View Full Version : swollen nodes on neck, very scared
My 19th birthday was 2 weeks ago. I stayed at a hotel and the day after my birthday (march 17th) I woke up with a very stiff neck on the left side. it was sore to turn but I still could turn it, I thought maybe I had hurt it while I had been drinking (was in canada) so I disregarded it. It was stiff and I kept touching it to realize I had two what seemed like lumps on the left side of my neck about 3 inches down from the back of my ear. NEVER have I came across these before and I have anxiety through the roof so this set it off, for about 5 days I was constantly pinching and poking them to see how big they were/movable exct.
Everyone told me to leave them alone and when I finally did they stopped hurting and a LOT of the swelling seemed to go down. I was slightly relieved for about 3 days until I staring messing with them again. I can also feel two more smaller glands under these two glands,not sure if they were there before. The original 2 are PROBABLY about half in inch? and movable. the ones under those are the size of a pea. All very very movable. They don't hurt anymore really except when I mess with them, I can tell my neck gets a little sore. I feel like I do have a cold because i have a cough, scratchy throat, and slightly congested, but that has been for a while. No other area of my body has these. I've read that if its due to a cold or whatever then they can take up to 6 weeks to go away, or sometimes don't go away at all. I need to stop thinking about them its changing my mood terribly and my anxiety is bad. They're not getting bigger that's forsure...what does this sound like? I'll go to the doctor if I have to but I'll probably have a mental breakdown driving there, plus no insurance. I've been on google too much and assuming the worse case-scenario. I need some reassurance!!!:(
---------- Post added at 12:02 ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 ----------
I am new to this forum so if anyone has some helpful or relate-able advice please let me know
Welcome to the lymph node club. I have one in my neck currently.
I found it the day after a flu jab and have been poking it every single day for the last 2 months. It gets bigger after poking it. Starts to get smaller. Then I poke it again. A never-ending cycle.
I've consulted my family doctor. Said it was nothing over the phone and probably due to the shot. Consulted a doctor at an urgent care. Palpated the node. Said it was nothing. Diagnosed me with inflammation of the lymph node with manual irritation. Which means... I poked it until it was angry.
What I've learned is... lymph nodes go up when you don't expect it. Then they go away. Unless you poke. I wouldn't worry. Go to the doctor and they'll probably feel them and say you're ok.
countrygirl
01-04-16, 20:03
For certain the more you touch them the more painful they will be and the longer they will last and the bigger they will get, everyone on here knows this!
Painful lymph nodes are caused by infection or inflammation. IF I jab my gum with a sharp crisp or cracker then a few days later I will have a painful swollen gland under my jaw for a week. Its dealing with the inflammation and any bugs that may have got into the jab I gave my gum.
I have had very swollen neck glands with chickenpox and ulcerative gingivitis of the gums in the past, very painful to turn head because of the pressure on the glands. Obviously I was very ill with both of these illnesses as well so it was obvious what the cause was. Plus it can take months and in some cases years or not at all for glands to return to normal size after serious infection.
So leave them alone, don't even touch them for 2-3 days then just lightly touch then once to reassess the size etc. If after a week or so they are still painful or if you develop a fever etc then see your Dr as you may need antibiotics for some sort of infection.
I bet if you leave them alone they will go down on their own in a week or so.
For certain the more you touch them the more painful they will be and the longer they will last and the bigger they will get, everyone on here knows this!
Painful lymph nodes are caused by infection or inflammation. IF I jab my gum with a sharp crisp or cracker then a few days later I will have a painful swollen gland under my jaw for a week. Its dealing with the inflammation and any bugs that may have got into the jab I gave my gum.
I have had very swollen neck glands with chickenpox and ulcerative gingivitis of the gums in the past, very painful to turn head because of the pressure on the glands. Obviously I was very ill with both of these illnesses as well so it was obvious what the cause was. Plus it can take months and in some cases years or not at all for glands to return to normal size after serious infection.
So leave them alone, don't even touch them for 2-3 days then just lightly touch then once to reassess the size etc. If after a week or so they are still painful or if you develop a fever etc then see your Dr as you may need antibiotics for some sort of infection.
I bet if you leave them alone they will go down on their own in a week or so.
I really do need to leave them alone because they did start to go down, they WERE painful at first then the pain went away and swelling went down then I started messing with them again and here I am with the nodes on the left side. Im just a hypochondriac and young so its scary. thank you for your input though so much.
---------- Post added at 15:21 ---------- Previous post was at 15:20 ----------
Welcome to the lymph node club. I have one in my neck currently.
I found it the day after a flu jab and have been poking it every single day for the last 2 months. It gets bigger after poking it. Starts to get smaller. Then I poke it again. A never-ending cycle.
I've consulted my family doctor. Said it was nothing over the phone and probably due to the shot. Consulted a doctor at an urgent care. Palpated the node. Said it was nothing. Diagnosed me with inflammation of the lymph node with manual irritation. Which means... I poked it until it was angry.
What I've learned is... lymph nodes go up when you don't expect it. Then they go away. Unless you poke. I wouldn't worry. Go to the doctor and they'll probably feel them and say you're ok.
yes, a never ending cycle that needs to end, its taking a toll on me. thank you for your input it does help to know there's others in the same boat.
Nodes are a BIGGIE on the boards. Rather than give you the speil, take a peek at some of my replies to other node threads... just the other day I replied to Annoyed's thread in the same way I would reply to you ;)
Positive thoughts
Nodes are a BIGGIE on the boards. Rather than give you the speil, take a peek at some of my replies to other node threads... just the other day I replied to Annoyed's thread in the same way I would reply to you ;)
Positive thoughts
And I'm still poking the darn things.
And I'm still poking the darn things.
It's funny, all the poking and prodding everyone is doing got me thinking about some silly commercial from the 80's for Purdue chicken (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_LP5sBdyyI). Replace the word "pick" in the song with "poke" ~lol~
Positive thoughts
It's funny, all the poking and prodding everyone is doing got me thinking about some silly commercial from the 80's for Purdue chicken (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_LP5sBdyyI). Replace the word "pick" in the song with "poke" ~lol~
Positive thoughts
Why did someone record that? I've never seen a commercial and thought that it needed to be recorded for future generations.
Now as I'm poking an angry lymph node, I'm going to be singing that damn jingle.
Nodes are a BIGGIE on the boards. Rather than give you the speil, take a peek at some of my replies to other node threads... just the other day I replied to Annoyed's thread in the same way I would reply to you ;)
Positive thoughts
thank you! but even if there is more then one on one side of my neck? thats still normal? I havent messed with them yet today but visibly they're definitely not bigger... I know I know I need to relax but again I'm 19 and just typing this makes me wanna feel how big they are
They react according to the part of your body that is infected. Something involving your head will affect both sides of your neck.
Mine is MOST LIKELY caused by the flu jab and my subsequent poking. My flu jab was in my left upper arm. A left side lower node swelled.
They seem to be going down wouldn't you think? Left pic is older right is more recent
There's nothing there in either photo :shrug:
Positive thoughts
They seem to be going down wouldn't you think? Left pic is older right is more recent
I'm going to tell you that I actually totally see the node that you are referring to in the left.
On the right I see nothing.
I 100% with my eyes think it went down ALOT. It might be due to how the picture was taken or your posture, but I think it looks different.
I'm going to tell you that I actually totally see the node that you are referring to in the left.
On the right I see nothing.
I 100% with my eyes think it went down ALOT. It might be due to how the picture was taken or your posture, but I think it looks different.
That is very good to hear. I have some amoxicillin about a weeks worth left and I'm gonna take that..hopefully it'll help. This is very annoying lol.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.