Toenails sensitive...

[hutchibk]

So the last couple of days my big toe toenails have been tender in the corners kind of like in-grown toenails, which I thought it was. Then tonight I was at the first night of my 30 year high school reunion and one of my old classmates is a clinical research oncology nurse (small world). We talked about my world and her world, which have a LOT in common and I told her about my toenails. She said that it is an aspect of hand/foot syndrome, that she had a patient in the Tykerb/Xeloda trials last year who had that as her only hand/foot symptom, and after going to a podiatrist, etc, they finally realized that it was from the Xeloda and made her sit out a week or two for the irritation/infection to clear up, and when it did, they put her back on the meds and she proceeded with no probs. And to think I didn't want to even go to the reunion... LOL. So, she made me promise to tell my onc next week so that he can decide what to do. We learn something new everyday!

[doh2pa]

Gosh, Brenda I have the same thing on my left foot big toe and never associated it with the Hand Foot thing. After almost 3 months on this regimen, thought I had dodged that bullet! I am seeing my onc this week and will mention it. Not sure it's bad enough that I want to go off, but I'll see what he says. Let me know what your onc says too. What a kooky journey we are on!

Donna

[hutchibk]

Me too, Donna! I was bragging away about how few side effects I have, seemed to dodge most of the bullets! Then she asked me about my toes/toenails, if they were "lifting" - and I said "no, just a couple of in-grown toenails that had cropped up in the last week. Oops. She jumped on that and told me to get it checked out....here we go...

[OzzieSue]

Hi,
I've bben on t/x since beginning of Feb. In March I got my first split down the side of one of my toes. Gradually they have gotten worse. I now have a big toe that weeps down both sides and underneath and I think I will lose it, the other one is heading the same way. My x/t EAP Onc took me off Xeloda for half a cycle a while ago which cleared up a couple of my toes but did nothing for the big toes. She doesn't want to reduce the dose. I see my normal Onc in about a week and I think he will suggest I go off it for a while but because he is not involved in the EAP I'm not sure what will happen. My toes are very sensitive and its hard to wear shoes

[Catherine]

I am on Herceptin only. My right toe, the big one is always sore. No problem wearing sandals, but it hurts if I touch it or bump it. So glad you posted this. It is not really a problem, but if it signals something else I will tell my oncologist.

Toes Are Us, Catherine

[hutchibk]

I have been alternating between using aloe vera, tea tree oil and an ointment that rock climbers use to help deal with dry, cracked feet and hands called Climb On. The outside edges of my toenails are significantly better. Pretty much completely healed. I just finished a two week cycle of Xeloda and the right one is a little sensitive, but I will use one or all of the ointments and based on history the last few weeks, it will be all better in a couple of days.
Hope this helps. Here's the link for Climb On... http://www.climbonproducts.com/

[rentrac]

I am so relieved to find out I'm not the only one having the split skin problems. I'm no longer on Heceptin, but am on Tykerb and Xeloda. I'm in a newly started clinic and have to write multiple prescriptions a day by hand until we get an electronic system installed. Between flipping through charts and the writing, I'm looking either like a major Klutz with bandaids on all 6 bleeding finger tips, or like a beginner mummy if I use the thin paper tape to hold by fingers together! I'll take all the suggestions I can get! If it weren't for the tetracycline I was put on for the Tykerb acne, I'd have infected fingers as well. My toes have developed blisters. I've been babying them because I recall how awful they felt when I was on AC, and my skin is so dry and sensitive now that even my lymphedema sleeve caused a lovely ring of blisters around my upper arm every where the grips touched - not allergic rxn with swelling, redness, itching but just perfectly spaced little blisters. How odd!
Rentrac

[IRENE FROM TAMPA]

Brenda -

the hand/foot thing has been the worse side effect I have had while on this combo, which really sucks since it is a pretty easy to take.

A few months ago my onc. had to give me a break from the Xeloda for a month because I had severe cracking and splitting on my hands and feet. I cant wear closed in shoes at all and one day I wore a little pair of open toed heels that have always been very comfy, but they rubbed my little toe and wow, it looked like I had stuck it in a meat grinder. It was taking a while to heal so they decided to give me a break. Hopefully that is not what caused my marker to elevate but I had to do it in order to heal, which they did. It is the Xeloda believe me. But then again it is a good drug. Right now my thumbs hurt terribly from the dryness cracking.
Of it happens that I stay on the Xeloda, I will give that Climb on cream a try.

take care

[Sheila]

I had terrible cracked hands and feet from Xeloda...I had tried almost everything, even prescription creams...the only thing that helped me was Ahava cream...made in Israel from dead sea minerals....I found it at a TJ Maxx...you have to look and look, they get in the hand cream and foot cream and its gone...I also purchased from www.deadseaminerals.com (http://www.deadseaminerals.com)
It took quite a while to get it from Israel, so I ordered a bunch.

[weezie1053]

I was on a different regiment from most of you gals: AC, Taxol and now Herceptin. I had the splitting black and red nails. They got so bad, they were oozing funky stuff, and I had to be prescribed antibiotics. I lost 4 toenails, and they are finally growing back. Lately, I have noticed the cracked heels. My Onc said I'm a textbook for side affects, but it sounds like more patients have side affects than our docs are aware of.

Louise

[Bev]

Happy Reunion. Just went to my 30th. Had lots of fun. My nails are still splitting 2 years out but not bad. So inquire, need to know what's up to fix it. Best wishes, BB

[Leatha]

I had the same problem in the second - fourth rounds of Tykerb/Xeloda. It has resolved now. I have only taken one two-day chemo vacation, and have managed side-effects pretty well with healing touch and acupuncture. So glad the toenail problem resolved itself. I am in the fifth round now and am having significantly fewer side-effects and milder ones.

Thanks for your posting.
Leatha

[Leatha]

Oh, I forgot to mention something that made a big difference-- the oncology nurse suggested that I begin using lotion (like Aveena) on my hands and feet every night and put on socks and gloves. I have done this faithfully, and now my hands and feet are actually in better shape than "normal," though I notice that they being to dry out immediately if I stop the nightly regimen.