Toenail fallen off - any advice? (klaxon of sorts)

[TheSpottedZebra]

So, I guess I am sounding a toenail klaxon. After hurting my feet years ago, I have had infection under my big toes. The nails have been cut off before, but the infection came back. I could not take antifungals, and so the nails were just left as one of those things. I've not been to a podiatrist in years now, since I moved.

The nails had been quite loose, clearly only joined at the bottom for a while, and after a shower I'd make sure that the nail and bed was dry, and I'd add in some tea tree oil. Now one nail has just fallen off (about 20% left) and it looks a bit grim. The nail bed seems to be sunken back a bit, and I'm not sure if it something I should have checked out or just disinfect and leave. I'd struggle to get a GP appt quickly if that was the advice.

Any thoughts?

Oh, there is no pain, by the way. In fact it's odd that I can't feel it at all. I can feel the toe next to it if I prod it,but I've not been brave enough yet to prod what remains of the toe bed. The nail that has fallen off looks foul in the back, I meant to say that.

I have a picture...

my big toenail fell off after wearing ski boots that were too tight some years back. I did go to GP but tbh they didn't say much other than wait 6 months (!) for the new one to grow back. Keep it clean etc....

Since yours is looking a bit grotty it might be worth a phone call to GP to see what they suggest.

6 months?! I was surprised how quickly my skin turned hard and became a pretend nail before - certainly it was less than 6 months.

It's not that my nail bed looks infected - I don't think - although the nail def does. It's more that the nail bed seems to have a big depression in it. Seems odd. My gp is the type that you have to ring at a certain time for appts and I've missed that obvs. Hmm, I may prod it a hit more and see what I think.

Unless anyone wants to see my pics and diagnose me?

I'll have a look. My big toe nail fell off two months ago (hit it with a suitcase while wearing sandals last September) so I am fully qualified.

Yes! Ok, pic to follow...

Et voila. The shininess is from tea tree oil, I am not oozing.

Will I die? Will I loose my toe, like a pobble?

That's the reverse side of my late toenail there. Pretty, isn't it?

Eurghhhh!

Ahem. My toenail fell off (due to the impact of a very heavy paving block) when I was 8 and grew back normally - in fact I can't remember which side it was now. However, mine was healthy before that.

I doubt you'll lose your toe, but I'd be interested to see if you generate another toenail. Maybe best to see a GP, but it's not an emergency.

You're not diabetic, are you?

Mine didn't look like that .

You could ask a pharmacist if there's anything they suggest putting on it? Just an idea if you don't want to try the gp yet.

Maybe the old one was holding water in and making the new one soggy. Mine was finally held on at the side so I suppose it drained better.

Not diabetic, but I only have 1 kidney hence not being able to use anti fungals. I think the nail was holding water, yes. I had to sort of press it out before.

Maybe I'll go to a pharmacist, yes. Probably I should book a podiatrist appt, but I'd just be picking a name off Google, I have no idea who to go to!

toofar did yours have the sort of dip in it?

Yes, it's certainly not flat. It's growing all jagged as well but it's not long enough to cut yet. I've let the toe next to it grow longer to help protect the big one!

Hmm, one of my toenails is just coming off too but it doesn't look like that (it's sort of whiteish underneath, but basically like a normal nail). I would get it checked out tbh, even if it's not urgent.

Ooh you think checked out too. Hmmm. Maybe I am too lax re toenails, perhaps that is why I am rotting toe-out?

Plaintive bump in case there are any kindly podiatrists or chiropodists who want to reassure me that I am not going to be a 1 legged zebra.

Ok, I am one, what would you like to know?

Hurrah! Ok, so in my pic, posted above, there is sort of dent in my toe bed where the nail has gone. Is that dodgy? Do I just keep clean and it will come good, or do I need to book an appt somewhere?

Well you have two options:
you could have the remaining nail removed to see if a new non fungally infected toenail regrows. See a podiatrist privately to do that.

You coud leave it.

There is nothing that needs to be done for it at the mo, but it does look fungally infected as you say and the nail is distorted from the infection. Occasionally fungally infected nails fall off. Don't worry about that.
Does that helps?

Looking again at the nail, it could be that it would never grow normally. The matrix of the nail (where the nail grows from) may be irrevocably damaged. Sorry - did you damage it originally before the fungal infection set in, if so how?

Yeah, originally originally it was damaged (in a very identifying manner!) when I was in the tropics, and some wood from a river went under my nail - so it was damaged and infected. I've had the nail cut out once, but perhaps it should be done again and they put that stuff on so that it never grows back? I've also since had a fair bit of radiotherapy and I believe that that can also have an effect on nails too?

Thank you for your advice. What I am taking from it is that there is nothing super dodgy that needs to be looked at asap, but it would be good to get it looked at by a podiatrist to get it sorted for the longer term?

Correct - nothing dodgy. I suspect the only thing a podiatrist would be able to do was remove it in its entirety an stop it growing back.

There are podiatrists out there that fit artificial nails now. I don't know of any personally but that could be worth investigating?