Lymph node anxiety...

[LeiaL]

Hi all!

I'm new here, though I've been suffering from health anxiety on and off for a number of years. I had it under control for a while, but then the past few weeks, it's come flaring up again.

Basically for about 2-3 weeks, I've had swollen lymph nodes on both sides of my neck, sort of under my ears/jaw bone. The one on the right is not very big at all, but the one on the left is sort of sausage-shaped and fluctuates in size, up to about 1.5 to 2 cm in the evenings sometimes. I also have a slightly stuffy (but not painful) ear on that side, I don't have a throat ache or sinus issues or anything though, but I sneeze a bit sometimes. In short: I'm not really ill and I'm super worried these nodes have been up for a while now.

I did go see the doctor three days ago, she felt my neck and seemed to think my nodes weren't particularly swollen at all, basically prescribed my an antibiotic for my ear (which doesn't seem to be especially working...) and sent me on my way, told me I'd probably been having a virus for a bit too because lots of people are ill, to make sure to get plenty of vitamins and exercise, etc. This reassured me... for about six hours, and then I started Googling and worrying and freaking out again. Obviously I've also been poking at these lymph nodes hard for about 1.5 weeks now, which also probably doesn't help...

So basically, any advice re: how to overcome this? It's really getting in the way of my day to day productivity, making me anxious, keeping me awake, etc. It's just awful and I'm not sure how to cope. I'm getting married in six months and can't stop thinking that I'm probably lethally ill and will die soon, etc. It's so awful.

Thanks so much for any help or advice you can offer.

[Fishmanpa]

From a previous reply to another "node" post...

I've stated this information several times over here. I know nodes as my cancer involved them. I had more than 25 removed from my neck!

.....unless you actually excise the node from it's location, the notion of saying they're 2cm or some other size is frankly ridiculous. Even trained medical professionals can only estimate and those that are experienced and good at it (like oncologists) get pretty close but don't nail it. The nodes in my neck were estimated to be around 4cm when I went in for surgery (from doctors estimates and ultrasounds). Turns out they were over 5+cm when all was said and done as the cancer had made them grow and invade surrounding muscle and blood vessels. So please, when you post about your nodes, don't include your uneducated guesses

Let's also address poking and prodding. Doing so can and does make a node swell. Continually doing so can cause the node to go shotty (permanently swollen). Keep your hands and fingers off of them!

Positive thoughts

[Mav]

Nodes that fluctuate aren't something to worry about.

I understand the last part, my cousin is getting married in 5 months and it should be such an extremely happy time for me (it is for the rest of the family) but here I am focusing on a stupid swollen lymph node in my neck and covinced that a diagnosis is around the corner.

Heath anxiety is dreadful :(

[PASchoolSyndrome]

Hi all!

I'm new here, though I've been suffering from health anxiety on and off for a number of years. I had it under control for a while, but then the past few weeks, it's come flaring up again.

Basically for about 2-3 weeks, I've had swollen lymph nodes on both sides of my neck, sort of under my ears/jaw bone. The one on the right is not very big at all, but the one on the left is sort of sausage-shaped and fluctuates in size, up to about 1.5 to 2 cm in the evenings sometimes. I also have a slightly stuffy (but not painful) ear on that side, I don't have a throat ache or sinus issues or anything though, but I sneeze a bit sometimes. In short: I'm not really ill and I'm super worried these nodes have been up for a while now.

I did go see the doctor three days ago, she felt my neck and seemed to think my nodes weren't particularly swollen at all, basically prescribed my an antibiotic for my ear (which doesn't seem to be especially working...) and sent me on my way, told me I'd probably been having a virus for a bit too because lots of people are ill, to make sure to get plenty of vitamins and exercise, etc. This reassured me... for about six hours, and then I started Googling and worrying and freaking out again. Obviously I've also been poking at these lymph nodes hard for about 1.5 weeks now, which also probably doesn't help...

So basically, any advice re: how to overcome this? It's really getting in the way of my day to day productivity, making me anxious, keeping me awake, etc. It's just awful and I'm not sure how to cope. I'm getting married in six months and can't stop thinking that I'm probably lethally ill and will die soon, etc. It's so awful.

Thanks so much for any help or advice you can offer.

I'm getting married in a year and a half so I can understand where anxiety of not being around due to health comes in..

The best advice is just believe your doctor knows what she's doing (she does). Our perception is off when we're feeling our nodes and we think they're huge but a trained professional knows that they feel like everyone else's nodes. You've got one of the best days of your life coming up, try and stop poking and prodding them - actively stop yourself when you feel your hand go up - and you'll slowly start to forget about them and enjoy your life! Best of luck!

[LeiaL]

Thanks so much, all - those comments really help. The problem with things like this is, of course - as I'm sure we all know - that once you get anxious about something, you end up making it worse because you develop all sorts of anxiety-related symptoms that only convince you more that you're definitely ill... tingly face, tingly hands, fatigue, interrupted sleep, dry mouth, ugh. And you do kind of know that's what they are, but WHAT IF?!

At any rate, I'm doing a concerted effort not to touch the node as much anymore, and ideally not at all...

[LeiaL]

Managed to reduce from 40+ checks a day last weekend to 14 checks today... argh, why is anxiety so horrible? I still feel really scared.