View Full Version : Lymphoma strong fear
Hello guys this is my first post here.I read some posts and replies and i see many people who speak with logical arguements about other people concerns so i give a try to calm myself off.I have bad HA for almost 10 months.I am 22 years old male.First i was conviced i have neurological issues (MS/ALS).I ran out the tests and they came back ok so i was relieved.Before almost 3 months i started to have some generalized itching (like pins or like they pull a hair out of my body) without a rash.It can happen litteraly everywhere from head to toe.I cant say it is consistent but sometimes it becomes awful.But I dont need much scratching for it to go away,it just jumps for one place to another.I also had some night sweats (not drenching,a little bit sweating for 1-2 times a week).I googled and of course you know the answer.Lymphoma.I then started searching my neck and yes i found 2 lymph nodes.I started my journey to doctors again.2 pathologists tested me they said they dont even seen concerning.I wasnt releaved so i did a neck ultrasound.The biggest node they found was 1.2 cm but radiologist (and the doctors who saw the resluts of ultrasound) said that it looks perfectly benign so stop searching.I still couldnt ease my mind so i went to an hematologist.She said probably nothing but she ran a few tests.Full blood test,Chest X-ray,ultrasound of upper and lower abdomen.All clear and within normal values.But i cant convince myself.I know that the only 100% diagnosis of lymphoma comes with biopsy.Also the itching is still here(not all day it comes and goes).Also i had read stories from lymphoma patients/survivors that they had itching many months or years before diagnosis.I think many people can understand my fears in this forum so thats why I am posting.Thank you for your time and sorry for my bad english.
Hi Turbo,
If you've been reading, you know lymphoma is a very common fear here. There are many obsessed with their nodes and other symptoms that share a string of connection with this and many other normal anomalies.
The best reassurance you can get is from medical professionals of which you've seen many. I would suggest reading some of your own post for validation. I'll edit it down to the important parts.
I have bad HA for almost 10 months.... I am 22... years old male.....2 pathologists tested me they said they don't even seen concerning..... I did a neck ultrasound. The biggest node they found was 1.2 cm but radiologist (and the doctors who saw the results of ultrasound) said that it looks perfectly benign so stop searching.....I went to an hematologist. She said probably nothing but she ran a few tests. Full blood test, Chest X-ray, ultrasound of upper and lower abdomen. All clear and within normal values.
Those results and your age rule out anything sinister. One of the first things you said was you have bad HA. That's what you need to focus on. At 22yo, you have an entire future ahead of you. Living in fear of imaginary dragons isn't living.
Positive thoughts
Fishmanpa thank you very much for the answer.You see my concerns from a logical prespective I appreciate that.But as you know we,HA sufferers,tend to always think that we are misdiagnosed or we find stories of people who were misdiagnosed and we identify ourselves with them.Anyway I want also to say that man, I saw the way you reply to the people with HA before I register in this forum and you are a truly positive person and you do a really good job in this forum.God bless you!
Anyone with this kind of itching guys?It is not cosntant but it can last some hours.Its like in a second is in the arm then can go to chest then in scalp like it jumps from head to toe and feels like α little pinch or a little burning...thats how i can describe it. Sometimes I can handle it without itching it and it goes off after a few seconds but then after a while it occurs in a different spot..drives me mad really.
