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General health

Ingrown toenail - worth having painkillers before she starts?

14 replies

BabyOrSanta · 13/12/2017 13:16

Just trying to see WIBU, my mother or me...
Also a bit of advice as neither I nor DP have had this done before...

Just to start with, DP is a gentle giant. But he is massive. He's 6'6ish and very very broad and very very strong. He's never really felt bad pain so he doesn't always react well to it (he's the chest infection "poorly" sort rather than pain).

DP has had an ingrown toenail for about a week but it's so painful he's now struggling to walk. Usually he will let me have a look at painful things and tell me to stop but last night I looked at it and he flinched so badly I had to move quickly so I wasn't kicked (totally not blaming him at all).

We have a toenail lady (chiropodist?) coming to sort it tonight. Neither of us know what will happen but he's very very worried about kicking her unintentionally.
My mother has said that "of course he won't kick her, he has more manners" but she often forgets his size and really doesn't understand his pain threshold...

So I'm just wondering what to expect?
Is it worth him dosing up on painkillers before she comes or is this overkill?
Also, what will happen? Will there be blood etc? And do we provide towels?

I know it sounds as though I'm infantilising him but he's text me from work, worrying about it but I don't know what to say and the MN collective has usually experienced most things! He's just so worried about kicking her

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Tinysarah1985 · 13/12/2017 13:37

I dont think you meant kick- it’s a natural reflex to flinch if somethinf hurts- is it worrh seeing if he can get it removed by your GP as a minor op?

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PurplePillowCase · 13/12/2017 13:43

ask the chiropodist.
I guess paraceramol would be ok. possibly applying numbing cream (emla cream)

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BabyOrSanta · 13/12/2017 13:47

Sorry, I meant flinch... but a very big flinch that could send someone flying. It was an automatic reflex meant with absolutely no bad intent.

Thank you, I'll try him with paracetamol...
Will try to get through to the chiropodist but she's very busy today hence having an appointment this evening - the Very British Problem of not wanting to disturb her I guess Blush

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DerbyshireDad17 · 13/12/2017 13:47

Speaking from my own very, wry painful experiences having suffered from ingrown toenails all my life:

A chiropodist is going to hurt. A lot. They'll try to dig out the nail with no form of pain relief at all which will likely be agony for your poor DP.


Has he been to a GP? If it's at that stage of infection he can barely walk then I'd say a chiropodist may not be able to help and will need medical treatment which will involve an outpatients appointment to treat.

Depending on the state of it, may have to remove the nail or burn the nail root but equally might not...


Sorry to be frank, memories of these operations on both my feet still linger decades on and best advice I can give is let an actual doctor treat it...

Good luck and hope the pain killers help!

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BabyOrSanta · 13/12/2017 13:50

Would the GP do anything (preferably soonish) if he could get to see him?

I know someone at school had a badly ingrown toenail and their GP wouldn't do anything (talking 10/15 years ago...) hence booking the chiropodist...
Maybe we should have gone to the GP instead...

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BabyOrSanta · 13/12/2017 13:55

Thank you Derbyshire!

Usually I know what's happening (I'm the most "medicalised" in my family so seem to be the one people ask so I research etc to help them) but I have no idea what happens with ingrown toenails!

It doesn't seem to be very badly infected but, as I say, I couldn't get a good look and he won't prod it himself.
And it's only been really painful for the last few days especially when driving (yay to rural living...).

I think he just wants the pain to go away very quickly hence trying the chiropodist...
Maybe cocodamol rather than paracetamol if the chiropodist can get near it?..

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LizB62A · 13/12/2017 14:01

From experience, the chiropodist should be able to give your husband some short-term relief by trimming the ingrowing part of the nail.
It will hurt though - I'd take painkillers (if you can get some Emla numbing cream, use that)

Then he could try his GP and see if he can get referred to your local NHS chiropody/podiatry service. I had my ingrowing toes sorted about 19 years ago this way.

However when they recurred a few years ago, the GP refused to refer me as the rules here have changed and they now only refer children, the elderly and diabetics to the local NHS service.

So now we have to go privately.

Note - even when I got referred by the GP years ago, the GP didn't do anything themselves, just referred me. However mine wasn't badly infected and I didn't need antibiotics.

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happylittlevegemites · 13/12/2017 14:07

Hi, I am (one of the many here on mumsnet!) an actual, real life Podiatrist (that's the new word for chiropodist).

I love ingrown toenails :D

If I can trim the nail to make it more comfortable in the short term, I do. If it is just too painful or if I don't think it's going to work anyway, then I don't.

Lots of podiatrists to nail surgery, and as a general rule we're pretty good at it. I have done hundreds. We do it under local anaesthetic and usually use phenol to prevent regrowth.

Get him to take some paracetamol if he's worried. We're experts, don't worry about it. We know that they hurt lots and lots and lots. I haven't been kicked yet (maybe I'm just good at ducking!).

PM me if you have any questions.

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BabyOrSanta · 13/12/2017 14:18

Ooooooh.... I didn't realise chiropodists and podiatrists were the same thing Blush
(Also just realised why my mum calls the special shoes my ex step father wore poddy shoes...)

Though I am worried that you love ingrown toenails.

Anyway.
Is it general practice for "on the road" podiatrists to carry anaesthetic?
Would it be worth soaking his feet first? (He will wash them before she comes!)
Also, what steps can he take so this doesn't happen in the future? And can we do anything about the pain between now and the podiatrist coming (apart from a wooden mallet to the head)?

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happylittlevegemites · 13/12/2017 14:32

Nope, don't soak the feet first. So long as they're generally clean, that's fine.

Carrying local anaesthetic on the road - possibly, but probably not. And if he needs nail surgery it'd be done in clinic anyway. And in any case, nail surgery is very rarely done at an initial appointment (well, I did last month - but I had a bit of time up my sleeve and it was a proper nasty one).

As far as prevention - ask tonight - everyone is different and so I couldn't say exactly what the case might be for your husband.

He'll be fine. Don't worry :)

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BabyOrSanta · 13/12/2017 20:20

Just to let you know that a cushion was used (bitten, squished, grasped) and the bugger has been dug out!

She did it but there was still pain so she did it again and then again and, finally, it was all out.
The bit that seemed to be causing the most pain was the tiniest bit but he feels much better now (and he seems to be very proud of himself and has really perked up!).

Thank you all for your reassurances and handholding while I was wittering this afternoon Thanks

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happylittlevegemites · 13/12/2017 22:22

And hopefully it won’t come back! I’m glad it feels better now.

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Cath34090 · 26/09/2018 09:39

Hi,
My 12 year old son had a double sided operation on his big toe last Saturday. I've kept him out of school for 3 days but I'm wondering if I should keep him out for the rest of the week? You're advice would be very welcome:)
Thanks in advance,
Catherine

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Cath34090 · 26/09/2018 12:36

*your!!

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