Ingrown toenails (1 Viewer)

[rozymisty]

Who here has had an ingrown toenail. Arent they the most painful thing! Ive been getting them since 1999, and they come and go. The first one, in 1999, I was screaming blue murder coz it was soo painful after the local wore off and my toe was throbbing for ages and ended up fainting in the shower. Not good at all.

Then there is a podiatry clinic at QUT which ive been to a few times. THe first time was fine, no problems really i think, except I woke up in the night in a lot of pain. The 2nd time was no problem really except they had to put 2 lots of local in, and the 2nd lot was just as painful as the first lot they put in.

THen a few months ago I went to a podiatrist, who was only able to do the top part of it, and i was so close to kicking the poor girl in the face. She told me they dont do surgeries so she told me to go bck to the podiatry clinic or go to a doc, but I went to th doctor. That time it only took like 5mins to get the stuff out.

Then yesterday I had to get it done again coz it felt like their was glass in the nail digging into the skin. I nearly kicked the doc and nurse in the head since i went to the doc at uni, and yeah swore a bit lol. Then it went all tingly.

THe strangest thing about it is having to walk on the side of your foot, and having to have a shower either with your foot out of the shower/bath, which is impossible if you have sliding doors, or stick a plastic bag over it, wrap it really tight so no water can get in, and coz ive got a bath/shower combo, i have to put a sock over the bag so i dont slip over. Its so dangerous lol. And no matter how much you wrapp it, some water still gets in slightly. So annoying.

The doc told me the only way to stop them growing back for good is to go under a general and get the nail bed removed. Im like ahhh ok i think ill just wait it out and get the locals from time to time lol. Coz going to surgery for just a tiny sliveer on nail is strange.

 

[Not-That-Bright]

Coz going to surgery for just a tiny sliveer on nail is strange.

It sounds like you've had to do this quite a few times, personally I'd get the surgery (if I could afford it).

 

[melimoo]

surgery ftw
seriously ive had it on both toes
anything yr doc/podiatrst does in the surgery is only a temporary fix.
surgery is virtually painless afterwards. you have no more issues. just 1 or 2 stitches. they burn off your nail bed and bob's you uncle
its only day surgery. stop the pain just do it please!!!!!

 

[rozymisty]

lol well if i wasnt a broke student nearly on the verge of getting legal action from the banks, and had a job, I would be able to save up and stuff like that. There is a thing they can use to stop it grow, but then some people like me just get it over and over again.

i already have to save up a few $1000s to get my wisdom teeth out, and that stupid hospital excess doesnt help.

 

[quik.]

Whenever I get them growing into the side of my toe I just pop it out with a knife or something and cut it.

They don't even hurt that much, usually. Although I spose if you let it grow for ages it would cause problems :]

 

[Dumsum]

I've had the inside bit of the nail on both big toes surgically removed. Sometimes the other sides start to dig in a bit but now I just do what quik does and dig them out myself, it doesn't hurt any more than the post-surgery process (whose pain is more prolonged anyway).

 

[CieL]

Well I've never had an ingrown toenail before.. but I've had the walking on the outside area of your foot and shower experience..

Another way to minimise water getting in is to wrap your foot in gladwrap before the plastic bag or whatever you use.. and if you use a plastic bag, dont just tie a knot or use sticky tape.. use a chunky rubber band ahahha.. just dont take too long of a shower because in a sense you're cutting the circulation to your foot off..

 

[gracie007]

hey u should really get the surgery. its a bit of a hassle and costs money but def worth it. i had minor surgery on mine but using the local anesthetic like u have (BTW if ur still feeling the pain they obviously arent doing it right) and had like 1/4 of each big toenail taken out right from deep down in the naibed and went from having cronic ingrowns all the time (to the point that id have to take panadols just to walk) to having none ever. its so good. so yeh def get it done!!

 

[rozymisty]

Well actually the last two times that ive had it done, by the doctors at uni, i havent really had much pain at all, which is fabulous! Just the ocasional prickly feeling and throbbing from time to time but doesnt last very long. Tomorrow i go back to get the dressing changed.

Before this one was fixed, I was in pain walking, it felt like glass was diggin in, so yeah, but didnt take pain killers for it.

I think its worse when they get infected, and all pus filled, and you have to sqeeze it out and go on antibiotics lol, ive been on so many.

I think maybe i will get surgery if they keep going, coz next yr I will be nursing and wearing closed in shoes most of the time so yeah.

 

[Cab31]

Hi rozymisty,

Not sure if you had this problem sorted yet, but it sounds like your GP is a tad misinformed about the only way to treat this problem. Im a third year podiatry student at QUT and a nail wedge resection is a simple procedure performed under a local anaesthetic - meaning you are awake the entire time and only the toe is numb. A needle is inserted either side of your toe to get toe medial and lateral dorsal and plantar digital nerves and you regain feeling from this a couple of hours after the procedure.
Essentially what happens is that a slither of the nail is removed right down to the nail matrix, which is treated with phenol. The phenol prevents that peice of nail from growing back and you are left with what is fundamentally a thinner nail which will not dig in to the sulci (the skin either side of the nail). At the QUT clinic the procedure costs only $50 to get done, and that covers each toe or just one depending on what you need. Provided you treat the nail properly post surgery, the chance of infection is minimal. To get this done privately you would be looking at more like $250 per toe.
If you want more information, come in to the podiatry clinic and book in on a day that third or fourth year are on clinic and plans can be made from there.
Podiatrists have far more success with these simple procedures than GPs do because they spend four years learning about the foot rather than the limited time devoted to the region in general practice.

Hope that helps

 

[rozymisty]

Sorry to bring this topic back up.

