Please help, it hurts so much

[Annoyingsquirrels]

I had a fingernail removed yesterday and nail bed repair after removing a benign tumor below. The pain today is excruciating (I have had 2 home births and this is worse). I took codeine but couldn't sleep or concentrate on anything else. Just wondering if anyone has any experience of how long the pain might last?

Also I was given zero aftercare other than told to remove the dressing at home at 5 days and then put vasceline on it. I am wondering how I can do this when I assume the dressing is stuck to the nail bed? I googled it and other trusts all seem to have follow up appointments to redress, I was told to just take paracetamol and get on with it. Any ideas?

I'm replying mostly to bump this for you. My only advice is obvious stuff you may have thought of: alternating ibuprofen and codeine to keep on top of the pain. Could you apply heat or an ice pack?

When it comes to the dressing I'd be inclined to gently try removing it at home but call the GP at the first sign of trouble.

You can book in with the practice nurse at your surgery for a wound check/dressing change on the 5 days. Depending on what dressing they put on it might not be stuck to it. The practice nurse won’t be able to help pain wise though. It’s going to hurt, it won’t last forever, hang on in there! And maybe take fybogel daily if you’re taking codeine because you don’t want to be suffering horrendous constipation on top of finger pain!
Wishing you a speedy recovery

Personally I would ring 101 to see if you can get an emergency appointment with a view to getting stronger meds and something to help you sleep over the next couple of days. I was given a couple of packs of these after hand surgery: that was on tendons so nowhere near as many nerve endings involved!

I've had toe and fingernails removed and the healing of the fingernail was excruciating because the hard skin pushes on the wound.
I contacted a podiatrist who gave me the best aftercare advice. I was given these hydrogel type pads that soften the skin when it's healing.
Something to consider is that most aren't insured for fingers but it's essentially healing advice.
You could also try plastics/burns for healing advice.

When taking the dressing off I'd boil water with salt and leave it to cool then bathe the finger in it to allow the dressing to come off.

Thanks all. That is a good idea about contacting the GP, I think I will try to get a nurse to look at it and to do the dressing removal. Soaking it first sounds like a good idea but I am worried if I do this and it still will not come off it will get infected.

I took the outer bandage off this morning. I think part of the pain was becuase it was constricting blood flow. The finger was bluish purple underneath but is returning to a more normal colour now and the thobbing pain has subsiding (just now a more stabbing pain in the nail area).

There are so many nerves at your finger tips - no wonder you are in pain.

You can take paracetamol, ibuprofen and codeine together. But as your OTC codeine will be in combination with paracetamol, you will only alternate two sets of tablets.

Take a dose of each every 3 hours,
eg
co-codamol at 7am
Ibuprofen at 10am
co-codamol at 1pm
Ibuprofen at 4pm
co-codamol at 7pm
Ibuprofen at 10pm

Then start again the following morning.

This is not the max dosage for each of these painkillers, so you could take them slightly closer together, or start the day's doses earlier, or finish them later.

Do you have a Tens machine? It could help. If you do, google finger dermatome to find out where to place the pads.

If the dressing sticks when you try to remove it, soak your finger in warm water to dissolve the scab and help the dressing to separate from it.

Yes, hydrogel plasters once you've removed the dressing.

It sounds really painful you poor thing. I agree with the above suggestion about seeing the nurse at your GP’s to take the dressing off. They can give you advice on what to do with it afterwards too. Hope it eases for you soon.

@WartOrNot that is a good thought about the tens machine. I will see if my one from childbirth still works.

Are the hydrogel plasters ok for wet wounds or just when the nail bed has healed over? I read the melolin ones were recommended for nail bed injuries as they allow for drainage.

You basically want to keep it soft whilst it's healing. You're right about the tight bandage constricting the flow.
I'd use hydrocell or aqua cell. The nurse will give good advice but they'll have the basic nhs supplies and some of the stuff used in burns and plastics and used by podiatrists costs a lot. They won't be available in gp prep rooms.

If you do it yourself. Soak it, it'll come off. Pat dry. Make sure it is dry. Use a patch of hydrocell,aqua cell, iodine over the nail bed. Then you can dress in a normal melonin plaster. Cut the top and the sides into a v and gently cross the sides over so it's secure but not stupidly tight.