Big toe..how the hell can it be THIS painful? (since trying to remove an ingrown)

[alltoomuchrightnow]

Writing this out of desperation as my doctors appointments are usually three weeks away (if can get one.. I couldn't)
As soon as I can face it I will pay to see a chiropodist - but right now the pain is so severe I can't be touched.. I can't even put a sock on

I struggle with ingrown nails on big toes...I have a condition where my skin grows very , very fast, this means for eg, I get embedded stitches, big keloid scars..
I remove the ingrowns myself and the skin grows very fast back over them. I have to cut through the skin each time as get little nail 'shards' (what I call daggers) at the sides.. It's painful but I'd say I have a very high pain threshold so I just get on with it. Only saw a chiropodist once, it was a blood bath and he said the best bet was to get the nails removed surgically (wish I had)

Anyway it always hurts but I just grit teeth and get on with it and it heals quick. This time.. off the scale, painwise (on one toe) I slit the skin as usual to get to the embedded nail, and didn't get as far as removing the 'side dagger' , the pain was too much
Since then it's got progressively worse.. and in my job I'm on feet all day. I wear steel toe boots but they are like clown shoes and thankfully don't press on my toe, tons of space around it. I think tomorrow I will have to wear them without socks. Just the touch of a sock makes me scream.. same with bedding..
What the heck is making it this so much more painful than usual.. I get gallstone attacks most days (waiting to have gallbladder out) and when I touch my toe it's on par with an attack, and I thought that was the most painful thing I'd experienced!
Does this mean infection in the cut where the nail scissors cut open ..? I feel such a bloody wuss as it looks ok, the tip of the toe is swollen, with pus I'm not sure. Stupidly I forget to sterilise the scissors..
I can only liken it to if you pulled a tooth out and then stuck something in the raw exposed nerve.. it's that level of pain. I've got tea tree, Savlon cream and that's it.
What else can I do until I can see a chiropodist? I think I'd pass out if anyone touched it right now. They are going to look at it and see a toe that looks not too bad, just been poked around a bit. I can't believe such a small area can be such agony. I can't sleep and the throbbing is mad. Actual foot is fine
Sorry so long

That sounds incredibly painful. Have you tried soaking your feet in warm water - maybe with some Dettol in- before trying to cut the nail?

I seem to remember reading somewhere a few years ago - may even have been on here - that that was a less painful way to get the nail out of the skin.

I haven't got Dettol. I've had very hot baths with Epsom salts as meant to help ingrowns. I cut the top of the nail off straight across (when all this started) but not the pesky side bits that get embedded ( I couldn't get the angle right to get to it..I can do my left big toe fine but never the right). There's no way I can even touch it now.. I tried earlier and nearly fainted. I feel so pathetic..but that's how painful it is.
I did toy with the idea of regular disinfectant out of desperation but I fear the perfume in it would do more harm than good

Considered ice cubes too but don't think would numb it enough.. and if I caused more damage and infection... as i have to cut right through the layers of skin... I can't be off work.

Bathe it in warm salty water.

Go and see a Dr

I had an infected one - try a pharmacist for antibiotics.

Keep it in very salty water. Soak the inside of your boots with it, take a thermos of warm salt water to keep it topped up - tonight try and keep it wet in saltwater (soak a sock then put a plastic bag over it?). Its miserable.

Sounds infected. Pharmacist might be able to give you something if you can’t get to a GP.

In the longer term see a podiatrist when you can afford to and ask them to help you with a maintenance plan, because you really shouldn’t be slicing your skin open with dirty nail scissors (or at all, really).

You really need to see a doctor. Sounds like an infection which can make you very poorly. Think sepsis etc.

Take some pain relief first and wait 20 mins of so before you try to cut it.
I have ingrowing nails so I know how tender they can get when you are trying to cut them.
I have had one of my nails removed and whilst it’s ugly and I can’t wear open toes in summer it’s still so much better than digging out the other one every now and again.

Dr don't be of any use.

Needs a podiatrist. In the meantime salt water bath or a home made poultice of bread and milk to draw the poison out. Ultimately the pain won't go away until the offending nail is removed.

