Did anyone else have a problem with their nails 7 months after the last dose of taxotere? I have one finger nail badly affected, the nail has mostly lifted away from the nail bed and the whole tip of the finger is slightly swollen. I have taken to using a plaster over the nail, which somehow relieves the pressure and I keep it very short. I have made an appointment with the GP for Wednesday as it’s been like this for a couple weeks.
Did anyone else have anything like this?
take care Pauline
Hi Pauline
I can’t answer for that much after, but I’ve had 2 TAX and my toe nails were really sore after the first, this time it’s the fingernails, which are all dark at the base. Did you have any problems whilst you were having the TAX?
It is quite a long time after your TAX - havr you got an infection under the nail perhaps?
Hope your GP can help
Kinden
x
I think basically the Tax is fixing your body from the inside out so finger nails tend to get weakened. Mine all went brittle and looked terrible thoughthey did not fall out. Im not sure if nail polish helps. I have seen fellow tax patients weraing it.
I finished Tax in June 2007, all the way through I applied nail creams and hardeners religiously. However, the nail on my wedding finger kept trying to lift away at the edges and I now have to keep it very short as it is ridged and keeps trying to split up the centre. I have to keep filing the bit where it’s trying to split. Didn’t have very good nails before Tax and they are worse now.
Kinden
The nail pads felt tender whilst on Tax I had 4x (ie the but just under the cuticles). They were fine throughout treatment and then some of the started to lift away from the nail beds. All but one have righted themselves. But this final one is the problem with the nail white about 80% of the way down and skin under the remaining nail looking discoloured. It is on my mast. arm so I’m keen not to reduce the lymphodeama risk.
thanks Pauline
Hi Pauline
I had three tax after three FEC. Finished in October 2007. I lost all my fingernails and most of my toe nails too. The worst was after the tax had finished. Don’t dare look much at toe nails now but the finger nails still get half way reasonable and then split. The worst thing is worrying about the cosmetic rather than the medical in all this!
Good luck
Dilys
Hi, i too lost all my fingernails and one big toe nail
Hi Pauline
Am 6 months post tax and while the ridges on my fingernails have almost grown out (they snapped off short just as they lost the support of the nail bed) realise that my big toe nail is looking as if it may part company with thew rest of the nail across the last ridges. My Onc said that the ridges coincided with the developing nail being affected in the nail bed with each dose of tax. Could see all three ridges on my finger nails. Given how fast nails grow this would explain why we are only seeing the results now.
Don’t know what to advise with a fingernail but I have a friendly chiropodist who looked at my feet and just said “taxanes???”. He has cut my nails regularly to reduce the damage.
Strangely the big toe did the same 12 years ago after a series of major surgery (it grew back o.k. eventually
Lv C
I am currently having problems with one big toe nail, 12 months after finishing tax. I have ridges on both big toe nails that are taking forever to grow out. One isn’t causing a problem, but the other I think is now in-growing and my big toe is very tender to the touch, and hurts like hell if I knock it.
I finished tax July 06, I at last have 10 even strong fingernails, however 2 big toe nails still tend to be tender depending on what shoes or trainers I wear.
I kept nails during treatment as applied dark nail varnish, however they were tender and I couldn’t even open a tin of beans some days, I have just kept applying nail strengthner and kept clipping, finally its now paid off.
Debbie
Hi,
I finished 4 x Taxotere in April and I found my nail beds were very sensitive and extremely sore if I knocked them. I lost 2 small toenails but they have returned and my nails looked like I had some hideous fungal problem! Once they have lifted off they are less painful and they might grow out or peel and snap off. Don’t worry too much, 6 months on and they are slowly returning to looking normal,
PinkPip
I finished taxotere May2007.My big toe nails dropped off completely and fingernails developed ridges.No soreness though numbness in toes and fingertips.Only numbness left now,nails are all fine.Vx
Thanks everyone
I did go the doctors who didn’t think I had an infection but I do have one nail which looks as though it has a horrible fungal infection. And it’s hanging on - just.
It’s just so odd that only one nail on my hands has been affected so much and another one in a very minor way, the rest of the nails look great as I’ve been looking after them so well.
P
Hi ladies, my nails suffered they were about 40% white 20% black then normal to the cuticle, cleaned them out regular and took combination tissue salts for brittle nails and falling hair all nails are nearly back to normal appart from a few ridges . Could be a placibo but sure it made hair growth faster aswell!
Last taxotere was april.
jinpip xx