like it might come off. I had final tax 14 days ago. I hadn’t made the connection that it was chemo related until reading this!
May I ask why dark polish is reccomended? Is it to hide the funny looking nails and make the surfaces smooth or does it prevent them coming off in some way?
Hi Jimmy - my oncologist told me that taxotere makes your nails sensitive to the light, so that is why he recommends using dark nail polish. Don’t know how long after completement of treatment this would work for - I have my last dose due in 3 weeks, so will be interested to find out.
As I understand it, the chemotherapy makes your nails very sensitive to sunlight and painting them a dark colour is supposed to help to protect them from the damage which can be caused. Whether it helps to stop them falling off, I don’t know. I painted mine gothic purple AND I wore the ice mittens and ice slippers that they gave me at the hospital and I have lost 6 out of 10 fingernails (but some people seem to be OK) - BTW, my fingernails went white before they dropped off, too. Mind you, I did have 6 Taxotere (just finished the last one), perhaps if you have less, you have more chance of keeping your nails?
My fingernails smelt, I wanted to dip them in a solution of TCP but the pharmacist advised against it saying it was too harsh.She suggested bathing them in warm salt water. I asked my onc about it as I thought I’d got fungal infection and he said it was just bacteria under the nail. I started using an anti bacterial hand solution on my nails as well-it makes them smell nicer (I cant stop smelling them). I must say they have been a lot better in the last 2 weeks.
Isn’t it all disgusting? In the end I hated my nails being like that more than I hated being bald. But just to reassure everyone that it really does pass, and they do come back eventually. Even if a bit flaky.
I’m off to rummage and see if I have a nice dark polish and if not I’m off to Boots for polish and anti bacterial hand solution as SueChesire suggested!