Ingrown toenail help

alias*alibi

I am having both sides of each big toenail removed on Monday. I've put up with ingrowing nails for a year now and they are so painful. I've been bathing my feet in warm water with Epsom salts and then applying savlon once dry. It goes some way in helping but obviously doesn't cure the problem.

bluenoseam

I had to have mine taken off (not burned though) during my last year in high school, it was pretty infected & grim but it hurt like hell - all because I was unlucky enough to drop a guitar amp on it! Did the doctor say they were giving anti-biotics with a view to removal once the infection & swelling has been dealt with?

Balgair

It's worth noting that having the side of the toenail removed doesn't always fix things; I had that done as a teenager but they just grew back On the plus side, they were much thinner this time so I've just cut it away myself when they started to dig in (not really recommended but I find dealing with people and appointments so stressful that I prefer to deal with stuff myself unless it's really bad) but yeah, it's not always the perfect solution it's supposed to be.

As to temporary relief, I found when I had infections that what helped me the most, was using a nailfile or similar to push the flesh away from the nail and squeeze the fleshy bit hard until the pus came out - sounds disgusting, I know, but it lessened the pressure, and with reduced pressure, the pain reduced too. It's the kind of thing you can only do to yourself though, the pain at the time is pretty intense, but if I'm in control, I can take it. Beyond that, I second the chiropodist recommendation, hopefully the treatment works rather better than it did for me!

mum2one

maybe for now she could wear trainers as i found that use to take the pressure off the toe.

I use to have ingrowing nails most of my teenage years and into late 20s, I ended up having the nail cut the 1st time by the foot woman at the gp, the 2nd and 3rd time the GP did it for me, minor op at the surgery.

Since then I have all my toe nails removed (health reasons) I'm pretty sure you can do a self referral to the poditary (excuse spelling - can't pronuce it either so call them foot people), worth a ring and ask them, sounds like your DD def needs it cutting out.

The reason i say ring, is the nail still grows and as its not growing up and out it carries in growing inside the toe and goes over.

My one op once I had the injections to numb the toe, sat up and watched the op, think it freaked the woman out a bit, more curious at the nail. xx

faerie~spangles

My toenails were removed in June.

Completely painless procedure, I genuinely never felt a thing. Now I'm totally pain free.

I'm still wearing dressings as the healing progress is slow.

I wish I hadn't been such a wimp about having them removed I would have been pain-free much sooner.

Ask the doc to refer her to a podiatrist once the infection has cleared.

ETA: I had to wait 18 weeks to see the podiatrist and another 10 to have the op. Therefore the sooner the better to be referred.

Raksha

I get them occasionally - I get OH to give 'em a good squeeze to release the pus... It hurts like hell, but the relief is instant. Obviously you need to observe hygeine rules.

*Louise*

If the infection is there, then the nail must be digging in at the side, antibiotics are all very well but the nail is going to keep growing further in.

I had one years ago, home visit from a chiropodist, £20 and the relief was unbelievable. Lucky too as I was off on holiday the next day. The one on the other side started to do the same, but I caught it early, lifted up the corner with a nail file and wedged a tiny bit of wet cotton wool under it for a few daysuntil it grew past the danger area.

InsideInsurance

Chiropodist is the best and quickest route.

Had them many times as a kid, most the time it was just a case of cutting the nail back but with one toe they did a local anesthetic procedure to kill off the nail bed on one side.

Since having that done that toe has never had a problem again but it is a little odd having to cut both the end and side of your nail

Pollycat

Your doctor doesn't sound particularly helpful or sympathetic.

Recently I had a problem with something on the ball of my foot, diagnosed by my GP as a wart, she scheduled me for cryotheraphy to remove it but also referred me to our local community hospital podiatry department as she said I had 'very bony metatarsals'.

Lucky she did as the podiatrist said it wasn't a wart but a corn (as a result of trauma to the area) and that cryotherapy would have been the worst thing ever.

Treatment is free - do you have somewhere similar in your area?

If not, I'd see a podiatrist/chiropodist privatley.

BLUEBIE

Thanks all, the Dr said it should be easy to self rectify once the infection had gone, just by liifting up the edge of the nail and cutting straight across the nail. Hopefully anyway? If not I will seek help elsewhere. It was just ideas for the pain, esp in crowded corridors at school, the thought of someone acidentaly standing on her foot, ouch!!