To see a GP over ingrown toenails

[PixieAndProsecco]

I know thr subject matter is disgusting but please stay with me (no pics attached as that is grim).

DS, who is a young teen, came to me a few months ago to show me his two big toe nails. Both toes were horribly inflamed, pus filled and had bad ingrown nails on either side of the nail.

I made a private appointment at a podiatrist and he had both toe nails cut from tip to nail bed, on both sides, leaving a sliver of nail in the middle. He was then prescribed cream to reduce the swelling.

We went for a secondary visit and no work was carried out but the sides of each toe were still inflamed.

His toes are still a mess, however we've no idea what the nail situation is like under the inflammation and whether the toe nail that was trimmed has regrown.

Both visits to the podiatrist cost over £100 due to the nature of the work (local anaesthetic, topical anaesthetic, cream etc plus normal fees).

I don't have that money sitting around just now and considered going to the GP to be referred to an NHS podiatrist, or even better a treatment center at the hospital/clinics.

I mentioned this to a friend and they said that I am being ridiculous, private podiatrists are available and I am wasting NHS resources. My reasoning is that I have already spent money privately, with nothing to show for it, he may need prescription based products and it might require something more than a podiatry visit. However, they were quite adamant that a GP would not entertain this.

AIBU to use an appointment for this and expecting the NHS to help?

YABU - stick with the podiatrist privately, the NHS is stretched enough as it is.
YANBU - there are services there to help, therefore they should be used as needed.

Sounds like it is infected and needs antibiotics, only when the swelling has gone down can you see the real state of them. I had a badly ingrown toenail on one side which became infected not just at the top corner but down the whole side of the nail and the pain was driving me round the bend. Wearing shoes and walking was agony and it was winter so I couldn't get away with open toe shoes. I went to the GP who prescribed antibiotics and referred me to NHS podiatry service. They recommended removal as it was likely to recur.

Removal was done about a week later. As others have said, the anaesthetic injections are very painful. There are 4 nerves in each big toe and an injection into each one is needed but once they take effect it is completely numb and you don't feel what they're doing. I would recommend taking a couple of paracetamol beforehand to dull the pain of the injections. Once the nail was removed a solution was applied to the nail bed to prevent regrowth. It is very strong and application is for no longer than, if I remember correctly, exactly one minute, and it's timed to the second.

At that point only one nail had been badly affected but as she looked at the other one she could see it starting to curl inwards and said although not causing problems yet, in 6 months it would become, and I quote, the bane of my life. I decided to get that one removed there and then and came out with 2 heavily bandaged toes. The aftercare is very important to avoid further infection. It looks ghastly to start with, tender and weeping, but keeping it dressed and covered protects it. Bigger shoes for a while helps and once healed there's no more pain.

Since then I have developed arthritis and can't bend to trim my other toenails so I've had to see a chiropodist. According to her, a fine job was done and the healing is perfect. Your son might not want removal at his age but this is what to expect if he does. The alternative is probably repeated ingrown infections which can be very hard to get rid of. I feel for him because although it sounds like a trivial thing, it's not, it's very painful and debilitating and definitely not a waste of NHS resources but I understand his reluctance to go through getting work done again. Hope you get something sorted.

Another vote for going to the GP. My daughter had an infection at the edge of her fingernail. We went to a pharmacist because we weren't sure if it was infected or not (it was a Saturday) and they told us to call out of hours as it needed antibiotics. Called the out of hours number and they had no issue giving us a Saturday appointment. Hers wasn't anywhere near as bad as your sons toes sound. Hope he can get it sorted soon,

Took my 9 year old today and prescribed some fucidin cream. GP said didn’t require oral antibiotics. We are also adviced to soak three times a day in salty water. GP suggested messaging and trying to get the pus out. DC already felt a bit of relief today.

