Glands under my arms?

[CoraB]

Having a dire anxiety day today :-( I'm not googling anything but my mind is in overdrive and now I've got this pain under my arm - like in my armpit.

I've had it in the other side too and it isn't all the time but I just checked and i'm freaking out there might be a lump. Not sure if its normal like tendons or glands or what but I am stressing really bad. Now I felt again I can't find anything.

I need to chill the hell out i feel like my head is going to explode. What do you guys do when you are really freaking out over a new symptom?

[honeybun44]

I'm going through the exact same thing right now, and have checked so many times that now my armpit absolutely ACHES. From what I've read, this can be a sign of anxiety (because of the tension in your body) and even hormonal.

I'm trying to go with one of those rather than anything scary. Oh wait...I don't know how to do that.:scared15:

Hang in. I'm sure you're fine!

[Masonn]

I've actually been having this lately. Irritated arm pits, but I can't feel anything swollen. But when I have my arms down it does feel like they are swollen a bit. Hurt and ache sometimes, itchy other times.

[CoraB]

Mine does sound similar maybe this is another weird anxiety symptom after all? They hurt again this morning but I have pain all in my back and ribs too so that's taking most of my worry attention right now. My ears also feel all blocked and throat a bit sore too so maybe I'm just coming down with something (not serious).

Urgh I just want to have a normal pain free worry free day is it too much to ask. Getting myself so down and depressed over everything.

[Mindknot]

I get achey armpits, more on one side than the other, in my case it's to do with muscle tension & posture - which gets much worse when anxious: I effectively start to ball up like a frightened hedgehog - shoulders & neck hunching forward if you see what I mean & squished up chest muscles. If that sounds odd, "how does that affect my armpits?", well the image below might give you a hint there, see how all those chest muscles run in around & under the armpit?... My osteopath usually gives mine a twang cos they get so tight.

ETA: if your glands are up under there for any reason, it will be mega tender to touch & you would probably feel them.

I would try to do some breathing exercises whilst flat on your back on the floor, that might stretch out those chest muscles a bit, ease the ache. Possibly some chest-opening yoga exercises could help too.

http://www.smogshoulder.com/images/Anterior_Shoulder_Muscles.JPG

[CoraB]

I think you're right mindknot it is related to muscle tension I feel almost permanently in an anxious state - like you put it balled up like a hedgehog. Sometimes i get frustrated and i think "but why i am not anxious" and then i'll realize i'm holding in my stomach or tensing my shoulders. I just find it hard to believe that anxiety can produce such pain and physical symptoms so i keep thinking it must be something else :-(

[2015cj]

Pleased I've seen this I've just googled aching armpits as I keep waking up with aching armpits �� I'm a mess at the min anxiety is through the roof

[Mindknot]

I think you're right mindknot it is related to muscle tension I feel almost permanently in an anxious state - like you put it balled up like a hedgehog. Sometimes i get frustrated and i think "but why i am not anxious" and then i'll realize i'm holding in my stomach or tensing my shoulders. I just find it hard to believe that anxiety can produce such pain and physical symptoms so i keep thinking it must be something else :-(

One of the things that keeps my anxiety at bay at the moment is learning about all these 'unexpected' connections where muscle tension can come in to play & be the cause of what I thought were symptoms! Muscle tension increases with anxiety, but you also develop little habits/positions without realising it that will affect where that tension might be most noticeable.

For example, I do this shoulder hunching thing at my desk (have done for ages probably!) but when I started worrying about it (and a bunch of other stuff) a/ the muscle tension got worse so my back, neck & shoulders ached more b/ I noticed my breathing was not great (because my chest muscles were not relaxed and able to do their job) c/ IBS flared up big time because my stomach's all crunched up. Essentially, I suppose what I'm saying is that it was an original habit, but my anxiety highlighted the 'symptoms' that this habit was causing, which then further fuelled the anxiety.

The key thing is to find your own way out of the cycle, for me that was a multi-step process:
1/ Avoided google/facebook/nmp - massively cut down my time online & where I couldn't, displaced that anxious activity & used 'productive' websites, in my case related to a hobby.
2/ Did more offline things - Researched anxiety & CBT by reading books about it. I think that worked because my anxious cycle depended so much on the internet & this stopped me using it as much!
3/ Increased exercise with the help of a trainer who had an incredible amount of sympathy for my panic attacks & kept me motivated.
4/ Started visiting osteopath regularly to help with the posture issues - a side effect of that is she teaches way more about my body than a GP could/would - each appointment is an hour after all.
5/ CBT - this comes in late because it took me ages to get an appointment on the NHS, but I also think it's more effective if you are ready to tackle your anxiety.
6/ Only when you're ready, realise that being anxious is a normal human reaction... What's wrong is letting it take over your life, that's why you have to find your own way through.

I realise I've gone a bit OT & OTT here, but hopefully you see what I mean and a New Year is a good opportunity to start breaking down the problem - little steps get you out one bit at a time. :)

---------- Post added at 10:15 ---------- Previous post was at 10:09 ----------


Pleased I've seen this I've just googled aching armpits as I keep waking up with aching armpits �� I'm a mess at the min anxiety is through the roof

Remember anxiety can affect you at night as much as during the day, if you are in a highly anxious state, your muscles can still tense at night. I don't think it's anything you need to worry about, start thinking about getting that anxiety reduced and I'm sure it will go away!

Hang around here for a bit, you will learn a lot, & if you search on Google make sure you add +anxiety or +no more panic, you'll get more sensible answers that way :hugs:

---------- Post added at 10:26 ---------- Previous post was at 10:15 ----------

I'm know I'm going on a bit now, but if you think about it a hedgehog balls up for defense, and it's equally a defensive/self-protecting posture in humans because it protects your central core (where all the organs are) - but spend too long like that & you're bound to ache.

[CoraB]

Mindknot thanks so much for sharing how you break the cycle. I need to do these things as I notice that my health anxiety starts to take over my whole life. We went shopping today and all i could think about was my health worries and will i be able to manage work next week. Tomorrow i will be on my own all day so I am going to try going for a walk out on my own.

I wonder if anxiety can cause swollen glands as part of the anxiety response? i am tempted to google it but i know i will stray onto other stuff and end up panicking. I tend to get what feels like swollen throat/lump when i swallow and the same feeling like tender/bruised under my arms.

I'm still inwardly freaking out it's cancer thats in my neck and armpits or something :-/