Top Ways to Manage Nail Side Effects of Taxotere

After you received the life-changing diagnosis that you have cancer, you likely dealt with a swirl of emotions and worry. Your doctors discussed your treatment plan with you and you geared up in preparation to fight your cancer battle.

Part of your treatment plan included chemotherapy, and you began your treatments with hopes that it would be successful and you would win your cancer fight. For your chemotherapy treatment, you were given the drug Taxotere, which resulted in more adverse side effects than expected.

If this sounds like your story, you are not alone, and we at Hotze Runkle PLLC are here to help. Take our Online Case Evaluation Quiz to find out if you qualify to file a lawsuit and receive compensation for your injuries.

How Taxotere Causes Nail Side Effects

Taxotere belongs to the class of drugs called taxanes. Taxanes, like Docetaxel (the drug name for Taxotere), are commonly used for chemotherapy to inhibit cancer cell growth. Taxanes are strong drugs and can produce many uncomfortable and severe side effects.

Taxotere has been known to cause painful nail side effects in chemotherapy patients. Researchers have conducted case studies that have shown how Taxotere has affected the nails of patients who took Taxotere.

In a study included in the Yonsei Medical Journey, a chemotherapy patient was reported to have received Taxotere to treat breast cancer. After receiving Taxotere intravenously, she began developing hematomas in her fingernail beds along with experiencing discharge coming from her nail beds. Subsequently, her nails began separating from her nail beds. Four months following her receiving Taxotere, her nails had also rotted and changed colors.

Ways to Combat Nail Side Effects

While there aren’t ways to reverse the nail side effects caused by Taxotere, there are a few things that may help to minimize some of the damage done to your nails and to promote nail health. You may find some of the following tips helpful:

• Hydrate your nails – You may try soaking your nails in natural oils such as coconut or olive oil. Both oils are excellent moisturizers and may help hydrate your nails if you’re experiencing brittle and cracked nails.
• Protect your nails – Do your best to baby your nails. Wear gloves often when handling strong chemicals like cleaning products and when you’re outside. Wearing gloves outside can protect your nails from sun exposure which can be damaging to nails that are already experiencing trauma.
• Trim and clean – It may seem counterproductive since your nails are likely already brittle, discolored, and breaking, but by keeping your nails clean and trimmed, you can reduce the risk that they’ll become infected. Because you are a cancer patient and are immunocompromised as a result, you may be more prone to infections.
• Avoid acetone – You may want to mask any discoloration of your nails by painting them, which is perfectly okay to do. But be sure to avoid any use of acetone when removing your nail polish, as acetone is a drying substance and can further damage nails that are already brittle.

Other Taxotere Side Effects

There are other common side effects that chemotherapy patients who received Taxotere have reported experiencing. Some of these side effects include:

• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Watery eyes, or canalicular stenosis
• Anemia
• Low white blood cell count
• Diarrhea
• Hair loss
• Mouth sores
• Fluid retention
• Numbness in the fingers and toes

Read more about some guidelines you should follow to protect family and caregivers from experiencing similar symptoms.

Canalicular stenosis, or watery eyes, is a side effect of Taxotere that has afflicted many chemotherapy patients who were prescribed the drug. Despite this side effect being well-documented in the medical community, many doctors (because they, too, were uninformed) failed to inform their cancer patients of this serious, irreversible side effect so that their patients could make an informed decision whether to proceed with being given the chemotherapy drug.

This is why the injury attorneys at Hotze Runkle PLLC are fighting to hold the pharmaceutical makers of the drug accountable for intentionally not disclosing these serious side effects.

Call Hotze Runkle PLLC

If you or someone you love has had to fight the hard battle of cancer, and as a result, has had to deal with the severe side effects of the chemotherapy drug Taxotere, you may be entitled to significant compensation. If you have experienced uncomfortable and painful nail side effects from using Taxotere, call the injury attorneys at Hotze Runkle PLLC.

We have experience representing injured victims from all across the United States who have been harmed by dangerous pharmaceutical drugs. We may be able to help you get the compensation you may be owed from the manufacturer of Taxotere. They had an obligation to inform you, by way of your physician, of the drug’s debilitating side effects, and they didn’t. Because of their negligence, they may be liable for compensating you.

When you work with us, we can also help inform and educate your doctors about the case, preventing the cycle from continuing and helping you to get the kind of medical care you need. This does not mean we will make decisions about your treatment, but we can advise you on how to speak with your doctors and how to gather all the documentation you need to support your case, including as much documentation as possible about any pre-existing conditions you may have had.

Learn more by visiting our Video FAQ page and then take the free Online Case Evaluation Quiz to get in touch with us and find out about your legal options.