Lymph node concerns, struggling. Please help.

[worriermama]

Hi all,

Well, ten weeks ago while I had a nasty cold I broke out in some small hives. They never really went away, but they are well controlled with antihistamines. I am seeing an allergist and just had labs drawn for a workup for the hives (two weeks for results).

I was feeling okay about things until I discovered one new palpable lymph node on the right side of my neck, and that an existing palpable one on the left side of my neck has gotten bigger.

So now with the hives/itching plus the lymph nodes I'm terrified it's some kind of lymphoma.

The brand new one on the right feels smaller than 1cm and is pretty movable and squishy so that's somewhat comforting. The older one that has grown somewhat is still *I think* smaller than pea-size but it feels kind of flat/long. It's also more rubbery and fairly fixed in place which of course scares me. But again I have a vague sense that it's not a totally new one.

The itching feels pretty mild and superficial in the sense that it's easy to relieve with scratching and it doesn't wake me at night or anything. I would say that overall the hives were worse when this first started and have improved a bit. When it first started I was getting bigger angrier red patches and more frequently, and had some welts. Now I am mostly just getting smaller patches a bit less frequently unless my skin is irritated from some kind of friction/pressure which can make it flare up.

I have a two year old and a four year old so we have a lot of germs passing through our house. Before I noticed these nodes I do remember feeling like I had a bit of a mild sore throat and some post nasal drip in the mornings for several days. I think that was the week before I found the nodes.

If anyone has some words of comfort I could really use them right now. And thank you for reading this.

---------- Post added 08-05-18 at 02:50 ---------- Previous post was 07-05-18 at 23:21 ----------

2:30 am and I just woke up in a panic.

I am going to try to reframe things here.

-I don't think my nodes technically meet the criteria for "enlarged."
-I do not have a fever.
-I have not lost weight.
-I don't have night sweats apart from my normal hormonal sweating that happens every month before my period (very normal for me, not drenching just damp)
-I have had lymph nodes pop up before, including two that were fixed in place and hung around for many months before shrinking (under jaw and behind ear)

The hives are a mystery and very annoying but apparently a cause for hives is never discovered in 80% of cases.

I am under a lot of stress which is known to cause or contribute to hives, eczema, etc.

I have a personal history of sensitive skin, allergies, hives, and rashes.

My husband said yesterday that he felt under the weather, like he was fighting off a virus.

Going to try to get back to sleep. Thanks for reading.

[EmmyDay]

Hiya
Lymph nodes can be really frightening, I just recently had one for about 7/8 weeks and it's only just gone away, I was terrified of it!
If you haven't had any other symptoms such as weight loss or night sweats, and that you have recently been unwell and as you said, had two children who will pass germs around, I'd say you're more than likely to be just fine! It's also smaller than 1cm which is usually how they gage whether it's enlarged.
Of course, mention it to a doctor and get them to feel them, it may reassure you and it's always worth getting these things checked.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Leslie735]

I have one at the base of my left neck, like yours, moves and kinda squishy. Discovered it back in June. Saw my GP, had ultrasound and saw ENT. Nobody was concerned but ENT is having me get it re scanned later this month. Ugh! I feel your fear.

[worriermama]

Hiya
Lymph nodes can be really frightening, I just recently had one for about 7/8 weeks and it's only just gone away, I was terrified of it!
If you haven't had any other symptoms such as weight loss or night sweats, and that you have recently been unwell and as you said, had two children who will pass germs around, I'd say you're more than likely to be just fine! It's also smaller than 1cm which is usually how they gage whether it's enlarged.
Of course, mention it to a doctor and get them to feel them, it may reassure you and it's always worth getting these things checked.


Hi Emmy, thanks so much. I am sorry you went through this too. How big was yours? I know I have had them stay palpable for months in the past, it's just that these are freaking me out because of the hives. I feel like I'll be planning my funeral in a matter of weeks.

That being said, I have even been feeling some very slight nasal congestion where usually my sinuses are totally clear. My nose has been feeling a little swollen on one side. So I am really hoping I'm just dealing with more germs.

---------- Post added at 09:34 ---------- Previous post was at 09:31 ----------


I have one at the base of my left neck, like yours, moves and kinda squishy. Discovered it back in June. Saw my GP, had ultrasound and saw ENT. Nobody was concerned but ENT is having me get it re scanned later this month. Ugh! I feel your fear.

