Hi
Silly, vain question but I have been reading about how nails suffer when on Tax, (I’m due to start in a few weeks time). Would like to know if anyone thinks it’s a good idea to have false ones put on beforehand and why do people paint them with a dark colour?
Sorry for the very daft question, and I feel a bit silly asking it but I can’t find any info about it in any leaflets (and I dare not google ‘what are side effects of tax’ on internet).
Thanks all.
Rachel.
Hi Pinkrose
I was told the dark colour is because the Tax is sensitive to the light and can make them worse.
Can’t help with the false ones as never had them, they just say your nails can get brittle and to look after them.
Cat
Hello
My nails suffered badly on ACx4 - detached from nail bed, yellow/brown, sore, generally looked pretty bad. But they didn’t suffer on Tax at all - in fact, they started to recover - so it’s not enevitable.
Still, well worth painting them dark to see if you can preserve them. By the time I painted mine on AC (wasn’t expecting bad nails as not a listed SE) it was too late and they were so warped they looked worse with colour on as they were so obvious. So paint before you start, or get some false ones on, and see if you get away with it.
Best of luck. xxxx
Hi Rachel
The BCC publication about Taxol contains some information about side effects to nails, you can read or order a copy here:
breastcancercare.org.uk/upload/pdf/Taxol_ERJ.pdf
Best wishes
Lucy
I just got ridges in my nails on Tax, nothing too bad.
Lesley
I asked my chemo nurse about using nail varnish, as I wasn’t sure if it was ‘true’! She told me it was an extremely good idea, and that the latest literature with Docetaxel mentioned using dark nail varnish. It’s to hide the nail bed from sunlight, as far as I can work out. I’m certainly going to use dark nail varnish, and nail hardener - it’s got to be worth a try for such a small outlay.
False nails are prob. not such a good idea, as they weaken your existing nails - and you don’t want to be doing anything to increase that! Keeping your fingertips in ice cold water, or using freezer packs may also help, not only with preserving nails, but also against peripheral neuropathy (nerve tingling etc in fingertips).
Sophie xx
Hi Girls.
I didn’t have Tax so can’t comment on that. However I’ve had long fake tallons for years. They don’t really weaken healthy nails so much. Nails feel weak compared to the very strong fake ones. Using Solar oil helps healthy nails to grow. There are alternatives to fake fake now. Shelack (not sure that’s right spelling) is a coloured coating that makes nails look fab. Also gels which strengthen nails.
Important thing to remember is choose nail technician carefully Hygene should be of a very high standard. She shouldn’t catch or cut cuticals because that can introduce infection. That’s a risk for those of use without lymph glands. She shouldn’t File into the natural nails as this causes weakness and ridges.
The best way to find good technicians can be trial and error unfortunatley. But you can’t beat personal recomendation. If you see someone with fabulous nails ask who does them.
Hope this is useful.
Chinook.
Hello there,
my nails went black during Tax, and with ridges and very weak - my nurse belatedly told me its to do with light sensitivity and to put dark nail varnish on but to ask in the shop if its light excluding cos even some of the dark ones aren’t. I think the black is very unusual as none of the nurses had seen it before and they took pics for training, so hopefully you will avoid it.
I ended up wearing nail varnish for months - now nails looking good, 5 and a half months later!
bw, Nicola