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Docetaxel finger nails

User
Posted 05 Mar 2023 at 15:53

Hello Everybody,


This is my first post. I was diagnosed last August with T3b N1 M01 metastatic to retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Gleason 5+4.


I finished 6 cycles of Docetaxel on 13th January and I’m onto my third RT session out of six (over 6 weeks) this week. Also been on Zoladex since last September.


My objective throughout has been to keep as fit as possible doing weight training and mountain biking. As a measure of physical wellbeing and maintenance, on the day of the first chemo I bench pressed 100kg and have been trying to reproduce that on day 1 of each cycle. This has been enhanced by the Dexamethasone intake – I can see why it’s an Olympic banned substance. I have also been swimming in the river every morning during the year. Whilst not at the level of Kevin Webber it’s been useful for me to have this approach and has kept me focussed mentally. Physical exercise is most definitely beneficial. Combined with the reduction of food intake due to the chemo taste effects. I’ve lost quite a lot of weight.


Chemo is a long haul and not very nice but if you set yourself physical and mental targets it makes it a whole deal more bearable.


I was, naturally, happy to get it out of the way and I think I escaped relatively lightly. But………….almost 2 months after chemo has finished, my finger nails are suffering badly. I had some indication during the last two cycles that this might be on the agenda but I thought I might just escape. I had been moisturising them and looking after them but it hasn’t worked out.


In terms of severity of symptoms, my fingers/hands are like mirror images of each other. Thumbs least affected, with ring fingers and the middle fingers the worst. On both hands, the latter two appear to be well on their way to falling off. Sometimes they ooze pus (nice) or serum and they hurt a little. They are also detached in parts but not so completely that I can remove them and let them get replaced.


Has anybody else who has had similar got advice on how to deal with them? Should I attempt to remove them? Just keep clipping bits off wherever I can? Go to the GP?


Any advice is greatly appreciated.


Thanks,


Steve

User
Posted 06 Mar 2023 at 00:05

Hi Steve 
Sorry to hear about your nails, my OH has just finished 6 cycles of Docetaxel, I put poly balm on his nails everyday the week before Chemo and it seems to have worked.  His nails have been ok .  Not sure if it will help repair your nails ?


tracey 

Tracey 

User
Posted 06 Mar 2023 at 10:22

A member of one of the local support groups used Polybalm. It was out of stock and he missed it for the first chemo session which caused a little damage, but no more was done through the rest of the sessions while he was using it.


Not sure if Polybalm will do much after the event. Although it was specifically designed for chemo, people have found it works for other conditions which damage nails too, so there might be some benefit, but if they're substantially damaged, it may just be a question of waiting for them to fall off and new growth. You could ask your doctor for a referral to a dermatologist or a podiatrist who deals with fingernails, particularly if you think you have any infections.

User
Posted 06 Mar 2023 at 10:51

Thanks both for the info about the Polybalm. It looks really useful and effective. In view of the damage that can be done, I'm surprised that this product wasn't mentioned by the chemo support staff. I read up about the effects of chemo on nails and thought I had it covered but alas, not.


I think my nails are beyond salvation, unfortunately and it's just a question of managing the damage and removing the affected parts in the most efficient manner.

User
Posted 06 Mar 2023 at 20:18
Hi Steve. I had the same issues back in 2020 when I had 6 cycles of Docataxel. The side effects continued long after the chem ended, and most of my finger nails fell out (all of my toe nails fell out), but they did recover - it took a while, but one year after the chemo started my hands and finger nails had fully recovered. My toe nails have not been so fortunate, but they have made some sort of recovery and they are growing. Give it time.
Dean
User
Posted 08 Mar 2023 at 14:37

Hi Steve, I had six cycles of Docetaxel, last one on 24th October '22.  My finger nails have six wavy lines running across them - looks a bit like a sandy beach at low tide.  Toenails the same, except that I've had half of each big toenail bloodlessly removed as they started to detach; fungal nail has also been an issue. 


Plenty of other side effects of course!

User
Posted 08 Mar 2023 at 15:14

Hi,


 


That's interesting, I have the same issue with my nails. The GP wasn't interested or offer any explanation. The thing is I haven't had chemo, only RT and HT.


 


 


Steve.

User
Posted 09 Mar 2023 at 12:27

Thanks Dean


I went to the GP yesterday and was prescribed penicillin for 7 days. It will hopefully quell the infection (if that's what it is) but it's not going to save the nails. I'd expect that they'll possibly get infected again anyway as it's really difficult to avoid water going down the nail/nail bed void that's occurring.


Did your individual nails just fall off in one go or did each of them cling on by small bits or break off gradually?


 

User
Posted 09 Mar 2023 at 12:30

Hi Stew,


It sounds like you've been relatively lucky with the nails.


Fungal nail on your toes or fingers?


I had fungal nail on my toes and they were a mess anyway but ironically, that seems to have been getting better since chemo and they don't actually hurt like my fingers do.

User
Posted 13 Mar 2023 at 18:45
Finger nails and toe nails just gradually fell out, one by one. Not a major issues bearing in mind what else was going on at the time. Fingers recovered, but toes - not so well. Have had fungal problems with toe nails in past, but chemo didn't seem to make much difference.
User
Posted 16 Apr 2023 at 11:56

Hi Steve, sorry about the delay replying.


Fungal nail only on my toes thank goodness.  And only half of each big toe nail detaching as well.


My finger nails are growing out now, but where the ridges are they are slightly delaminating.

User
Posted 16 Apr 2023 at 12:19

Thanks Stew


My fingernails are actually coming on a lot better than I'd anticipated. They didn't fall off in the end and have kept on growing. They now look like they've got very extended white tip zones.

 
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