I need help! Lymph nodes !!!!

[MartMart22]

Hey guys,

I'm really starting to lose my mind every week I'm fine for about 6 days then bad for a day.

Basically for about 6 or 7months now my big fear has been lymph nodes it started with one in my groin which i had scanned and they said was nothing to worry about.

then about 3 months ago i found a hard non moveable one in my lower neck obviously I was terrified I went to see one doctor who said it was maybe my neck bone but she couldn't really feel it. I then went to see another doctor who couldn't find it at first but then I put his finger on it and he said it feels completely normal and nothing to be worried about however by this point I was very anxious and expressed that to him and he said he'd order and ultrasound just for my peace of mind but he is convinced there is nothing wrong.

The thing is since then I hadn't felt my lump and a few days ago I did it had gone right down the size of maybe a grain of rice and I was sooooo happy but then I kept feeling it more and more and now it is back to its original size.

I'm terrified now that its a low grade non-hodgkins because i read they go up and down all the time.

This is taking over my life :( I've had to call into work sick my relationship is suffering and everyone tells me there is nothing wrong.

I'm only 20 PLEASE HELP!!!!

[TheHusband]

Oh dear, this is very nasty for you. But I think I'm about to write the exact same thing that I had to write for other people on this forum! Not only is health anxiety a common problem (14% of the UK suffer, millions worldwide) but lymph nodes seem to be one of the top troublemakers. For years they've been sitting there inside you, then one day you find one, and you get panicked forever.

1. Do not feel them. You simply mustn't.
2. You're not a doctor so you have no idea what they are 'telling you'.
3. They vary day to day for absolutely harmless reasons.
4. Some people have massive ones (my daughter has a whopper one in her neck which never goes down).
5. There are over 50 in your neck and you've got no chance of finding them all or checking which is which.
6. Nodes are not the sole indicator of a disease. If you were ill you'd have other symptoms.
7. They might swell a bit if you're fighting an infection, which humans do every month of the year, at a minor level.
8. Stop reading newspapers/tv/internet articles that talk about people who detected amazing rare diseases by something as simple as their little toe tingling. The media hype these stories because they sell better than stories about a man who had a tummy ache and needed anti-acid tablets.
9. Stop feeling the nodes. You can make them sore and then you'll worry why they are sore. My wife has done this too damn often.

You absolutely must talk to your doctor about the ANXIETY...NOT THE NODES! Discuss how it is impacting your life. You need help for the anxiety and you don't need scans on your lymph nodes. Tablets like cilatopram can really help you calm down, and then you can set about rebuilding the way your brain thinks about these things. Don't suffer alone.

[Fishmanpa]

Hey guys,

I'm really starting to lose my mind every week I'm fine for about 6 days then bad for a day.

Basically for about 6 or 7months now my big fear has been lymph nodes it started with one in my groin which i had scanned and they said was nothing to worry about.

then about 3 months ago i found a hard non moveable one in my lower neck obviously I was terrified I went to see one doctor who said it was maybe my neck bone but she couldn't really feel it. I then went to see another doctor who couldn't find it at first but then I put his finger on it and he said it feels completely normal and nothing to be worried about however by this point I was very anxious and expressed that to him and he said he'd order and ultrasound just for my peace of mind but he is convinced there is nothing wrong.

The thing is since then I hadn't felt my lump and a few days ago I did it had gone right down the size of maybe a grain of rice and I was sooooo happy but then I kept feeling it more and more and now it is back to its original size.

I'm terrified now that its a low grade non-hodgkins because i read they go up and down all the time.

This is taking over my life :( I've had to call into work sick my relationship is suffering and everyone tells me there is nothing wrong.

I'm only 20 PLEASE HELP!!!!

I highlighted some things in your post that you need to keep repeating when you're feeling this way. Obviously, medical professionals are sure there's nothing wrong. The only reason it's gotten worse is because you're constantly poking and prodding it. And the only reason a test was ordered was for reassurance.

That being said, what you describe is a pretty normal HA post about lymph nodes. If you search the subject, you'll read hundreds quite similar. The best course of action is to speak to your doctor about your fears and get a referral for counseling, therapy or even a med that can help quell the anxiety.

Positive thoughts

[Panic emily]

Completely agree with everything fishmanpa is saying! Perfect information, but really you should stop checking them because they will get irritated and start to swell happened all the time with me!!!