black toe nails

kit kat
kit kat Member Posts: 56
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I finished my 3rd round of chemo, I looked down at my toe nail and the left one looks black at the cuticle. The right one has a black spot. Does this mean it is about to fall off. And is there something I can do now to save it? Can I use a nail hardener?

Comments

  • sweetvickid
    sweetvickid Member Posts: 459 Member
    #2
    you can't save them
    they let go at the cuticle bed so my pharmacy told me. I lost everyone be my big toe nails. Which were the worse looking ones!
  • jackiejhm
    jackiejhm Member Posts: 169
    #3
    I hadthe same awful experience...
    I just trimmed them as far back as I could...and wore socks to hide them. It's yucky, but, they do grow back. Hang in there! xoxo, Jackie
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #4
    jackiejhm said:

    I hadthe same awful experience...
    I just trimmed them as far back as I could...and wore socks to hide them. It's yucky, but, they do grow back. Hang in there! xoxo, Jackie

    I got some brown spots on my
    I got some brown spots on my big toe nails, and fingers. none of my toe nails fell out.
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #5
    carkris said:

    I got some brown spots on my
    I got some brown spots on my big toe nails, and fingers. none of my toe nails fell out.

    Yes . ..your toe nails will be coming off ...
    they do grow back, it takes months! It's an ugly side effort to chemo drugs taxol, or taxotere ..and some others.

    Please protect your toes with cotton attire (socks), after nail falls off ... don't pick it off - be care when wearing closed shoes .. as your nail bead is raw, and may bleed by the pressure of hitting against the top of closed shoes.

    Good Luck .. tea tree oil, or aloe vera can help before the nail falls off.


    Vicki Sam
  • chenheart
    chenheart Member Posts: 5,159 Member
    #6
    So sorry this is happening
    So sorry this is happening to you~ it happened to me too! I lost a few toenails along the chemo trail~ it is not unusual at all. And just as babying the hair on our heads can't stop it from falling out, ditto toenails. The reason is (in a simple nutshell) is that this is an internal reaction~nothing external can change what is happening inside of our bodies. It is another indignity of this damnable beast~ but also a temporary one!

    Hugs,
    Chen♥
  • chriskaput
    chriskaput Member Posts: 109
    #7
    nails
    I was told by my onc. to put your hands and feel in ice while you are having your treatments that it would help the chemo not reach your finger tips and possible help with any numbness you may have. I have yet to try it, I have nail pain now while on Taxol but noindication of them falling off or cuticle issues. Two nails are discolored but I just used a dark nailpolish to cover them.
    good luck and all the best!
    Chris, NY
  • cavediver
    cavediver Member Posts: 607
    #8
    I get the dark spots on my
    I get the dark spots on my toenails...and on the large toe it gets totally dark....but so far they have not lifted or fallen off. I have finished 7 rounds of TAC chemo, so I think they are staying on.....just look not so attractive. But that is a minor side effect for me....my fingernails just get a lot of ridges and 'moons'... no pain, so I ignore both these issues. But, I understand if they do fall out....they will grow back! As long as the cancer does not come back,..it is worth it... right?!!!!
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #9
    cavediver said:

    I get the dark spots on my
    I get the dark spots on my toenails...and on the large toe it gets totally dark....but so far they have not lifted or fallen off. I have finished 7 rounds of TAC chemo, so I think they are staying on.....just look not so attractive. But that is a minor side effect for me....my fingernails just get a lot of ridges and 'moons'... no pain, so I ignore both these issues. But, I understand if they do fall out....they will grow back! As long as the cancer does not come back,..it is worth it... right?!!!!

    Chris .. Never heard of the Ice after treatment ...
    Thank you for that suggestions ...


    Vicki Sam
  • Hubby
    Hubby Member Posts: 325
    #10
    VickiSam said:

    Chris .. Never heard of the Ice after treatment ...
    Thank you for that suggestions ...


    Vicki Sam

    Not all oncologists will allow the ice
    Donna wanted to use the ice for her feet and hands, and her oncologist does not want her to. He says that it hasn't been studied, and he doesn't want to restrict the chemo drugs from going anyplace in the body.

    I guess he thinks a cancer cell may be hiding out in her little toe or something.

    Bob
  • cindycflynn
    cindycflynn Member Posts: 1,132 Member
    #11
    Hubby said:

    Not all oncologists will allow the ice
    Donna wanted to use the ice for her feet and hands, and her oncologist does not want her to. He says that it hasn't been studied, and he doesn't want to restrict the chemo drugs from going anyplace in the body.

    I guess he thinks a cancer cell may be hiding out in her little toe or something.

    Bob

    That's what my oncologist said too
    when I asked her about wearing a "cool cap", which is basically an ice cap you can wear on your head that is supposed to keep your hair from falling out. I'd heard about it from a friend whose sister went through chemo and she never lost her hair, but when I asked my onco about it she said that she wanted to make sure the chemo wasn't restricted from any part of my body, so I just dealt with the hair loss - it is finally coming back!
  • Mama G
    Mama G Member Posts: 762
    #12
    cindycflynn said:

    That's what my oncologist said too
    when I asked her about wearing a "cool cap", which is basically an ice cap you can wear on your head that is supposed to keep your hair from falling out. I'd heard about it from a friend whose sister went through chemo and she never lost her hair, but when I asked my onco about it she said that she wanted to make sure the chemo wasn't restricted from any part of my body, so I just dealt with the hair loss - it is finally coming back!

    I have ONE large toe nail that turned black
    I just covered it with nail polish and forgot about it until the polish wore off. It doesn't seem to be in any danger of falling off, though. It's been about 6 months....
  • linpsu
    linpsu Member Posts: 747
    #13
    toenails
    Mine didn't start to fall off until after I had completed all 8 rounds of chemo (4 A/C & 4 Taxol) . I had some black spots prior, though.
    Linda
  • cahjah75
    cahjah75 Member Posts: 2,631
    #14
    linpsu said:

    toenails
    Mine didn't start to fall off until after I had completed all 8 rounds of chemo (4 A/C & 4 Taxol) . I had some black spots prior, though.
    Linda

    The onco nurse
    checks my nails every week when I go for CBC evaluations. So far my nails are still growing well enough that I've had to cut them. Of course, I just had my 2nd chemo today so who knows what will happen tomorrow! If they turn black, I'll deal with it. So sorry to hear you're dealing with this though.
    {{hugs}} Char

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