Scared- lymphoma. X-ray tomorrow

[FR14]

Hi all,

I introduced myself on here yesterday- here is my current concern...

It first started last October after a heavy night drinking, I woke up with the usual hangover. However, later on into the evening my body started to feel sore- especially the side of my breasts, rib cage and thighs.I stupidly googled it and guess what came up... so I had a major panic attack, started crying etc etc.

The soreness soon passed but the worry was still there so I mentioned it to my GP when I went in for something else (another worry). She didnt seem at all concerned with the alcohol soreness and said I would present other symptoms like itchy skin, night sweats losing weight. In fact since then I have seen another doctor who didnt seem concered either.

I have drank occasionly since, not as much but the soreness still appears, I seem to get more sore the more I drink. So I start panicing again.

In the last 2 weeks I have noticed a slighlty itchy neck/color bone. Its not persistant and usually come and goes- possibly starts to itch when I start worrying. I have also noticed the odd itchy foot, wrist, head all at different times but mainly my neck/chest area. *I've just started feeling itchy now just sitting typing*. I have not lost weight and not having night sweats.

Anyway, so I went back to the doctor and she has referred me to get x-ray and a blood test (I have had a load of general blood tests, all seem fine) but this one she didnt do. The x-ray is tomorrow but cant get blood done on Fridays :/.

She really isn't concerned and seemed reluctant to give me the referral but I am at wits end here. I did have a cough which I thought, 'this is it' but then I got the nose and turned into a full blown cold- the cough has now almost gone.

I have had previous bouts of quite bad tonsilitus in the past and have nodes which have stayed quite swollen and one in particular on the side of my neck. When I went with that ages ago she said they do sometimes stay up after infections. It has gone down considerably since my tonsilitus but today I am panicing that is something to do with it all. I have the odd little one here and there but these too have been there for ages.

I really struggling to deal with it. I know my appointment is tomorrow but im so scared :weep:

My fear that it is what i think it is and my and my partner are in the process of buying a house and really dont want it to affect out future :weep:

Any thoughts?

FR

[rated_r90]

Alcohol pains from lymphoma don't start the next day, they happen within a few minutes of consuming alcohol so I really wouldn't worry about that at all. Perhaps your body just doesn't agree with alcohol? I know I can't drink much at all without suffering for it the next day! I also itch sometimes and worry greatly about it. I'm sure it's all anxiety though, as I hardly itch at all when I'm not thinking/obsessing about it. It's quite likely that you are itching too because you are stressed and also because of the nasty cold weather we are having. If you are thinking about lymphoma a lot, you will tend to get more lymphoma symptoms. That's the horrible thing about HA! Also, if your nodes go down then it's not cancer! Cancer never shrinks, it only ever gets bigger.

I really don't think you have anything to worry about & I hope your medical tests reassure you.

[FR14]

Thanks for your advice. It is true, when I worry and think about the itching it happens more- im pretty sure of that... I think! Before I knew about the symptom of itching, I didnt itch...surely that means its HA?!

I have always been quite a 'light-weight' when it comes to drinking and often when I get drunk I seem to throw up the next day. The doctor did say that she thinks my body is telling me not to drink.. so maybe she was right...

It gives me a little reassurance talking it over with people on here so thanks :)

Fingers crossed for tomorrow!! Still scared silly :weep:

FR xx

[lily413]

Hi,

I too have experienced soreness in these areas the evening of a hangover. I didn't think anything of it until I just saw your post. Plus I too have a gland that has remained larger after having had an earring infection, although it has gone down quite a bit. I actually went to the doctor this morning (with worries of lymphoma) and she said she didn't feel anything that concerned her.

Anyway, I decided to do some research on the behalf of both of us (I know Googling is usually a bad idea for us HA sufferers but I think for the first time it has actually made me feel better!)

Alcohol symptoms are only related to Hodgkins lymphoma. Only 1 in 5 lymphomas are Hodgkins.

NHS - "In rare cases, people with Hodgkin’s lymphoma may have pain in their affected lymph gland when they drink alcohol."

Wikipedia - "Pain following alcohol consumption: classically, involved nodes are painful after alcohol consumption, though this phenomenon is very uncommon, occurring in only two to three percent of people with Hodgkin's lymphoma, thus having a low sensitivity. On the other hand, its specificity is high enough for it to be regarded as a pathognomonic sign of Hodgkin's lymphoma. The pain typically has an onset within minutes after ingesting alcohol, and is usually felt as coming from the vicinity where there is an involved lymph node. The pain has been described as either sharp and stabbing or dull and aching."