aleskaclarke
26-06-19, 20:44
Hey so im really sorry to hear youre going through this because it really isn't nice. But I've also had a bad lymphoma scare so I'm hoping I can ease your mind a little. Ok so regarding the nothing I have experienced this quite severely too, but did you know when you have anxiety and really think about something it's easy to convince yourself you feel whatever?? See here it is...now im thinking ahkut itching and my left leg has started feeling itchy. Also i am aware that the itch associated qith lymohoma isnt just an itch that goes aqay with scartchig its a severe deep knawing itch right down to the bone which doesn't ease with itching, you can be itching so hard you damage your skin. As for your night sweats...if they're not drenching it's not lymphoma, That's something very characteristic of lymphoma. You would be DRENCHED if it were, I mean you could squeeze water out of your clothes you'd be so wet, so not to worry about that. As for your lymph nodes if you go looking for them you will find them most healthy people especially if you're quite slim can find some, I've been able to feel like in my neck and groin for 7 years and I'm not dead yet. Also if you've had them ultrasounded it would have shown up if they were in any way cancerous. As for blood work often thid would come up a bit wrird if yky had lymphoma as your blood counts could be weird however this isn't always a given, but youve had enough other tests and doctor reassurance to be fairly positive you're ok. However I know exactly how you feel so I'm not even gonna patronize you with "the doctor said you were fine so just accept it" because that doesn't seem to work for us sufferers. However I just want you to know that I have too experienced these symptoms and fears and you're not alone and I can tell you now you don't have lymphoma, trust me if you can't trust the doctor;) I hope you start to feel better soon!
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Hey so im really sorry to hear youre going through this because it really isn't nice. But I've also had a bad lymphoma scare so I'm hoping I can ease your mind a little. Ok so regarding the nothing I have experienced this quite severely too, but did you know when you have anxiety and really think about something it's easy to convince yourself you feel whatever?? See here it is...now im thinking ahkut itching and my left leg has started feeling itchy. Also i am aware that the itch associated qith lymohoma isnt just an itch that goes aqay with scartchig its a severe deep knawing itch right down to the bone which doesn't ease with itching, you can be itching so hard you damage your skin. As for your night sweats...if they're not drenching it's not lymphoma, That's something very characteristic of lymphoma. You would be DRENCHED if it were, I mean you could squeeze water out of your clothes you'd be so wet, so not to worry about that. As for your lymph nodes if you go looking for them you will find them most healthy people especially if you're quite slim can find some, I've been able to feel like in my neck and groin for 7 years and I'm not dead yet. Also if you've had them ultrasounded it would have shown up if they were in any way cancerous. As for blood work often thid would come up a bit wrird if yky had lymphoma as your blood counts could be weird however this isn't always a given, but youve had enough other tests and doctor reassurance to be fairly positive you're ok. However I know exactly how you feel so I'm not even gonna patronize you with "the doctor said you were fine so just accept it" because that doesn't seem to work for us sufferers. However I just want you to know that I have too experienced these symptoms and fears and you're not alone and I can tell you now you don't have lymphoma, trust me if you can't trust the doctor;) I hope you start to feel better soon!
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Hey brother thank you so much for your answer.Itching is weird its like some pins that jump from one place to another.But not severe sometimes i dont even scratch it it goes away on its own after a few seconds.Then it appears in another body part haha.Also night sweats no they are not drenching in anyway.just little wet in the body part that is being pushed in my sleep.(particulary only on my chest as i am a stomach sleeper).Thank you for your answer man its good to know someone can feel your concerns.As for blood tests i also think that at least some inflammatory markers would be a little high.(esr,crp,ldh).But they seem fine as cbc and all the other values.Thank you again.
I had the same fear of lymphoma. Long story short, everything started with a lump on the abs and started googling. I read about lymphona and itching as a symptom and guess what: I started itching immediatly. It lasted as long as I was convinced I have the disease (even though countless blood counts, ultrasounds, hemato visits told it s nothing). Once I moved forward, the itch stopped :)
I too went through a horrible lymphoma fear. It lasted almost a year. It started with a lump in my breast and swollen nodes in my armpit. After some searching, I discovered swollen lymph nodes in my groin. I had horrible night sweats and was convinced it was lymphoma. When I started having itching from head to toe I started planning my funeral. As ironic as it is, my husband is a radiologist. He felt my lymph nodes and said they were completely normal. When I had the biopsy done for the lump in my breast, my husband reviewed my ultrasound images and said everything looked fine. I had the nodes in my armpit biopsied anyway. All clear. Lump in breast was clear. Night sweats were hormonal. The itching was due to extreme stress and anxiety. I guess when you’re stressed your body releases certain chemicals that can cause itching. The itching eventually stopped. I still have some larger-than-the-other lymph nodes. My husband said sometimes they never return to their normal size and that’s okay.