I feel your pain. I've had 3 nails off after performing questionable surgery on myself multiple times.

I have a similar thing, managed by myself for years even though they originally wanted to do a surgical procedure that involved acid to destroy the sides of my big toenails.

I soak my feet in warm/ hot salty water regularly in a washing up bowl, also drip tea tree on the offending bits at night. All this in order to keep the nail soft and stop it getting infected.

I know exactly the side daggers you mean! I cut across my nails and down the sides a bit, this leaves the side daggers embedded, but ive separated them from the actual nail. Then i get the nail scissors under the nail, and slowly / gently flick the dagger outwards from the top bit by bit.. eventually the whole dagger flicks out from the side of my nail. I never ever cut the skin!

What you do now? Soak first and is there any chance you can approach the dagger from under the nail?

Forgot to say. my GP originally referred me to a podiatrist, and i had to go again recently via GP due to a black line on another toenail (all fine in the end) so you dont have to go private to see one.

I can't see doc, it's a three week wait if I do get through to get an appointment
(small village doctors )
Ill try salt water.
Trouble with work boots is they are obviously germ breeding ground..sweaty plastic

Pepsi, my fault for being so vain as to not wanting loss of nails!
In lockdown I saw chiropodist.. he said I didn't need to see podiatrist but
did need the big toe nails off as this would keep happening (it's mad why I can't get the angle right.. it's my large boobs lol.. they get in the way when I cut! seriously!) haha.
The chiropodist thought he could in the meantime easily remove my 'daggers' and it was a blood bath, he even got squirted in the face

I’ve bathed mine in a hydrogen peroxide solution when I think an infection is about to set in. I do it twice a day.

Mine do the same. I always use hydrogen peroxide you can pick up at the pharmacy.

JellyKat, I can't, over the last few days I soaked in hot bath with epsom which is meant to draw them out. Gently massaged with a balm that was quite soothing...tried to coax the dagger to the point I could feel it ( I couldnt..too much swelling? fluid or pus??) and therefore not be in a position to cut it..(is it even there? not 100% sure) and I pretty much got close to passing out. Scared the cat with my screams! Probably my new neighbours too...
It's nuts.. in summer I smashed up my other foot dropping a heavy shelving unit on it. It swelled to twice the size, went black and purple and I'm certain I broke some bones. So can you believe ..this one toe.. side of toe.. hurts more? I actually feel embarrassed!

Ohyeahwaitaminute...thankyou!!!
THANKYOU
This is what I was trying to remember the name of.
I had rescue lizards for years and used it for their skin and gum infections...
worked a treat.. I'll nip to a chemist tomorrow after work

I remember it bubbled when there was infection..this is how I used to test with my rescues

I used to get these, I soak kitchen roll bits in tcp/ dettolmthen shove them down between nail and toe, top up every two weeks poke down with cocktail stick or similar haven’t had to slice down skin for years now, also helps nail grow more upwards than digs into skin.

wahh Iamnemesis.. sounds brutal but also makes sense...got to do what you have to do.
Ive always had painful 'extraction' but just got on with it.. but this is off the scale which makes me think, definite infection... if I nearly black out just putting a sodding sock on!

What if I get some Dettol and rub it around that end of my work boots, inside? Will be
damp but at least cleaner? I can't put a sock on
Trouble is I work in a huge store and do about ten miles per shift
I am limping like crazy

I would highly recommend a Drs appointment to get a referral to Podiatry. They can assess what they can do, my DC was forever in pain with ingrowns but getting part of the nail removed from each big toe has stopped the issue completely. It's life changing.

Soak it in hot water tonight and get some magnesium sulphate paste from the chemist tomorrow. It’s magical stuff and always sorts out my toes.

I get the daggers too, but I can deal with these without issue. It’s when a bit
of skin around the nail peels off that I end up in total agony. Mag sulphate always sorts it.

You need a bottle of Dettol and a dish of pretty warm water and an hour to soak your foot in a solution of the Dettol. Keep topping up the temp with more hot water.

It sounds horrific.