The type of pain we feel isn't in a lymph node, within minutes of drinking alcohol, it's the following day right?

Also, this forum shows that it is more common than we thought!

http://www.steadyhealth.com/Bruised_feeling_all_over_body_after_drinking_alcoh ol_t132901.html

I would be really grateful it if you could let me know how the xray and blood test go as we're pretty much experiencing the exact same symptoms!

I'm sure it's absolutely nothing to worry about.

Take care.

[FR14]

Hi Lily,

Firstly, although im sorry to hear you have the same symptoms, I am quite relieved to hear that you do!

Thanks for posting the info... I am slightly more paniced when reading your post mainly because it refers to the dreaded word but I am glad that it seems to be more common than I first realised.

No, the soreness doesnt come stright from drinking, definitely the evening after, it is like a brusied feeling to the touch, would you agree?

Just to clarify 'Alcohol symptoms are only related to Hodgkins lymphoma'... do you mean are NOT only related?! I really bloomin hope so!!

I will most certainly let you know how later today goes, just really wish they would take my blood today too! Freaking out majorly but thank you for your reply :).

FR x

[rated_r90]

Good luck today! Let us know how you get on. I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine.

[FR14]

Thanks rated, will update you once I have been although I suspect I won't know the results straight away!

FR x

[lily413]

Sorry if I made you feel worse!! That wasn't my intention!!

I meant that it is only a symptom of Hodgkins lymphoma, not the other more common lymphoma.

Basically what I was trying to get across was the main point that with Hodgkins lymphoma it happens when/straight after drinking an alcholic drink, and the pain is in the effected lymph node. What we are experiencing is soreness in our torsos around 24 hours after drinking, which appears to be something different.

Anyway, sorry for panicking you.

Good luck for today, and do let me know how it goes.

[FR14]

It's ok don't worry. Im just nervous for today so am very sensitive haha.

Thank you though, I know you are trying to help :)

FR x

[FR14]

Hey everyone.

Well I am back from a very quick chest x-ray!

It was a pretty grim experience. The nurses/reception staff wern't very friendly which didn't help.

Have to wait 7-10 days for the results where they will be sent to my GP :unsure:

Still have to go and get my blood test. Oh the joys of HA.

[lily413]

It always makes it feel worse when they aren't friendly. For some reason I trust a doctors opinion/diagnosis when they are kind! So silly.

Let us know how the results go!

[FR14]

I know! I had one staring at me in the waiting room a was just looking me up and down grrr. I wanted to talk my issues through with a doctor before having it done just for reasurrance or at least get my results there and then!

Hope you are ok and your panic has subsided a little. Try and have a good weekend.

FR x

[lily413]

How annoying! I really think part of all medical training should include being trained how to be kind and supportive. It always amazes me how many seem so unfriendly.

Try to put it out of your head. At least you know you definitely won't hear for a week so you're not constantly thinking it could be at any time.

I'm forcing myself to go out with a friend this evening, but guess what.. I'm scared that my lymph node will start hurting when I have a drink!! Even though I had a gin and tonic 2 nights ago and felt fine!

Take care.

[Ronno]

My wife had lymphoma about six years ago, the itching she had was wide spread and persistent . Her swollen node under her arm was the size of a chickens egg.
A blood test will show up some things not right , and of course she felt week and tired. Only some times is there pain not soreness after drinking alcohol .
The mind is powerful and can mimic all sorts of symptoms , I to at one time feared I had lymphoma until I saw some one suffer with the real thing.

[FR14]

Lily- Try and have a good night. Im sure when you are in your friends company you will forget it and have fun. I had a martini and lemonade last week and felt ok, so I think maybe its only after a skinful.

Ronno- Thank you for your response. I hope your wife has got the all clear now and is well. It is so silly thinking how we think, but it is just so difficult! Our minds are such complex things, if only there was a switch to turn the HA off.

I will keep you posted. Thanks for the reassurance.

FR x

[Ronno]

Fri, my wife's fine , five years later and the hospital sees her once a year now.
She had Hodgkin's the only symptom she didn't have was drenching night sweats. If you've had a blood test there's indicators that the body's fighting some thing and the path lab would of flagged that up. I wouldn't think the x ray would show anything up and if you had a swollen gland in the chest wall you would of had a cough ( like she did ) .
Sorry about babbling on during this time I became a bit of a expert. LoL .
Take care.