multiple swollen lymph nodes only in left armpit

[caitlinn]

hi, this is my first time posting on here as i’m normally able to find reassurance by reading threads with similar symptoms but this time i can’t seem to find anyone in my exact situation, i know how many threads there are on lymph nodes so i do apologise if i’m not meant to make my own but this is the only thing i can think of to reassure me. i tend to ramble so i apologise if this ends up being a really long post and i’ll be really greatful to anyone who takes the time to read and reply.
some background info: i’m a 17 year old girl, i got cbt for anxiety when i was 15 but my anxiety got worse again so i’m back in cbt now, not really working right now evidently lol,
so about a month ago i noticed a swollen node in my left armpit while shaving, panicked for a bit then left it alone and thought it went down. however a few days ago while shaving i thought that armpit still seemed generally more swollen than my right so i felt about and noticed multiple nodes, i’m not sure if it includes the one i noticed earlier, i think that one was further up. there are about 2 or 3 nodes in the middle to lower part of my armpit. if i simply press on my armpit it feels like a general large lump but if i start feeling about with two fingers i can sort of ‘pick up’ the nodes between my fingers, not sure how to explain it ?? they don’t feel massive, one feels bigger than the other but i can also feel the layer of fat on top which is probably distorting the size. i can move the nodes if i hold them between my two fingers, but not anywhere i want, just a bit to the left and right. they feel hard and painless which is what worries me.
i understand nodes can swell for any reason, but the reason i’m worried is because it’s ONLY the left armpit, i felt really deep into my right one and couldn’t find any nodes, so if it was to do with shaving or deodorant surely both arms would be affected ??? also, i haven’t been noticeably unwell (i generally feel rundown due to a poor diet and exercise, which i’m working on) and i don’t have an infection that i know of. also i’m slim and i know it’s said slim people can feel their glands, but surely i would feel them on both sides, and these also don’t require me to dig around, the armpit is visibly larger.
i understand only a dr can diagnose me, i am going to book an appointment but i likely won’t get one until next week so i’m hoping for some reassurance until then, eg any ideas of benign causes or anything, i know lymphoma is rare in someone my age, i actually looked up the statistics and there’s less than 100 cases of each type in the uk annually for my age group, but in my mind those cases still exist if that makes sense.
again i’m sorry if this is not how posts are meant to be made, ive never posted before and i apologise for the long message and if i’ve done anything wrong in terms of format, i would greatly appreciate any insight from anyone, thank you !

[caitlinn]

sorry to be pushy, i understand this is a common thread topic that probably gets annoying but this worry is honestly taking over my life, i know no one can diagnose me but i was just hoping someone would be able to give me some benign causes that sound like my issue, or anyone who’s had a similar experience which has turned out to be nothing, sorry for going on i’m just really worried

[nomorepanic]

They don't have to be in both armpits - there is nothing odd about it being in just one.


I would watch and see but if you are really worried then see your GP.

[caitlinn]

They don't have to be in both armpits - there is nothing odd about it being in just one.


I would watch and see but if you are really worried then see your GP.

thank you so much for replying, i really appreciate it.
i think the reason i’m worried is because i have no reason for them to be swollen in terms of illness, and they’re definitely swollen and not just palpable

[nomorepanic]

I used to have loads in my neck when I was in my 20's and no reason for them and in time they went.


I just got used to them being there and never questioned why.


I guess some people just get them enlarged.

[Fishmanpa]

Some cold hard facts from an oral cancer survivor.

We have 500-700 nodes in our bodies. Poke and prod enough and you're bound to find a few. They can vary in size from less than a BB to 2cm and that's "normal".

Poking and prodding can and does cause swelling. Too much can make them permanently swollen (shotty).

Most people have no clue what they're feeling nor can accurately gauge the size. Even trained medical professionals cannot 100% accurately do so without the help of ultrasounds or CT scans.

Anxiety will skew reality. There are those that say things like "I've had swollen nodes for months (or years)". That's simply not reality.

IMO, there's nothing there but normal nodes that are just doing their job being nodes. They're your body's little gland army, ready and waiting to tackle bugs and infections. You're doing what again, IMO, is what most folks with HA do... hone in on some niggle or physical feature that's probably always been there but you just started noticing it or were self examining and found something. Besides, at your age? Nahhh... wouldn't sweat it.

Not a doc but just someone that's seen the pattern and knows a little bit about nodes That being said, keep your hands off of it!

Positive thoughts

[caitlinn]

I used to have loads in my neck when I was in my 20's and no reason for them and in time they went.


I just got used to them being there and never questioned why.


I guess some people just get them enlarged.

yeah my mum’s actually said she gets nodes going up and down all the time with some staying up so it could just be that, i think i’ll book a dr’s appointment next week just to check if they feel normal because to me they feel hard and painless which is what worries me, so hopefully if a professional says they’re ok i’ll stop worrying

---------- Post added at 00:37 ---------- Previous post was at 00:36 ----------

Some cold hard facts from an oral cancer survivor.



IMO, there's nothing there but normal nodes that are just doing their job being nodes. They're your body's little gland army, ready and waiting to tackle bugs and infections. You're doing what again, IMO, is what most folks with HA do... hone in on some niggle or physical feature that's probably always been there but you just started noticing it or were self examining and found something. Besides, at your age? Nahhh... wouldn't sweat it.

Not a doc but just someone that's seen the pattern and knows a little bit about nodes That being said, keep your hands off of it!

Positive thoughts

thank you so much for replying, i do agree i’m worrying a bit too much about something very unlikely at my age but someone i know who’s only a year older than me has recently been diagnosed which has freaked me out a bit, but of course that’s just a very rare case and i’m likely just getting myself worked up for nothing

[caitlinn]

update: just hoping for reassurance again, so it’s been nearly a month now and i still haven’t went to the drs, i decided to wait and see if it goes away as i imagined the dr would just tell me to do that anyway, the node is still there, i’m like 99% sure it hasn’t got bigger, the armpit in general feels less swollen but that could just be that i’ve got used to it ?? and the node i’m pretty sure has either stayed the same or got slightly smaller, but it still feels the same and everything. i’m going to hopefully get a drs appointment next week but in the meantime i was hoping for a bit more reassurance, i know no one can diagnose me but i’m just wondering if the fact that it definitely hasn’t got bigger, or at least noticeably is a good sign? i’m not sure how fast anything bad would get bigger, and also the fact that it’s still there after nearly a month worries me, as i feel like if it was just a normal swelling it would be gone by now or at least have significantly shrunk to the point where i can actually tell whether it’s shrunk or stayed the same.
once again appreciate any response anyone has to just hold me out while i wait to see a doctor !

[anxious123]

any updates on how you're doing? i am a very similar age and a similar situation with anxiety over multiple hard nodes

[caitlinn]

any updates on how you're doing? i am a very similar age and a similar situation with anxiety over multiple hard nodes

i’ve still not went to the doctors because the node is still the same size if not smaller, can’t really tell and i won’t be able to go for like three weeks now as i’m going on holiday so i suppose if it’s still there by the time i get back i should be concerned as that’s been 2 months, but the fact that it hasn’t gotten bigger at all is reassuring me. I wouldn’t worry though unless it does get bigger, but if you can’t stop worrying it won’t do any harm to get some reassurance from the doctor :-)