Hi Vanessa--

I was coming on today to post about this same subject! In the past week, both of my daughter's big toes have had symptoms of ingrown toenails. My other daughter a few years ago has had surgery on both of her big toes for ingrown nails so I can help with what to do--I was just wondering if this is a common thing with RSD as it has happened before .

First, make sure your shoes fit really well and keep your nails trimmed--the straighter the edge, the better.

Soak your feet in epsom salt and warm water at least three times a day and gently pull the soften nail up after each soak. My daughter adds essential oils-lavendar and tea tree oil to the water. We put Neosporin on it after each soak which will help with the infection. You may need to get an antibiotic for it. They also have an ear--yep an ear drop that you put on it after surgery to keep the infection and pain down.

A podiatrist is the dr you might want to talk to, but with RSD, probably check with your main dr. Our podiatrist was more interested in the RSD than the toenail! Also, because of the RSD, we really took the slower road of soaking etc than surgery. Keep a close eye on it because infection can get nasty.

Good luck!

Hi there Vanessa,

It is really important that you see a doctor soon to get some antibiotic for the infection as it can become a huge problem on a CRPS foot.
Even without CRPS we must never try to deal with our own ingrown toenails as whilst it may appear that you have cut the nail from the skin there is nail left under the nail bed at the side and this will invariably get infected.
A good podiatrist should always cut the nails of someone with CRPS as they are usually in such awful condition we can make a real mess of them.
As rsdmom says a good soaking will help and perhaps the application of some Betadine but seeing as there is already pus there you do need either local or oral antibiotics.
Hope you are better soon
Tayla

Thanks a lot, Katherine and Tayla!! I appreciate it.

I am going to a podiatrist tomorrow. I was wondering if you know the name of the antibiotic they use to treat this infection? I'd like to look it up, and see if it interferes with any of my medications ahead of time.

I am preparing myself for a battle: first, describing to this doctor what RSD is, and how this will affect the healing of my toe and secondly I have to tell him what medications I am on and I am pretty certain that he's going to raise his eye brows at them. I am on Methadone, Darvocet, Neurontin, Lyrica, Baclofen. Amitriptyline, Lidocaine patches and I am just coming off Valium (taking it in AM).

I have never been to this doctor so have no clue if he knows what RSD even IS! So, expecting the worst and hoping the best!!

Hi,
I don't mean to scare anyone with this but I have a good friend (he does not have RSD) he tried to take care of an ingrown toenail himself and got an awful infection. He didn't go to the drs. and ened up losing his leg up to his knee. He continus to have very bad health problems because of this and a once healthy person is now totaly disabled.The problems with RSD are bad enough. Please call your dr. right away or go to the er.

Sue K.

Hi, IHH! I've missed your posts, hon. My fault not yours, been sick and in major pain lately.

You hit a timely subject, at least for me. I had a dr.s appt the other day, and one thing I had to discuss was warts on my feet. (I got them from the aids). I also have four ingrown and thick toenails, they've been that way for many years now... since about two years after I got the rsd.

Well, Dr. said she needed to "burn off" the warts, and then send me to a podiatrist to deal with them and the ingrown toenails. I said sure, not knowing any better.

It turns out "burning off" is actually "freezing them off" with dry ice stuff in a mace-type can!! It was hurting like holy heck, but I just did my usual "grin and bear it" routine. She finally noticed how much it was hurting, and stated that she had never seen anyone hurt so much during treatment, it was usually too numb from the cold to hurt!!

I about came up off the table at her. I almost yelled, Deb, what on earth were you thinking?? You know better than to use ice on an rsd patient! She had the grace to turn beet red and say "OMG, I never thought of it that way, I absolutely should NOT have done that" Well, that helps a lotttt <sarcastic grin> Deb, gee thanks. Is that apology going to make the pain any less? (Obviously not, I had it done on the 20th and feet are still killing me)

So, I am totally looking forward to finding out what happens when you go to the podiatrist. I'll get lots of good tips for my upcoming visit!

I sure didn't mean not to go to the dr-- it is extremely important-especially if it is infected, but wanted to let you know what to do in the mean time.

I don't know the particular name of the antibiotic- but I do think taking your list is a great idea. I always take literature from RSDSA and RSDHope to the appointment and if I didn't get to drop it off a day early, I give it to the nurse to give to the dr before they see us so we can talk about it right away and the materials really help them take us seriously. My daughter and family were fortunate to be in the RSDSA newsletters so I have a couple copies of those that seem to help open the conversation.

I am glad that you brought up warts Rogue because my daughter has one and I have avoided having it looked at. Tell me if you find an alternative to freezing or cutting it out.

Thanks so much, RSDmom!! I really appreciate all your help!

I got the feeling you were telling me to go to a podiatrist as well as the alternative treatment.

Thanks, you've really helped me!

Oh no! Another problem to deal with! I wish you the best of luck on your appointment tomorrow. Maybe he can cut the nail along the side so it doesn't grow into the skin again. I had this done (pre RSD) and it has been fine ever since.
Linmarie

Alternative treatment for wart removal: Duct tape. I kid you not. Medical studies have found that duct tape is as effective. It just takes longer.
Duct tape for the treatment of common warts in adults: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.
Arch Dermatol. 2007 Mar;143(3):309-13.Duct tape for the treatment of common warts in adults: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.CONCLUSION: We found no statistically significant difference between duct tape and moleskin for the treatment of warts in an adult population.
Clinical inquiries. What nonpharmacological treatments are effective against common nongenital warts? J Fam Pract. 2006 Sep;55(9):801-2. "Duct tape may be equivalent to cryotherapy"

I hate ingrowing nails. I am a specialist at getting them. Mum deals with them - well, she is a nurse.. she just gets char or the carer to sit on me, picks my foot up and starts attacking it. Generally with a scalpel or a pair of scissors (I don't know if anyone gets large lumps of dead skin on their feet which goes black and falls off?) and then when she's cut round them she goes in for the nail, makes a triangle and then pulls both ends out and then soaks my feet in theatre antispetic, wraps them in clingfilm and leaves. It works and it's because the drs make such a mess of them and otherwise I end up with infections all the way up my legs so it's not good. There are only so many times you can get septiciema!!

but if you don't have my mum. Then go to the drs..

love ya

Froggsy xxxx