Sternocleidomastoid muscle or lump

[siwz991]

Hi Guys,
I've been suffering with HA for a long time and this website was very helpfull in reassurring my fears many times. I was just reading your stories and many of them were exactly like my problems. But this time I really need your help in identfying what i found on my neck, on sternal head of sternocleidomastoid muscle (so actually first 1 inch of this muscle counting from the chest). I found this place a bit irregular, but only on my left muscle. To feel that I have to turn my head in right side and just touch it. I was reassured by one doc that is just my muscle structure and I have to ignore that. And guess what, I can't. This part of 'muscle' is soft and movable (almost like fat deposit?), and doc said there's no lymph nodes on sternal head as it's just a tendon. But I need to know if anyone of you (I'm male) had maybe fears about this part of muscle and if anyone has something similar in this place. Any answer much appreciated, cheers!

[axolotl]

sternal head of sternocleidomastoid muscle

I have no idea what that means. Unless you've been to medical school, using words like that are a sure sign that someone's been spending too much time Googling. ;)

If a doctor says it's nothing that's good enough for me, and should be for you. If you want a second opinion see another doctor, but it sounds like you've already seen more than one. Trust the opinion of doctors and don't seek the opinion of Internet randoms when experts have already reassured you. :)

[PASchoolSyndrome]

Hi Guys,
I was reassured by one doc that is just my muscle structure and I have to ignore that. And guess what, I can't. This part of 'muscle' is soft and movable (almost like fat deposit?), and doc said there's no lymph nodes on sternal head as it's just a tendon. But I need to know if anyone of you (I'm male) had maybe fears about this part of muscle and if anyone has something similar in this place. Any answer much appreciated, cheers!


It's your muscle tendon. I promise.

[siwz991]

Hey guys, it's still me. I had just meeting with another doctor and she said it's end of tendon or something but she's pretty sure it's not a lymph node. Thanks for support here, just decided I'm starting CBT next week

[GingerFish]

Hi I think I have what you have! Front on, my neck looks pretty much symmetrical but if I tilt my head back or do the 'turkey neck' face, there's what appears to be a bugle only on one side where my sternocleidomastoid muscle on the right side. When I feel it, its just like a fatty or muscle bulge, not a lump and it feels the same on both side of my neck even though its not visable on the other side. It terrified me and I thought I had yet another swollen node as I have two on the same side as the bulge but nowhere near the bugle. My dr checked my neck and never mentioned it or any other nodes so I'm assuming its just my muscle that's maybe a bit bigger on that side than the other but it still worries me and I still keep bloody taking pics of it

[siwz991]

Hi GingerFish, fatty or muscle bulge? I couldnt find better words to describe that! I can feel IT on other side of neck as well but it's visible only on my left side. And if I take a look in front, both sides are symmethrical. It's really a relief to see that's perfectly normal! Two docs examinated that for me and told me I dont have lymph nodes enlarged, it's just tendon/muscle :-). but I'm still starting with CBT as I dont know person who had more checks up and false alarms than me in last two years

[GingerFish]

I'd say it feels more like a fatty bulge as I can push my fingers right into it but its most likely my muscle. I keep trying to tell myself that no ones body is perfectly symmetrical and that if it were a lump, my fingers wouldn't be able to push right into it and the doc definitely would have noticed but that goes for nothing when you have HA. I just felt my neck without looking in the mirror and it definitely feels the same on both sides yet there is a slight difference on the right side when I stretch my neck out certain ways.

[siwz991]

I think we're good and I think I have IT since long time, just now it took my attention. Anyway if doctors would have at least 1℅ of doubt, I will have an ultra sound. All I need now is to acknowlegde that and embrace some peace

[siwz991]

Hi guys, it's still me after two months. I have to admit I'm loosing my battle with HA and I feel I'm in really bad place now. I've lost rationality about my health. It's still about this lump on neck, in sum I visited 4 GPs and did ultra sound on my request. I still dont believe I dont have enlarged lymph nodes there... Never felt so pointless, how these arguments cant change my mind!? My girlfriend starts to think I'm going crazy, so do I. I'm simply afraid these guys are wrong about my neck and depleted all possibilities to quench my fears. Can anyone relate how to stop thinking like this and end my fears? I started CBT and found out a lot about roots of my HA (parents, childhood related issues) but I cant stop thinking about my bloody neck despite was told this lump is muscle or vein, but for 100% not lymph nodes (it's very soft, movable and longitunidal). Everytime i see myself in mirror, HA is worse. How to acknowlegde diagnosis?

[Leslie735]

Its SO hard to move on from these type of things, I know. I did the same thing last year with a breast lump. I couldn't move on, I saw a surgeon 3 times, had 2 mammograms and 3 ultrasounds and eventually had it biopsied because I couldn't move on. The surgeon and the radiologist were both correct. Its SO hard to trust their judgement when your anxiety gets in the way along with Google, I know. :hugs:

[siwz991]

Thanks Leslie, i think i know how you felt, really glad that your docs were right, I hope mine are as well. I feel really stupid when i write stuff like that on this forum, i know it looks obvious for you and other peeps have much more to worry. Im just disappointed that empirical proof like ultra sound didnt change anything in my perception, specially GPs told me that ultra sound is redundant and I did it to be calm. It made it even worst.