My left toe had been fine until last Wednesday. I made an apt yesterday at a new GP, since I cant go to the one at uni since Im no longer a student.

I have been to the podiatry clinic numerous times and it still keeps coming back. They did a good job nd stuff, but im just one of that very small group who get them back and back. They've always put phenol on it, so yeah. And one time, they had to stick 2 lots of local in and i could still feel that 2nd needle and a tiny bit of pain, and ended up not being able to bend the toe for about 3 wks afterwards coz of nerve damage.

Anyway I went to see if it was infected which the doc said it looks like it is, so use the bactrium cream and betadine. He said since that it was reoccuring, the only options I had were to keep going back and back to podiatrists and get wedge resections till i have like no nail, or get referred to a specialist who can remove the nail bed.

He refereed me to a general surgeon and since he was only up the road from work, I called in there to make an appointment. The receptionist said i came with perfect timing coz he is rarely at his office coz of operations and teaching, and that I could see him right there and then. I said i dont have the money today and they said they dont charge the fee... So i got to see him and he said there were two options.

I could get the whole nail and nail bed removed whcih would mean I'd have no nail ever again on that toe, or he could remove both sides right down to the nail bed and bone andhave a smaller nail....whcih i already have anyway coz of repeated operations. He said coz im young and stuff and im at the age where i like to wear nailpolish, the side removal would be best...not that i have much chance to wear toenail polish lol.

He said that it will be painful afterwards and will be out of work for a week or so. I could have it done Monday but coz im working, and ive only been there like 6 wks, i dont have much sick leave and cant take time off suddenly or want to. So I said the roster for april is being drawn up at the end of this week, so i could take time off then, and so IIm booked in for April 21 for day surgery.

Its only a quick general, 30mins he said. And lots of pain. And coz it will be heavily bandaged, i assume it will be much more awkward to walk around on the side of the foot than other times when itsbeen smaller dressings on the toe. So i might hire a pair of crutches for the week, be less painful to walk around, coz then i wont be balancing on the edge of my foot, therefore putting pressure on the knee and hip etc etc.

 

[Dumsum]

Contrary to what I said before it's not all that bad. I was only out of school for 2 days each time I had my toes done (first the left then a few months later, the right). Like yeah, it fucking hurts, but the initial anaesthetic injection is by far the worst pain (in fact the worst physical pain I've ever experienced). With that said I didn't have both sides removed like you're going to, only the insides, but still. You don't have to walk on the side of your foot, you just have to walk around with your toe raised.

 

[codydhu]

This thread makes me realise how lucky i am for not having an ingrown toenail. I had no idea they were this bad

 

[rozymisty]

Yup, the pain of the anaesthetic going in is the worse pain ive ever experienced, apart from Thursday when i had to see a different physio and she was pressin so dam hard on the side of my spine!

Im getting both sides removed coz its easier to just get them both done at the same time. When the GP did it the 2nd time, she did both sides, but on the outer side she only lieke cut out the top part so it looks really demented. Its not really a problem, it was just starting to get ingrown so i told the doc well while its starting, get it fixed now while the toe is numb.

The very first time I had one done, I was waiting in the shop carpark while mum went in for '5mins' and 20mins later i was nearly screaming blue murder coz it was soooo much throbbing and stuff, and later on ended up passing out in the shower. I was standing there waiting for mum to come and help me step out and stuff, coz we have the shower over the bath, and icalled out i feel like im gng to faint, and then the next thing i know she's there after hearin a big bang and dragged me out iwht the help of my brothers...not good to have your brothers seeing you naked lol.

I think if you just have them ongoing, its better to get them fixed permanently. They reckon the phenol is meant to kill off the cells, but it doesnt always work...it will only work with 30% of pple.

Then again after this surgery, i may have very little nail left, and it will be just like a little stip, in which case, it would be better to just have the skin which would lok very strange....

 

[codydhu]

Yup, the pain of the anaesthetic going in is the worse pain ive ever experienced, apart from Thursday when i had to see a different physio and she was pressin so dam hard on the side of my spine!

Im getting both sides removed coz its easier to just get them both done at the same time. When the GP did it the 2nd time, she did both sides, but on the outer side she only lieke cut out the top part so it looks really demented. Its not really a problem, it was just starting to get ingrown so i told the doc well while its starting, get it fixed now while the toe is numb.

The very first time I had one done, I was waiting in the shop carpark while mum went in for '5mins' and 20mins later i was nearly screaming blue murder coz it was soooo much throbbing and stuff, and later on ended up passing out in the shower. I was standing there waiting for mum to come and help me step out and stuff, coz we have the shower over the bath, and icalled out i feel like im gng to faint, and then the next thing i know she's there after hearin a big bang and dragged me out iwht the help of my brothers...not good to have your brothers seeing you naked lol.

I think if you just have them ongoing, its better to get them fixed permanently. They reckon the phenol is meant to kill off the cells, but it doesnt always work...it will only work with 30% of pple.

Then again after this surgery, i may have very little nail left, and it will be just like a little stip, in which case, it would be better to just have the skin which would lok very strange....

Im sure you could get some sort of fake nail put on there, even if its only when you dont wear shoes

 

[rozymisty]

I went to the podiatrist the other day before work, and she told me to get a new pair of shoes, specifically Kumps, coz they have a semi-orthotic in them and have wider toe room...which is great for someone wtih wide feet like myself. Have to wait for them to order them in for me from Victoria or NSW coz they dont have my size in th store.

the podiatrist also told me its best to keep as much nail as i can, coz hte nail is there for a reason-to protect the toe and stuff, and it would feel very strange wtihout a nail...its a different thing like if your toe is kicked off and it grows back--in my case it shouldnt grow back