Tests say NO...driving me crazy and upsetting dd

[FedUpOfBeenFobbedOff]

Ok my dd has had "weird" toenails since she was born. Basically, they curl around the top of the toe (attached to the skin) Before I am accused of putting her in shoes that don't fit, she is regularly taken to have her feet measured and her shoes checked, so nothing to do with that.

Anyway because of this we keep a close eye on her nails/toes. A few years back she got a crack horizontally along her big toenails (both of them) the nail then proceeded to peel off leaving another nail underneath.

About a year ago her nails started going yellow. I took her to the doctors thinking she fungal nails. I was sent away as "its unlikely to be fungal in a 5yr old" They carried on getting more discoloured so I went back and they took a sample (sample1). I phoned for results and they said they were negative.

about 6 months later, most of her toenails on one foot are turning yellow and getting brittle. Went back to gp....another sample taken (sample 2) and went away for 4 weeks while they were sent for testing. Phoned back for results to find they didnt have results and the sample had been lost.

Did another sample (sample 3) and took back in.... 4 weeks later I phoned for results and yet again they had gone missing.

we then went on holiday/had some bad stuff happen so it ended up been about 2-3 months before we got back to taking another sample in (sample 4). This sample came back negative.

Now aibu to be so fed up that they aren't taking this seriously? shes at school and doing pe and the other children are noticing her yellow nails, they have now gotten thick too!! Shes come home upset about it and asked why they cant be normal. If it's not fungal what can it be?everything points to a fungal nail infection (discoloured, brittle, thick nails)

Has anyone had any of these symptoms and had something different to fungal nail.

(sorry for long post, didnt want to drip feed)

I wonder whether you'd consider taking her to a podiatrist for their opinion?

I looked up 'brittle thick yellow toenails' and the top results were all nail fungus.

Thinking practically could you not varnish them in the meantime?

Sorry that she's so upset. What's the skin like on her feet?

Chiropodist visit required. The GPshould have referred her by now poor child. If you can afford it just see a chiropodist/podiatrist (same thing) usually about £40.

How upsetting, my dd also has the curling over nails and also developed a fungal nail infectionwhen she was about 18 months old. The nail fell off and it never returned but her nails are not very nice at all

I'd agree with going to a foot specialist as the GP isn't helping.

Does she have any skin conditions? I've had similar problems with my toe nails for years and doctors didn't have a clue then met a nurse on holiday who had the same which is due to psoriasis- I also have psoriasis so seems like that is the cause. My own doctor never made the connection and fobbed me off for years. I know she's young but keeping her toe nails painted is probably all you can do to hide it.

Another vote for psoriasis here

I was going to say psoriasis too. I had this on my thumb as a child and the nail was thick and yellowed.

I was going to say if she had the weirdness from birth it does sound like psoriasis. GP can refer to podiatrist but as they seem to be spectacularly unhelpful then I'd say go private if you can afford it.

Ask for a referral to a chiropodist or podiatrist maybe? Im not sure which one would be the better option... Or could you go to a private doctor for an opinion/diagnosis?

Id agree the temporary fix would be painting them, if the school would be okay with that of course (presumably they would understand if you had a meeting with PE teacher or the head and explained her situation).

Your poor DD

Does she toe walk at all? I ask as I once wore heals so high a lot of pressure made under my toe nails blister. Once the blisters popped my toe nails turned yellow and grew brittle and really thick. It took a year to go away

My do has something similar. His nails look yellow as if fungus and they’re really thick - like an extra layer of nail growing over the top if that makes sense. It’s apparently genetic and caused by a lack of a certain protein.

One of the symptoms of psoriasis is thick, discoloured and brittle nails, which can manifest even if the actual psoriasis skin issue hasn't popped its head up yet. It's an autoimmune disease so there are lots of different symptoms associated with it.

OP I developed similar symptoms to your daughter - everything except the toenail curling over) when I was 33.

I was back and forth to the doctors and they referred me to a dermatologist initially. The specialist I saw said that unfortunately the condition (can't remember the name- it was about a year ago now this happened) was not treatable. Not fungal but just something that happens to some people that cannot be treated.

He suggested nail varnish :(

I don't know about the yellowness and brittleness but many young children's toe nails curl over the ends of the toes and can embed slightly.

Thanks everyone, she has an appointment in 2 weeks and I will definitely ask about psoriasis...and to see a podiatrist or someone.

Her skin is fine, no dry or red patches. she has had some redness between the toes which I assumed was athletes foot (again gp said cant possibly be AF as shes too young...yet a bit of Canesten cleared it up)

Funnyonion17 no toe walking

Hi, there’s a doctor called David De Berker, who specialises in nail disorders. I’ve no idea where he’s based, but might be worth looking him up?

Hope you get things sorted, sounds rotten.

My dd was born without a toenail on both her little toes. The two adjacent toenails grew at a strange angle as well as being tubular in shape. When her little toenails did start to grow, they grew upwards like tiny tubes.

I've mentioned this to the GP on 5 separate occasion and been fobbed off. After dd started crawling the little toenails were knocked/rubbed against flooring and subsequently came off altogether.

She's 2.5yo now, they are turning yellow and really thick.

I'll be looking into booking an appointment with a specialist as I can see this becoming an issue when she realises her toenails aren't like other children's.

Nail varnish sounds like a good idea...

I had a fungal nail infection exactly like your daughters from about 3 years old to 10. Why is it unusual for a 5 yo?

KatieHF I have no idea why it would be unusual?? its just what the doctor said. he said it looks like fungal nail but it probably wasn't that as its unusual in young children. Surely you can pick up a fungus at any age? I wonder if he just didn't want to prescribe fungal nail treatment which is quite expensive.

but then the tests all came back negative so....who knows. I shall ask when she goes next time.

my DD has had fungal nail since she was 3 and the GP just kept saying not to worry, but it was getting worse. i'm using Loceryl which seems to be the strongest stuff you can get over the counter in the pharmacy. I'm not sure if it is recommended for children, but it is definitely helping for DD (v slowly) and her toenails are growing back stronger.

I not really a GP thing - bit like going to them about her teeth! You need a chiropodist. Totally separate to GP just search for one in your area and book an appt.

misery that'll be from nail bed trauma due to the bashing around on the floor you mentioned. The two next toenails next to my big toes grow thickened and yellow and curl inwards at the top due to trauma mainly from running. It'll be permenant now for mine, I file them down (parallel to the nail) when I need to otherwise they become very uncomfortable.

Do some research about it and you'll know a bit more what you're dealing with. Toenail varnish is your friend :-)