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Thread: Swollen lymph nodes

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Posts
    190

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes

    For about 6 weeks now, I have had a pain in my left side (between my ribs and stomach)-- it has come and gone, but if I get in a certain position, there it is! I went to the doctor and upon initial exam he thought it was muscular, but decided to do an ultrasound anyway (obviously couldn't feel anything ominous during the initial exam). Well . . in the results it was noted my spleen was slightly enlarged and there was a lymph node sort of near my stomach, which he did say was common -- they come and go. But, he suggested since it is causing me pain, we do a CT scan on me. Again, that darn lymph node made itself known and he said it is a little large, but knowing that I am a worrier he reassured me that he wasn't concerned, but it would be best to do further testing . .. sooooooo, Friday I have to get an MRI done and at some point after that get it biopsied.
    I am scared-- I just don't know what is causing this freakish thing. I can come up with several awful diseases -- actually, google can! ha! I am just praying whatever it is can be fixed.
    I am not fatigued, and I haven't experienced the usual symptoms of lymphoma, which my doc said I would have experienced by now. AND, last year was a very difficult year for me health anxiety wise, so I went to the ER twice, and several doctors appointments and had lots of blood work (my last blood test was in October) and everything came back perfect. I would imagine my white blood cells would have been off if I was getting cancer, but I am not an expert. I just keep trying to reassure myself.
    Now, I am obsessively checking my body for more lymph nodes (now the right side of my neck feels larger than the left!) -- which isn't good because if I THINK I found one, I feel that adrenaline rush. I am constantly checking my temperature and weight to make sure I am not getting out of the ordinary fevers or suddenly losing weight. So far still no night sweats.
    I have been blessed with good health all my life, so this is new territory for me -- and really, once the doctors actually find something you kind of realize you were really healthy the whole time and it was your thoughts making you feel otherwise. I feel like an idiot for worrying about everything before. Now, I feel I have something to worry about, even though my doctor doesn't, he's just being cautious. I am just wanting this resolved. The unknown is the worst. I can't help but wonder if this is the beginning of the end for me. Or the beginning of the end of my health anxieties and a new, healthier life? Hugs, Wiskers ~
    __________________
    "Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint." -- Mark Twain.

    "We can't solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." Einstein

  2. #12

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes

    Your're not an idiot by worrying about your health. Problem is, if you look on the net, swollen lymph nodes seem to be bad news - we ignore the first line that says most lumps are okay. I'm worrying myself sick even though my blood tests were okay and it seems for ever before I get my ultra sound result. What does a swollen lymph gland actually feel like - does anyone know? Do they always stay enlarged if they don't go away in a few weeks? Are they normally tender/not tender? So many questions go around in your head till you feel sick. My neck is different on one side to the other - I think alot of people's are.

  3. #13

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes

    I'm new here, and firstly I'd just like to say its really reassuring to find a place on the internet where people seem to go through the same things I do. Every few months or so something goes slightly wrong with my body and i assume the worst. I'm absolutely terrified of serious illness and death, particularly the big C. Currently, the glands in my neck have been going up and down, and as usual, I've done soem searching on the internet. This is always a bad idea; I get so worried and anxious I can't relax, or be happy, or sleep. Searching for 'swollen glands' I ended up here; for the past 2-3 weeks the glands in my neck have been going up and down. I don't seem to have any symptoms, although I fear I may be having problems with my testicle again; I may/may not have a cyst and/or it may be prone to infection. Over the past two days I've been getting the occassional muscle aches in my arms and legs but reason that they may be to do with the glands in my groin and armpits? Again, I'd just like to say how happy I am I found this site and to know that other people seem to get themselves so wound up from 'cyberchondria'.

    Thanks,

    Alexander

  4. #14

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes

    Hi all

    Had a swollen lymph node on the right side of my neck for a month now and made the massive mistake of putting that into google.....wow. I think its a disgrace how a lot of these self-diagnosis websites seem to spend most of their time telling us its probably cancer and we're going to die, rather than the alternatives. I spent hours searching for stats and found that the chance of myself (26 year old male) developing lymphoma is only 0.4%!!

    Firstly i should say that the node is rather large (about 2.5cm in diameter), smooth and flat like a pebble, but i can sort of move it around. What is a little worrying is that it was tender for a few days but weeks later its still big and not tender at all, and because of that i'm going back to the doctor's in about 3 weeks (just to give it a little more time to go down). It did happen when i started seeing my girlfriend though, and it could possibly be glandular fever, which would explain why penicillin isn't working as its a viral infection.

    Anyway keep calm guys and remember loads of infections can cause your nodes to swell up. Even if it turns out to be serious this website has made me feel a hell of a lot better!

