Dd ingrown toenail - help!

[daisychain124]

12yo dd has ingrown toenails on both her big toes. We went to the GP a couple of months ago who gave us Fusidic acid cream to apply as the skin surrounding the toe was inflamed but it’s not really made any difference. The GP said she might have to come back and see about getting them cut out.

Dd is autistic. I dislike using this term but she is seen as ‘high functioning’ and has no problems with understanding medical stuff. But she has always been absolutely terrified of being hurt and anyone touching any injuries she has. I’ve explained to her countless times that if she let me trim both nails it will make a world of difference but she won’t let me anywhere near them. I get her to sit and soak her feet in warm water but that’s as far as I can get.

She remembers what the GP said about maybe having the nails cut by them (or whoever does it) and she’s also refusing to go back to see them too.

Any ideas what else I can do about it? They are causing her a lot of bother at the minute.

My son (who has autism) had his removed (well a strip down each side) at the hospital under local anaesthetic aged 10. He did find it painful and they offered general anaesthetic but he chose to have it done awake, he is now 13 and they’ve been completely fine since. He was relieved and pleased to have had it done. I think all you can do is keep talking to her and trying to explain that without proper intervention they will end up seriously infected.

I would also go back to the doctor - they can prescribe oral antibiotics if they’re infected. My son had several course whilst waiting for the hospital appointment.

My DS had two in growing toenails and a fear of the GP or anyone touching them.

I got him to use a cotton bud to gently slide under the mid part of the toenail and see how far to the edge he could move the cotton bud. Stop when it hurts etc. Doing it every night for 10 mins he gradually managed to get the cotton bud to the edge of the nail and ease it out of the swollen skin. Then we worked hard on not cutting/picking the nails too low so that the nail didn’t ingrow again.

I had an autistic student who was the same. It took ten years and her toe was an absolute mess before she consented to see chiropody. It impacted on every part of her daily life and even stopped her dancing on occasions but it STILL took ten years! Unfortunately I think this is a natural consequence thing. They will hurt her and get infected repeatedly until she consents to getting them sorted out.