acute paronychia from erbitux

blackswampboy
blackswampboy Member Posts: 341
in Head and Neck Cancer #1
for those who care about such medical geeky things, I've just learned the technical name for the dreaded "erbitux nails". also sometimes known as "felon" or "whitlow".
did a search of these boards for "paronychia", and didn't get a single hit, lol. my docs didn't give it a name either.
but there's actually quite a bit of online info about it, once you have a name.

my treatment included doxycycline and keflex.

here's hoping ya'll don't get it.

Comments

  • jtl
    jtl Member Posts: 456
    #2
    Erbitux
    The only reaction I had to Erbitux was acne for a couple of weeks in the early stages of treatment. I did read about the issues with nails and I also thought ingrown toenails could also be a problem. Glad I missed that event.
    John
  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #3
    Erbitux
    Not sure if that is specific to Erbitux, I didn't have the symptom or Erbitux.

    But one of the three that I had (Cisplatin, Taxotere and 5FU), made all of my toe nails fall off.

    I lost all (totally all) hair after the first or second big doses, then it slowly started back, even though I was still having chemo.

    I lost all of my toe nails, and when I would trim my finger nails, the entire end piece of the nail would break off.

    JG
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #4
    ERBITUX BLUES
    I had the body acne so bad that when a pustule was sent to the lab for testing, it came back for staph. I was givien bactrin for ten days, amd all the zits completely dried up. I saw the dermatoligist today and he prescribed me a 5% benzoyl peroxide body wash to be used once every three days, and if need be the bacrrin again as needed. I have had a big problem with my skin on my fingertips splitting open, and cuts and raw spots on my hands seem to tale 2-3 months to try to heal. He told me next time my skin splits, place a drop of superglue in the wound and pull it togehter and hold for 30 seconds and it works much better than liqid skin or liquid bandais for 1/10 the price and will not cause wound infection.

    maybe I can be the next Crazy Glue Commercial??

    Mike
  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #5
    luv4lacrosse said:

    ERBITUX BLUES
    I had the body acne so bad that when a pustule was sent to the lab for testing, it came back for staph. I was givien bactrin for ten days, amd all the zits completely dried up. I saw the dermatoligist today and he prescribed me a 5% benzoyl peroxide body wash to be used once every three days, and if need be the bacrrin again as needed. I have had a big problem with my skin on my fingertips splitting open, and cuts and raw spots on my hands seem to tale 2-3 months to try to heal. He told me next time my skin splits, place a drop of superglue in the wound and pull it togehter and hold for 30 seconds and it works much better than liqid skin or liquid bandais for 1/10 the price and will not cause wound infection.

    maybe I can be the next Crazy Glue Commercial??

    Mike

    fissures
    I got them on my fingertips, but the worst ones were on my heels. Dang they gave me trouble walking. Finally started wearing some special booties to bed, with a gel lining. They healed the fissures quickly.

    Pat
  • CivilMatt
    CivilMatt Member Posts: 4,724 Member
    #6
    funny name
    BSB,

    My big toenail finally jumped ship a couple of weeks ago. I also had the cracked fingers around the nails and went through a lot of liquid band-aid (super glues cousin). At 9 months post I still have freckling on my shoulders and back from all the acne, but the skin is smooth.

    Best,

    Matt
  • luv4lacrosse
    luv4lacrosse Member Posts: 1,410 Member
    #7
    IN GROWN NAILS

    I am experiencing getting ingrown nails without biting them down to the quick or cutting my toenails wrong. Not sure why this happens, but it is what it is. I did get a good tip from the APN that works at the chemo traetment center. Soak the effected foot or hand in warm water and bleach for 10-20 minutes. 1 part bleach to 3 parts water. ONE WARNING, as I just learned the hard way. The solution did dry up and relieve the bright red and painfull ingrown nail on my right foot, but I now have severe burns on both of my feet that resembles a severe sunburn one would get on the tops of your feet. Not sure if a chemical burn from the blrach or the water was too hot.

    Any treatment advice for my fingertips that look like skin that is shriveled up after staying in water for too long. All of my fingertops look like dried up prunes, leathery,almost too painfull to even press the buttons on my TV remote, and crack and split of I pick up things wrong.

     

    Mike

  • longtermsurvivor
    longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,842 Member
    #8
    luv4lacrosse said:

    IN GROWN NAILS

    I am experiencing getting ingrown nails without biting them down to the quick or cutting my toenails wrong. Not sure why this happens, but it is what it is. I did get a good tip from the APN that works at the chemo traetment center. Soak the effected foot or hand in warm water and bleach for 10-20 minutes. 1 part bleach to 3 parts water. ONE WARNING, as I just learned the hard way. The solution did dry up and relieve the bright red and painfull ingrown nail on my right foot, but I now have severe burns on both of my feet that resembles a severe sunburn one would get on the tops of your feet. Not sure if a chemical burn from the blrach or the water was too hot.

    Any treatment advice for my fingertips that look like skin that is shriveled up after staying in water for too long. All of my fingertops look like dried up prunes, leathery,almost too painfull to even press the buttons on my TV remote, and crack and split of I pick up things wrong.

     

    Mike

    Mike

    Merry Xmas to you.  My fingertips did that on Erbitux, and the longer I was on, the worse it seemed to get.  The trick that worked for me was to just slather the finger tips with vaseline and put my hand inside those white occlusion gloves, which I wore at night for many weeks.  It took a handful of days to heal the fissures, but it did.  I then stopped wearing the gloves, and resumed when the fissures reappeared.  Which they always did in a week or so.  But this trick does work, and it is the only thing I found that really helped.

     

    Pat

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #9
    luv4lacrosse said:

    IN GROWN NAILS

    I am experiencing getting ingrown nails without biting them down to the quick or cutting my toenails wrong. Not sure why this happens, but it is what it is. I did get a good tip from the APN that works at the chemo traetment center. Soak the effected foot or hand in warm water and bleach for 10-20 minutes. 1 part bleach to 3 parts water. ONE WARNING, as I just learned the hard way. The solution did dry up and relieve the bright red and painfull ingrown nail on my right foot, but I now have severe burns on both of my feet that resembles a severe sunburn one would get on the tops of your feet. Not sure if a chemical burn from the blrach or the water was too hot.

    Any treatment advice for my fingertips that look like skin that is shriveled up after staying in water for too long. All of my fingertops look like dried up prunes, leathery,almost too painfull to even press the buttons on my TV remote, and crack and split of I pick up things wrong.

     

    Mike

    O'Keeffee's Working Hands
    Mike, I'm not sure if this stuff works from expereince, but I have heard a few good things about it...

    O'Keeffee's Working Hands

    You can get it at places like Lowes, Home Depot, Target...

    It might be worth a try...

    Best,
    John

Discussion Boards