Lymph nodes are driving me insane!

[chloevictoria]

Hello, I am 16 years old and last year I found a lump in my armpit(it was about the size of a pea) but I couldn't tell if it was moveable or not. Also, I put it down to stupidly shaving under my arms and then applying anti-perspirant which can irritate lymph nodes I think. My parents couldn't feel anything and my doctor said it was 'nothing', so I left it for a year as I don't think she'd dismiss an anxious 15 year old. Anyway, it's been a year since that and it still hasn't gone down!! I have no idea what it is and I'm absolutely petrified. If it was something, would it have got bigger by now?!
Also around that time I strained my neck which lasted for a day and I couldn't move it. I then noticed similar pea sized lumps on the side of my neck when I tilted it. Only recently have I been to the doctor for reassurance, she says she would be able to feel something when my neck was straight, and she couldn't.
When I don't think about it I don't feel tired or anything, but when I do I feel absolutely awful. In the last few days I've been touching my lymph nodes, researching where they are located and it's so frustrating. I also got scared because I was touching my armpit so much, it hurt when I raised my arm. But for the past year it hasn't hurt at all, but it hasn't got any larger.

Just now I was feeling my nodes again and I thought I'd check my groin.. and along the bone I can feel a few.. is this normal?

Can you feel tiny lymph nodes in your armpit, groin and neck?


Thanks :)

[rb1978]

I can feel different ones in my armpits and neck at different times. At the moment I have one up in an armpit and it's really easy to feel through the skin. Hard little pea-sized lump and I can't tell if it's moveable of not.

I had a different one up slightly further up the armpit earlier this year. I got myself into such a state over it that I was fiddling with it a lot and made it tender. So tender than it hurt when I moved my arm! But it went down eventually.

In the last 6 months I've had three that have flared up in my armpits and two in my neck. One of the neck ones is near my ear and I can feel it a lot if I press in the right spot. Also it flares up enough to be visible through the skin at times.

They do enlarge when they're fighting infections and sometimes I think they can remain feelable.

Like you I've been to doctors with mine. I think they know what to 'feel for' with dodgy lymph nodes so I shouldn't think there's anything to worry about.

[chloevictoria]

Thank you very much for your reply, it is really reassuring to find other people with in the same situation! I just feel like everyone thinks I'm crazy, but if I don't talk about it then my thoughts will jumble and I'll go into panic and anxiety. I will for now take the doctor's decision into consideration and leave it for now :) it's when I get really stressed I can't stop thinking about them!!

[stripeypurplekat]

i have them all over my neck. i have rock hard ones under my jawbone which arent large but they are not pea sized and some down the side of my windpipe some at the bottom of my neck and i was getting really concerned. i went to the doctor he took bloods and told me im fine. ive had them for about a year lol so if it was something i think they would have grown by now or id be really ill. just think lgically (lymphnoma has been my fear for the past few months) if it was cancer it would have grown. cancer gets bigger. i might go back in the summer but im gonna try to forget about it. im 16 by the way :)