Hi! How big is yours? I feel like mine could be described as lentil sized. They are definitely a little smaller than a pea. Also one feels kind of flat, not spherical. I'm sure you will get peace of mind with your repeat scan!

[Leslie735]

Mine feels exactly like you are describing. Smaller than a pea. Although mine isn't flat feeling. Its defiantly oval like. Mine measured 9.7 mm X 4.1 MM at my ultrasound in Jan.

[worriermama]

Mine feels exactly like you are describing. Smaller than a pea. Although mine isn't flat feeling. Its defiantly oval like. Mine measured 9.7 mm X 4.1 MM at my ultrasound in Jan.

I had one under my jaw years ago that was probably around that size for many months and it eventually just disappeared.

I'm just beside myself with anxiety right now. I have no appetite, I'm waking up in a panic at least twice every night... it is exhausting. I'm so afraid that this time I have something really, seriously, wrong.

[worriermama]

Just bumping this in the hopes that someone else has some feedback. I went digging around and found a tiny bb sized node above my left collarbone so extra panicking now.

Am going to see an urgent care doctor and will discuss both the nodes and my anxiety.

[Fishmanpa]

a tiny bb sized node... Am going to see an urgent care doctor and will discuss both the nodes and my anxiety.

I think it's great that you'll be discussing your anxiety with a doctor. May I politely suggest you do that with your GP as opposed to an Urgent Care doctor as a "BB sized" node is not a concern at all! Save Urgent Care for people who have physical issues that need care urgently.

Positive thoughts

[worriermama]

I think it's great that you'll be discussing your anxiety with a doctor. May I politely suggest you do that with your GP as opposed to an Urgent Care doctor as a "BB sized" node is not a concern at all! Save Urgent Care for people who have physical issues that need care urgently.

Positive thoughts

Hi and thank you. I do agree about the "urgency" issue so I'll clarify that it's a house call service we have here in the large city where I live, and they do visits for non-urgent issues.

Well, the doctor was great and he felt all of my nodes carefully. He said that they do not feel pathological at all and instructed me to stop touching them and enjoy my kids. :) He also felt my spleen and liver and looked at my tonsils an said all looked and felt normal.

That said, he also took a thorough history and he does think I may be dealing with either an autoimmune issue or a chronic viral infection. Both of these make a lot of sense to me (and neither really scares me). Both of my parents have autoimmune diseases. Also I have had mono in the past so he said it could be reactivated EBV or one of the many viral illnesses my son has brought home from preschool. A year ago I caught hand foot and mouth from my son was really fatigued and unwell for about six weeks and haven't felt totally normal since then. He said either of these things could explain the hives and the lymph nodes as well as my intermittent long-term fatigue etc. So he wants to follow up in one month and see the results of my hives workup from my allergist, and then possibly pursue other tests with a rheumatologist or an infectious disease doc.

I am so thankful he took the time to talk to me because my issues/symptoms are real and ongoing and they cause me so much stress, mainly because I don't have answers. So I feel optimistic that maybe we can actually get to the root of some of this stuff and maybe I'll even have a bit more energy.

So... sharing all of this because I'm glad, but also in case it serves as a useful reminder to anyone else that sometimes there are other avenues to pursue that aren't worst-case scenario caliber.

I just took some benadryl for the hives and also to hopefully help me get some good sleep tonight. I am going to put my kids to bed and watch a movie and not touch my lymph nodes.

Thanks for reading. :)

[worriermama]

Hi,

Another update in case this helps someone.

I haven't touched my lymph nodes since I saw the doctor, but I had my husband check them once and he said they're smaller.

Anyway, today my children have both broken out in a mild but unmistakable Hand Foot and Mouth Disease rash.

HFMD can cause swollen cervical lymph nodes, fatigue, fever, malaise, sore throat, sneezing, etc.

So. It appears that my symptoms recently were just down to a nasty preschool-acquired viral illness (the doc was right that I was dealing with a virus!). We've had it before but you don't keep your immunity to it, and it can last anywhere from 7 days to a few weeks.

It's a common and highly contagious illness. So anyone who has these symptoms with the lymph nodes etc., try to remember that this is a possible explanation, especially if you live or work around small children. It is apparently unrelated to my hives!

I'm feeling so much better mentally, and slowly improving physically too. Still a little tired but temp is back to normal (I never had a fever but did feel warm/odd) and I feel less exhausted. Now just hoping my kids kick it quickly.

Also, not touching the lymph nodes was hard at first but BOY DID IT HELP MY MENTAL STATE! :)