Update and slight relapse

[adamfrai]

Hi all.

I joined and posited in this forum about 6 weeks ago with various issues, which some may remember

Since then I am thrilled to say that I am now the proud father of a beautiful three week old little girl, who is perfect in every way.

Also since my last post I have been to see my new GP about the anxiety who prescribed me a months course of Propanolol to go with the Lansoprazole I was taking for my gastritis/reflux. I'm also in the middle of the treatment for my bad teeth.

All was going well until I came off the meds (I stupidly thought I was feeling better and came off the Propanolol a week early) and now, although I don't feel quite like I'm back at square one, I feel it's heading that way.

Since returning to work most of the initial fears are back, but in particular the lymph node under my left jaw. It's quite strange, if I look straight ahead I can't feel it, if I look up it feels like muscle and if I look down or to the side it feels like a 2cm marble rolling around in there. I don't think it's grown, ,y partner definitely doesn't think its grown (I have to move her fingers to it for her to find it) but it's niggling on my mind again. Also since coming off the lansoprazole the reflux symptoms have returned, although not as noticable. The original cough I had 3 months ago hasn't returned, but I find myself clearing my throat a lot (I'm guessing post nasal drip due to the reflux as I found a nose hair in my phlegm the other day!!)

Anyway, the reasons I'm posting again are to update, and to hopefully have a couple questions answered, as the replies to my last thread were very helpful.

1. If I had anything serious, i'd surely be feeling at least a little bit poorly right? (other than what I've mentioned I'm feeling fine)

2. If I had something serious, one of the three doctors or my dentist who have all felt the gland would have surely suspected something to refer me for further tests?

3. If my node was anything sinister, surely I'd be able to feel it no matter which way my head is aligned?

4. Can anyone advise me on how to stop poking at myself and googling symptoms?

I've started taking the Propanolol again (had some left over) so hopefully I'll feel a bit better again soon.

Thanks for reading :)

[adamfrai]

Just bumping this to see if anyone can help...

[miss sparkle]

hi ya.
First of all big congratulations to your new edition! :-)
I am not a expert on lymph nodes, some people on here know far more, but just wanted to say that my most recent worry is lymphoma as for about the past month i have noticed a raised one in my neck on left side too.
I can feel it both sides, but left seems more prominent.
From what i have read on this site-as i have tried to resist Dr Google-they are very common and from what i gather, they are really hard if anything sinister.
Try to stop poking and check it again in say a week or so.
Sounds like the mixture of coming off the tablets and added stress off the little one May of put you back slightly, but Im sure its just a blip, and you will be managing again sooooo.
May be worth going doctors to discuss getting some more meds and let him have a quick feel to put your mind at rest.
I totally understand how you feel though.
isn't it a bugger.
take care :-)

[robin321]

I also had an issue with the lymph node in my neck. Like yours, at first I could only feel it if I moved my head a certain way. Then I went bezerk on the thing... I was poking it like crazy! Anyway, the thing grew pretty big. I actually had 3 of them! The largest (I know because I ended up having an u/s was 2.4cm X 1.2cm). When they were that big, I could feel them no matter what!

I was convinced I had cancer. What else could it be right? Well, when I stopped playing with them so much (I still checked, but didn't poke) they went down. Finally a few months later (and spending the whole time stressing) I had a follow up Dr appt and ultrasound. Everything was normal. The node had shrunk (was 1.2cm by then), and as the Dr explained, cancer always gets bigger never smaller. So he was satisifed.

Since then, it has gone down more and more to the point that it is back where it was when I first went crazy on it!

Bottom line, like you I can still feel it. It must have always been there, but I am only aware of it now. I am also aware of how to feel it, where before I was blissifully ignorant.

The only way to stop poking, it to force yourself! At first the anxiety will go up, but gradually it will peak, and then you will feel better. The key is to hang on! At first I would challenge myself to go 3 hrs or so at a time. You can do it!

And if it was anything sinister, it would have grown and you would have other symptoms. So have a great day today, you are ok : )

[adamfrai]

Thanks for the replies guys, please keep them coming. I'm off back to the docs tonight to try and get some more lansoprazole and propanolol so I'll get him to check its not grown (if he remembers).

The sad thing is that logically, there is an explanation, and I have been told this by my old GP. I've just had a tooth pulled which had a chronic infection in it, and my doctor said it could be weeks after the infection has cleared before it even starts to go down. Looking at where the tooth was pulled also, it doesn't look too healthy.

The other sad thing is that im about 90% sure that I've always been able to feel the nodes under my jaw, but I guess thats what HA does, makes you doubt solid facts. My partner swears the node hasn't grown, but I was having a good prod last night with my head at all angles and I convinced myself that it had grown, but it was probably the angle of my head exposing more of it, or something like that.

[adamfrai]

Hi again, just been to the docs and once again, he's not worried. He said that a good analogy for the node thats bothering me was that its like a soldier, standing ready for battle, and that turning my head was just making it stick out more.

He said he'd only be worried if it started getting bigger, and/or I started having night sweats, weight loss (10% in six weeks), tiredness and weakness all the time or feeling ill, so all in all i'm feeling a lot better about it all.

Also got a nice repeat prescription for the lansoprazole and propanolol so hopefully thats me sorted, for the time being anyway :)