This is a heads up for those that didn't know. I have stripes in my fingernails, assumed it was chemo and I was right. My big toenails have recently turned blueish purple so I mentioned it to oncology. That's right another gift from chemo. The party that lasts forever( last treatment today, WOO HOO!!!!). Well the Dr. informed me the nails will most likely lift from my skin and fall off. I can also go to foot Dr and have them removed. Google search said be extra cautious of infection and chemicals like nail polish. Infection on the cancer side can cause lymphedema.
I'd finished my chemo, my eyelashes & eyebrows were growing again when I felt a bit of a 'pop' on a couple of my nails, I removed my nail polish & sure enough they'd parted from the nail bed about half way down, over the next few days more loosened, 7 in total, for me it was The Final Insult!
But I persevered, had them filed shorter to make them less vulnerable, found a few use for my now defunct hairdryer to dry behind them after a shower, kept them polished & increased my use of nail oil to condition them. It's taken three months but as they've grown they have adhered to the nail bed.
My toe nails went very dark & I have a 'chemo ridge' but the new nail growing up is pink! I could not however wear a full shoe & sported open toed shoes through the winter as one previously injured toe nail became very soft & painful but that too is improving!
Hope you don't loose any nails & that you are making good progress
Here in Australia we are given cold mitts to wear during chemo, so our nails don't fall out and they tell us that wearing nail polish helps prevent toenail loss too. I did the cold mitts and no nail issues ensued after four sessions of chemo.
Hi Kathy. Yes I'm afraid that I have the lovely bluish nails too but they stay like it for months and won't necessarily fall out but grow out so I wouldn't rush to have them removed.
My toe nails fell off completely it felt like there was no warning they seem to all fall off one morning. I was lucky to be able to go to the chiropidist at the the Calman centre (its at Gartnavel hospital) she was reassuring and helped me when they grow back.
I finished FEC-T chemo in April 2014 then had 15 rads finishing in July 2014. After that, over a period of time, 10 nails came away and then regrew. I was on Tamoxifen after that, and my nails have been brittle, discoloured and ridged ever since. Very unsightly. So I religiously manicure them. Polish out the ridges then paint them. I was switched to anastrozole around October last year, and now I can say they look "better". The discolouration has gone and the ridges are less noticeable. Still very brittle though.
No, it doesn't hurt, but it feels unpleasant. Once I realised a nail was lifting, I put a plaster round it so I couldn't catch it on anything, then it would come away inside the plaster. Stock up on packs of waterproof plasters that include fingertip plasters x
I do Kathy. I look at every single thing now. My food is costing the earth for half as much! However in this instance, with the nail polish, I thought the benefits outweighed the negatives for me anyway.
Yep to all the symptoms 😜😜😜 my little toe nails on both feet fell off last week - the good news was new nails had already grown beneath the chemo fried nails. Same is happening to big toes too. Then as a topping on the cake my eyebrows followed suit - Radiotherapy starts for me next week and my CMF chemo runs parallel to it too ... Oh the joys 🙄 Laughter is definitely the best medicine😜😜😜😂😂😂
I know exactly how you feel . My fingernails turned black and developed ridges but they never fell off ,my toe nails also turned black and the 2 big ones fell off and again was a surprise to me as wasnt told this could happen . My chemo ended last July and herceptin 3 weeks ago and only now are they starting to look a bit "normal".
I'm 5 yrs post chemo and a few of my toe nails fell off but I was warned. Most are ok now except both my big toes do not grow upwards, they just get thicker and have to be filed down by chiropodist. Yes, the joys! But we are still here.
Yes I can relate had my last chemo, Docetaxil yesterday Woop, Woop and mentioned ridges, stripes and nails disintegrating on hands, and with feet, skin in's dropping away around my nails and under my feet. A common side aspect apparently, so was given a tub of aqueous to liberally cover areas. It is feeling smoother already.
I started putting refined organic coconut oil on my feet for a different issue. It took away that skin that made it look like my toe was falling off. That was a bonus☺️
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Likely secondary cancer but no information
I'm new here and feeling blessed
ILC: Double Mastectomy-all breast tissue removed - Pathology showed positive margins.
Tamoxifen v Acid Reflux
