To ask for help re: my disgusting, ingrown toenail (WARNING: picture attached.)

[Horribletoefiend]

Hi everyone,

I am posting here for traffic partly, but also because AIBU has a variety of people, and some of you may know a lot of about ingrown toenails. Hopefully, however, not from personal experience as I am in full on agony right now and want no one else to experience this!

My toenail is 100% ingrown. Last year, I broke the toe and the nail pretty much came off due to an accident where my toe was used as a door stop. It grew back somewhat pathetically, then ingrow very happily down the left side of my toe.

This ended with antibiotics, doctors, three days off work and a nice dose of cellulitis.

A few weeks ago, some genius who I work with dropped a large, heavy metal object on my poor, still susceptible and funny shaped toenail.

Now, I am faced with this monstrosity again:

(Please refer to picture.)

It’s not as red as last time, but the ingrown toe is actually worse. It’s also started down the right side as well, to make matters worse.

It’s swollen, tender to the touch at an extreme level and even the pressure of the duvet on it makes me want to cry.

Yesterday I knocked it again one final time, it’s flared up again very quickly and a long shift at work today on my feet has left me with the beauty above.

However, it’s Friday night, the doctors is shut and I have no hope in the world of getting this seen before Monday. And I have another six hour, busy, on my feet shift on Sunday.

Can someone please suggest ways I can relieve the pain? Or give it any chance of not getting worse before Sunday?

I know ideally I need to see a doctor, but I made the appointment on Monday when it wasn’t this bad for the following Tuesday so I’ve still got a few days left.

Thank you.

Door have a minor injuries clinic you could go to? Or Out of hours gp?

Have u tried putting it in a bowl of hot water with salt in ? It looks agony x

I had one for about 6 years

Soaked in salt water and cleaned it up
Bit of a sponer so enjoyed getting all the gunk out😅
Eventually got it sorted at podiatry as any medication did nothing
1 year on and it's absolutely fine

Ow ow ow. Given you've had cellulitis I wouldn't risk waiting, BUT silver magnesium worked wonders on mine. Hope you feel better son!

You need to have that looked at by a podiatrist asap. I had the same thing years ago, the managed to get the ingrown toenail out with the help of lots of local anaesthetic. Antibiotics will clear the infection but to stop it reoccurring you need to have the ingrown nail removed.

You need www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sporner_corner . Try soaking it in hot water. If it gets red and the redness is spreading up your foot you need to go to OOH.

There’s no minor injuries, just an A and E who also have a few emergency doctors appointments. Although I won’t lie, I’d feel bad using one of those over my toe.

The toe has frequently and regularly done this since. I’m not sure if cellulitis can calm down and almost dormant for periods of time.

It feels very hot as well.

Have tried hot water, I haven’t tried squeezing it or anything because it is too painful. I will try and look for silver magnesium!

If I ever have them I soak them in hot salt water, it might help to soften the skin and make it less painful. I'm nuts so I then get a pair of eyebrow tweezers and peel back the softened skin to pull the nail clear, but in your case I think out of hours or minor injuries might be better.

That looks sòoooo painful, I can't see how you can walk around on it on Sunday, I'd call 111 or get to a&e, especially as you've had cellulitis before.

Oh goodness that looks awful OP. I'm sorry for your pain. My husband has had ingrowers for most of his life. He has a way of clipping his nails straight down the side (instead of across horizontally)to relieve the problem once he feels them growing in. I think it's taken him years to perfect the art tho. Yours looks infected and swollen and to be honest I would look up what time your nearest out of hours service opens tomorrow morning and be first in the que for then.

OP, your toe looks painful, and infected, so a trip to your local minor injury unit (MIU) or urgent care centre (UCC) is needed, likely for an x-ray, and antibiotics. walk-in centres have no x-ray facilities www.nhs.uk/service-search

If the x-ray shows a break you may be given a fracture clinic outpatient appointment. If no break, & when you're finished the antibiotics arrange to see a podiatrist to discuss a wedge resection under local anaesthetic. Contact your GP surgery on Monday to ask if they can refer you, if not refer yourself, you will have to pay unless you have health insurance that incudes this. Have a chat with MIU/UCC staff or a pharmacist about painkillers. Good luck

patient.info/health/ingrowing-toenails-ingrown-toenails
www.nhs.uk/conditions/ingrown-toenail/

Draw a line where the redness ends to see if it's spreading, soak in warm salty water and see if it draws it out at all, but you probably need an urgent GP appointment before you get cellulitis again tbh

Do you have a small hacksaw?

I've been there OP, many times. Honestly the only thing that helps is antibiotics. With the previous damage it looks realllly bad so I wouldn't feel bad rocking up to A&E and
/or requesting an out of hours dr.
Open toe shoes in the mean time obv, I know how sore it is even trying to put a sock on. And the duvet touching it or the shower water catching it is agony!!
Good luck.

OMG!!!! I realise that's not helpful!

O you poor thing foot into bowl of warm water with handful of salt right now and leave it in there until bed time. It looks badly infected and may start to leak pus which will relieve the pressure a bit. That needs professional attention asap. If you have to wait then do the salt water every daytime for as long as possible.good luck

I have no walk in, I’ve checked online and my only option for my area is ring 111, then get referred to out of hours if it’s serious enough. Last time I used this service I was hacking up blood. I feel guilty ringing 111 when I’ve had mixed feedback here.

Is it worthy of an out of hours appointment, or something I should suck up until Monday? Services where I am are very stretched.

A small hacksaw though.’ If it carries on that may be less painful

My son has had 5 ingrowing toe nails, looking very much like this and sometimes worse! Warm salted water to bath in as many times a day as you can. Put a none perfumed moisturiser on it after each soak. If really painful germoline helps. If you have the budget Manuka honey is very good. But you really need to get it seen ASAP next week.

Just seen u have an an A and E. Go now before thef friday nighters get there around ten.

Ring 111 if there’s no walk in near you. It looks terribly sore, and like it needs treatment ASAP.

Plus I wouldn’t squeeze, cut or anything else, you can do more damage and it looks infected!!!!!

Hot water and Epsom salts if you have them, if not normal table salt (ES will soften the nail a bit and stop it digging in further). But to be honest that needs medical attention ASAP. Sorry OP they are hideous and so painful. Two of my sons had the ops this year, revolting but necessary.

I had a problematic one for years, eventually bit the bullet 3years ago and paid £250 for it to be sorted. (Still have a nail)

Best £250 spent ever.

Well I wouldn’t go to work on Sunday unless you feel better