Thanks all, I've felt terrible over it all - both in letting it get so bad in the first place (however he doesn't walk barefoot and I don't shower him anymore, so don't really see his feet) and also knowing he'll need some more treatment despite the pain initially caused.

I did wonder if the initial treatment would work to begin with, given the state of the toes, however when a professional (in an area you know nothing about) assures you that it'll be fine you tend to believe them.

I can't get over the amount of people who think the NHS is so divine it should not be used by anyone, ever.

I had a manky nail. Inflamed, hot, puss. I didn't go the Dr for three days. I ended up seeing meddoc at the weekend whilst visiting my mum. The Dr looked at my foot, looked at me and said I had been very silly waiting days.

The nhs is for everyone. In fact it's a true leveler as in a 999 situation no amount of cash will get you round the nhs. Which right now is terrifying.

I would say no but not for that reason. I went to GP to get one seen and had 4 local anaesthetic injections, severe bleeding requiring a bandage so big I couldn’t get my shoe back on etc. The podiatrist took two seconds to sort it with no anaesthetic or bleeding. He told me the GP deals with them much less frequently than he does so he can do it more ‘cleanly’.

Having said that the infection needs to be treated as that has not resolved. The GP can probably be most effective in this matter.

My DS has had his ingrowing toenails sorted out by a podiatrist - we were recommended Emla cream to numb his toes before the injections. DS reckoned it helped, and once the injections were done it was fine. The podiatrist was great at checking that he’d used enough local anaesthetic before proceeding.

Definitely try soaking feet in a warm salt bath - I’d use water that has been boiled and allowed to cool.

Definitely the G.P or like you’ve said an URGENT self referral. If he’s really suffering and you can’t get to see your G.P pop to A&E. And before I get bad mouthed for suggesting this, a paramedic who once came out to see my daughter suggested it if you’re having problems getting an appointment 🤷‍♀️

Go to your G.P and keep persevering, my daughter had this and it went on for nearly 2.5 years over Covid time. We ended up in a&e due to an allergic reaction to penicillin and thankfully the doctor got us an energency appointment the next day with plastics in Durham, her toe had gone purple/red and she’d already had part of the nail removed but it grew back badly. He may need minor surgery/clinic

We have an appointment with the GP later this afternoon, thanks all.

However, the fear of the pain before coupled with the general young teen self consciousness and his own stubbornness, has him refusing to attend ans declaring that he doesn't even care if he gets sepsis and dies.

And at 5ft 8 and man sized there's no way I can lift and carry him into the surgery. So we'll see how it goes.

I hope you had a successful afternoonAnd GP visit. Ingrown toenails are so painful

I hope it went OK poor ds. It's the worse place for people prodding about.

Definitely get this onto the NHS. Your DS is a child. He is entitled to free prescriptions on the NHS, if needed.

Also if you leave it longer to go to the GP you might have some explaining to do as to why you haven't been earlier - I would go now, explain you thought that it could be handled privately through podiatrist but it's turned out to be a bigger job than you thought

Ah - I see you went today OP. Hope it went well.

Check his shoe sizes too - he will need bigger ones sooner rather than later so it might be worth thinking ahead so there is nothing pressing on the toes

And we're back with one urgent referral and a course of antibiotics.

To answer a few points raised - we are in Scotland, no prescription fees thankfully; he is already an adult size 10 in shoes, I cannot be buying any bigger atm; and the GP did not criticise about my lack of knowing, she understood that as a teen I didn't really have any access to his unclothed body, as it should be, and that teens can be very secretive of these things, unfortunately.

@Thisissopainful in case you thought I was criticising, I wasn't - my message was supposed to be "tell the GP now instead of telling the GP in a couple of weeks time when they ask why you didn't come earlier". Not a criticism of what you've done.

On the shoes - I just wanted to point out that many people sell unwanted/unused pairs on ebay for almost no money at all to make space at home Possibly even more so after Christmas; you could probably get a larger pair for under a fiver which might make a real difference right now.