Also known as Onychophagia
Onychophagia (also onychophagy) or nail biting, is a common oral compulsive habit (sometimes described as a parafunctional activity) in children and adults.
Source: WikipediaWithin all the people who go to their doctor with nailbiting, 80% report having depression, 63% report having nightmares, and 63% report having irregular appearing nails.
Patients with nailbiting often receive psychotherapy, mental health counseling, incision and drainage, standard pregnancy test, corneal transplant, transurethral resection of prostate (turp), coronary thrombolysis and control of epistaxis .
The most commonly prescribed drugs for patients with nailbiting include loratadine (claritin), hydroxyzine, citalopram (celexa), trazodone, quetiapine (seroquel), memantine (namenda), bacitracin (septa), ciprofloxacin, acetic acid, air, acebutolol, dalfampridine (ampyra) and polymyxin b sulfate .
Loratadine (Claritin) | $7 (28 days) | |
Hydroxyzine | $23 (28 days) | |
Citalopram (Celexa) | $9 (28 days) | |
Trazodone | $7 (28 days) | |
Quetiapine (Seroquel) | $290 (28 days) | |
Memantine (Namenda) | $157 (28 days) | |
Bacitracin (Septa) | $64 (14 days) | |
Ciprofloxacin | $7 (7 days) | |
Acetic Acid | $31 (14 days) | |
Air | ||
Acebutolol | $17 (28 days) | |
Dalfampridine (Ampyra) | $1010 (28 days) | |
Polymyxin B Sulfate |
Groups of people at highest risk for nailbiting include age 75+ years, age 5-14 years, race/ethnicity = black and age 15-29 years. On the other hand, age 30-44 years, race/ethnicity = hispanic, and age 60-74 years almost never get nailbiting.
< 1 years | 0.2x | |
1-4 years | 0.1x | |
5-14 years | 3.3x | |
15-29 years | 2.3x | |
30-44 years | 0.0x | |
45-59 years | 0.7x | |
60-74 years | 0.0x | |
75+ years | 1.6x |
Male | 1.3x | |
Female | 0.7x |
Black | 2.2x | |
Hispanic | 0.0x | |
White | 0.9x | |
Other | 0.1x |