  5. #15

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes

    Hi,

    I know this is very late compared to everyone elses reply.
    but I had swollen lymph nodes in my neck and it ended up that I had Kikuchi disease, which is a very rare self limiting disease - They are still not sure of the cause. It can last up to 6 months which happened in my case. I wasn't ill with it but people can have fever. I had swollen Lymph glands, joint pain and dryness in my mouth.The only way that it can be diagnosed is through a Lymph node biopsy as FNA does not always show anything. Differential diagnosis is SLE and lymphoma

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    55

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes

    I went through this exact same thing 2 years ago. Had several enlarged nodes, doc was concerned and ordered an array of tests. I had blood tests and a CT scan of my neck. The scan confirmed the nodes were larger than normal but not malignant. Never knew the cause, eventually they went down. At the time I was totally panicked, could not stop worrying about lymphoma. Sometimes we just dont know the cause of enlarged glands. They fight infection in our body and we dont always know what triggers them to enlarge. I still find that when I get enlarged nodes if I have a cold, and even one time I had an enlarged node for something as minor as a cut! As long as the doc has checked you out and your tests are normal, no need to worry. GIve it time, the nodes will eventually settle down. Sometimes once they are inflamed it takes a lot longer for them to return to "normal" size.

  7. #17

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes, 21 female and a bit scared!

    Hello! I hope someone reads this soon I'm freaking out a bit. Ive had a swollen lymph node in the left hand side of my neck for as long as I can remember, I used to suffer from a lot of tonsillitis when I was little and assumed it has just remained swollen since then. I also have one under my jaw which must be about 2cm, again I assumed this was because of tonsilitis.

    I went to the doctors back in October about some back pain (recently been diagnosed with a few small lypomas which can be felt because I'm quite petite, and a schmorls node which has been causing some pain)....I mentioned these nodes at my appointment because I had googled (bad I know!) and read that swollen lymph nodes and back pain can sometimes mean something quite scary, ie the C word.

    I had some blood work done and they found a slightly raised white blood count of around 12,000, which in a follow up blood test has decreased to around 11,000. I recently have found two more swollen nodes either side of my neck, in the same position, although these are really teeny, smaller than a pea.

    I'm just scared really, and I blame over thinking and google! But I read about these people, who have such symptoms and it turns out to be dreadful! Any suggestions or reassurance would be amazing right now.
    Thankyou

  8. #18

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes

    The probability of cancer is sufficiently low that I wouldn't worry, particularly given the apparent time lapse between onset of the original symptom and now. White blood cell count can be affected even by fairly trivial infections and lymph nodes sometimes also swell as a result of those minor illnesses.

    As an ED/A&E nurse once passed on to me, "There are only two things in life I don't worry about: the things I can control, because I can make them better, and the things beyond my control, because worrying won't help anyway."

    Your physician invested sufficient time and energy getting their medical degree that they likely know what they're doing. If there were anything to be concerned over, the physician would order additional testing. If you're particularly bothered, you may want to call up and ascertain whether a biopsy or other diagnostic test would be feasible.

  9. #19

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes

    True, deep down I know this, and I know to trust a qualified GP rather than all these stories on the internet! It does cause the mind to wonder though and for me to search for symptoms.
    I've recently been getting occasional chest pains, that last no more than a few seconds at a time which I know are most likely due to the stress of all this than anything else! I also read this could be because of swollen lymph nodes, however this pain is felt right under the skin, almost on the bone and I can feel no lumps or bumps there.

    Its all happening at a time when I'm moving house and starting a new job and this is really putting a dampener on what should be an exciting time to be honest! I have an ultra sound next week and I'm praying thatll be the end of it! Sorry to moan, thank you for your response, its reassuring to know other people are in the same boat!

    Is it possible to just have large lymph nodes? Especially after a childhood which was interrupted by tonsillitis at least every 6 months! (seem to have grown out of it now- touch wood, not had a bout of it for almost 2 years yet these pesky glands are still swollen!)

  10. #20

    Re: Swollen lymph nodes

    Hi all. First off, let me say that I have had swollen lymph nodes on only one side of my neck for about 12 years. There is no ryme or reason for this, however after 12 years and doing a hell of a lot of Google panic research ( by the way all tests come back negative or normal ) I have come to the invariable conclusion that because I had a surgery on my lower spine when I was 13 years old, that I may have a slow lymph system. Evidently the Lumbar region can effect this. What I would like to convey here today, is that after 12 years of panic and anxiety, I have finally found a website that actually calms me down and makes me think that life isn't so bad after all. Thank you all for your courageous posts, now I know I am not alone. There are so many things that can effect your lymph nodes and not be a life threatening problem. One thing is for sure though, we can all use a little relax a therapy when first we Google to diagnose. Again, thank you all, and I am thinking it is a bit ironic that this is a U.K. website, probably because I am an old Red Coat at heart and I guess I am truly an imperialist.
    Anyway, GOD bless you all, and may all of your lymph problems be non fatal.

    I leave you with this prayer, it always helps me so much:

    Praise you LORD GOD of gods, to YOU goes glory, honor, and dominion, all things LORD. I Love you LORD GOD of gods. Thank you LORD GOD of gods.
    Last edited by Frederick1337; 12-05-14 at 05:55. Reason: mis spell

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