Taxotere and nails

[Terri]

I have what probably seems like a silly vain question. I've just started Taxotere for a second recurrence, and the nurse told me I might lose my fingernails and toenails. ACKKKK! This upsets me more than losing my hair. LOL. One of my friends said she soaked her nails in ice chips during the infusion, and she did not lose them. Any thoughts to this? I also have gels, which are like acrylic nails. Should I have them taken off? Vanity, vanity.

[Colleen]

Terri,
My Mom just started on Taxol yesterday and they told her she might lose her nails as well. The nurse suggested rubbing Tea Tree oil on them. I'm sure you could get this at a health food store or maybe even Walmart.I guess it has an odd smell,but it might be worth it. Good luck and God Bless.

[Patty H]

I just finished 4 months of the weekly taxotere and I didn't lose my nails. I also had the the three week kind in 2000 and didn't lose my nails then either, I wear the arcilic kind off and on and never had problem with them either. I think they just have to warn you about anything that could happen. I lost my hair on the three week taxotere but I didn't lose it on the weekly kind. Just a lot of thinning. Patty H

[Lori]

I was on Taxotere and never lost my nails. One of my thumbnails got a little yellow and ridged, but other than that - no problems. I was on the 2-week cycle. Good luck to you!

[Elisabeth]

I just finished my 3rd cylcle of weekly taxotere, my nail beds of have a lot of white spots on them and at times they are sensitive but no loss of nails yet. I met a gal at clinic who has been on it since last summer, no problems with her nails either, good luck
Elisabeth

[Ron]

Terry,

Try anything you are comfortable with, who knows you may or may not lose them. It is a possibility. Many people do not lose them, Cyndi's doc said she was only the second patient he had seen that lost them all. So, perhaps you will not. The weird part though is that Cyndi's did not actually come off but lifted from the nail-bed then started growing again. It looks like she has a really really BAD french manicure.

Cyndi sez... The best part is now she has a reason not to wear pantyhose, and nobody wants her to cook!! I hope you keep yours though.

God Bless You,
ron

[Kim]

I had all my nails effected by the taxotere. They did not actually fall off. First they started to change their shape, they they got bruised and painful underneath and then the top 2/3 lifted away from the nail bed.
When I first heard this could happen it was the thing I feared more than loosing my hair too, but appearance wise it has not really bothered me. Although it has been painful and I have had to trim some of the nails about half way back because they rounded down on the top and were digging into my finger tips.
Personally I would leave the false nails on until you have reason to take them off.
As prevention I would be more inclined to think the ice would help over rubbing something into the nail because what happens is from underneath the nail.
I don't know of anyone else here who had this happen either, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Kim

[Bonnie]

I will have my last dose of Taxotere next week. My nail beds did become bruised and sore but so far no lifting or bulging. The nurses told me right away to be careful with my nails and to protect them with something like Sally Hansen Hard as Nails. They have come out with Hard as Nails with Teflon and that's what I've used and it stays on longer than anything I've ever used. They also prescribed Neurontin which has helped with the pain in the fingernails. The pain was not that great but noticable. However, I do have numbness in my fingertips. I don't know if Neurontin has helped with the numbness but it hasn't gotten any worse.

Bonnie

[lauren]

I never lost my nails on taxotere. But they did become bumpy and ridgy. Now they are fine!

[Tmp]

Hi -- I'm currently on weekly taxotere. My nails started lifting whne I was on Taxol and have continued to do the same on Taxotere. I agree with the poster who said it looks like I have a really bad french manicure. They haven't fallen off, but have lifted quite a bit. I've trimmed them down a lot so they wouldn't catch on seomthing and tear Sometimes I paint them with bright colored polish. Its a pain, but worth it if it works. Hopefully, this won't happen to you. Remember these drugs work individually, not all of us get the same side effects. Best of luck to you!

[Lauren]

Seems I was one of the few who had very little reaction to taxotere in my nails...and I am going to take a flyer here and theorize that the reason is that my nails are VERY short. I never had long nails, and truth be told, I had a habit of biting them to the quick...until recently ???ashamed grin>.

My advice to you would be to file down your nails to just at the tips of your fingers. That should put less stress on your nailbeds.

Then when you are about three months out of the taxotere, your nails should be strong enough again to grow them longer....

best of luck,

Lauren

[Bonnie]

I think your theory might be good, to not put stress on your nails if they are long. In fact, I was told to keep my nails short. However, I've always had short nails and I still had a small degree of pain and bruising.

Bonnie

[Judy Krak]

Hate to say it ladies but...I didn't begin to lose my nails until 7 weeks AFTER my last taxotere. The rads. thought I was going to keep them:-) Eventually I lost all finger nails and just lost the last of the toe nails last week! My last tax. was Nov. 7th!!! The good news...they are growing back nicer than they were before:-) Judy