Chalky and weak toenails and fingernails

Payne

Hi Ladies,

My toenails are chalky and white and crumble when trimming.  Fingernails are soft and weak. It started about 6 weeks ago.  Great toe is also painful.  I thought it was due to resuming work with lots of walking. My calcium levels are good but oncology practice nurse couldn't explain.  I finished chemo on March 17 and Radio on May 17th.  I continue with 3 weekly Herceptin injections until christmas. Could this be side affect to Herceptin?  I don't see oncologist till end of October.  Any advice?

Unicornkisses

I got fingernail problems from Decetaxel.
The thumbnails contracted and went black with splinter bruises, they also became very thickened with weird crumbly stuff underneath.
Now that the nails are growing out, 3 months after finishing chemo, they are white and flexible from half way down and are tearing off across my fingers. 
The nail above is coming out stronger but with heavy ridges. 
My nail lady says they will take about 6 months to grow out to proper nails again.

I think my toe nails are okay though. Can't get down there to see.

Payne

Oh Dear!  I had docetaxol and carboplatin but problem noticed well after completion.  Does your nail lady suggest any treatment while waiting for nails to recover.  I tried massaging olive oil in but don't think it did anything

KatyJoy

I finished docetaxol on 27th January 2017 and my nails are still trashed, weak thin soft and flexible. I am for the first time in my life getting my nails done with sns, it lasts about a month and at least with that they are durable and I can do things with my hands

Payne

Thanks, perhaps Ill try that

primek

12 months on and I have chalky soft brittle nails that I can't grow beyond my finger length and even then they just break off for no reason. Fingernails take 3 months to fully grow out. Toe nails 6 months. My toe nails finally have returned to normal but alas my fingernails have not. I am 9 months post herceptin, mine was discontinued early. I'm thinking that I am stuck with this now. 

Afraser

Taxol made a mess of my toenails. My fingernail damage was hardly noticeable but my toenails discoloured, split, expanded, went chalky, everything except drop off! It can take some considerable time to improve. I would have expected to see some deterioration while you were still on chemo but, as others have said, side effects may start afterwards, just to annoy. Always wise to talk with your oncologist. It may be a combination of things. Essentially if it's chemo related, it more or less has to grow out, which can be slow. Mine started to improve slowly a few months after Taxol was finished, Herceptin didn't seem to have any impact. Good luck. 

Zoffiel

I've got about 3 mm of crappy brown toenail to go before I've grown all mine out. My fingernails are still flimsy; I painted them black religiously through chemo but once I'd finished I couldn't be arsed. Stopping may have been a mistake.
On the upside, it looks like my long term toenail fungus has given up and decamped. 

Unicornkisses

I wasn't getting too excited just in case, but it looks like chemo cured my big toe fungal nail too @zoffiel!
who would have thought there were good side effects.

onemargie

Hi there I finished chemo nearly 12 months ago and got brittle finger nails from the paclitaxol. I still see my nail lady fortnightly to put the gel polish on them to keep them strong I still have 3 dodgy ones left but heaps better now in the early days I had to put acrylic nails on my own other wise they all would of broken off down really low. Lucky for me my nail lady does them really cheap too xx 

MKitty68

mine are weak and growing with ridges in them, i keep them trimmed short & take a calcium & Vit D supplement as recommended by my Oncologist. I'm nearly at the end of chemo (yay!) so hoping the strength comes back once i've finished. i think i'll keep up the Vit D supplement for a while after chemo finishes just in case. 
Does radiation affect them at all? 

primek

@MKitty68 You might consider staying on Vit D as it does really help with reducing osteoporosis and breast cancer return...apparently. 

We've had prior discussions about this.

http://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/15413/vitamin-d-and-link-to-breast-cancer/p1

MKitty68

Thanks Kath

Mrs_H

My nails were very soft, brittle and sore on paclitaxal. On my last trip to the oncologist she mentioned that it could continue while I was on Herceptin. She mentioned as high as 50% of patients find that. I'm still having the same issues but just keeping them short and painted. They are still very sensitive/sore.

Afraser

Mine started improving once I got off taxol although I was still on herceptin. Fingers crossed!