Thank you guys for your support I really appreciate it.Blessings to you and your families
thismightbezach
01-07-19, 18:37
I’m going through something very similar. I’ve been itching every day since the middle of March. It is mostly on my scalp and sometimes in my ears. It can be anywhere on my body though. I’ll have an itch on my stomach and then it will appear on my head, and then my shoulder, etc. It moves around.
I’ve read posts on a lymphoma forum and they all say the itching with lymphoma is SEVERE. They itch so bad that they break the skin and bleed. They often describe it as a deep itch that scratching won’t satisfy. Mine is a surface itch.
Turbo, I hope it’s just anxiety and stress.
I’m going through something very similar. I’ve been itching every day since the middle of March. It is mostly on my scalp and sometimes in my ears. It can be anywhere on my body though. I’ll have an itch on my stomach and then it will appear on my head, and then my shoulder, etc. It moves around.
I’ve read posts on a lymphoma forum and they all say the itching with lymphoma is SEVERE. They itch so bad that they break the skin and bleed. They often describe it as a deep itch that scratching won’t satisfy. Mine is a surface itch.
Turbo, I hope it’s just anxiety and stress.
Yeah mine too is a surface itch.It goes away away with just a little scratch and sometimes i dont even scratch it it goes away in its own after a few seconds.Thanks brother I hope you all the good things in life too.
Guys here I am again...Just found something like a small bump in my trapezius muscle and I am pretty freaked out.Its hard and i have to push pretty hard to find it but its there.I dont know if we have lymph nodes on our upper back(or at least if we can touch them).But with generalised itching that comes and goes and these lymph nodes in my neck and my new exploration on my upper back I am again in a difficult situation.Ι am sorry if I am becoming annoying but I know that you can understand my feelings.
Guys here I am again...Just found something like a small bump in my trapezius muscle.....Its hard and i have to push pretty hard to find it
If you compulsively self-examine and "push hard" you're bound to find something normal to freak you out and you did :lac:
Positive thoughts
Found another one yesterday night...now i count 3-4 in my neck and maybe on in my upper back...at least they are not massive the 2 biggest are something like pea sized...considering them and the itching i am thinking to go to another doctor ...but i dont know what else tests they can do as blood tests chest xray abdomen ultrasound came back clear before 1 month...i am very confused guys...also i drank a bit of alcohol before a few nights and i felt this area as painful (but i have to say i have already read that this is a symptom of lymphoma) so i am not sure if i made it with my brain or it was an actual symptom.
thismightbezach
24-07-19, 22:25
are you still having the itching?
Yes but as i want to be honest is not bothering me as much as 1 or 2 months ago.Some days it bothers me at 10-15 minutes all day overall.It remains in the same intensity (surface itch it goes away easy with a scratch or in a few seconds on its own)
Yes but as i want to be honest is not bothering me as much as 1 or 2 months ago.Some days it bothers me at 10-15 minutes all day overall.It remains in the same intensity (surface itch it goes away easy with a scratch or in a few seconds on its own)
So this is a concern because?......
Positive thoughts
Itching is present but doesnt bother me so much now...But tha last 3-4 times I drunk alcohol (and i mean one beer each time) i feel a tension in my right side of my neck where my lymph nodes locate...I wouldnt describe it like pain, it is like a little numbness...Of course I have read that this is a sign and I am pretty much scared because its pretty much specific .But again it is not like a stabbing pain so I dont know really...
Booze makes me ache in my neck and shoulders, for what it's worth.
Just did another ultrasound in the neck after 3 1/2 months and the conclusion was "small oval lymph nodes from 5mm to 12mm".Radiologist told me that they look benign .Before 3.5 months i also had this 12mm diameter lymph node (long axis) that freaked me out.And it stills bothers me.Some say that the idea of 10mm limit is about short axis and some about long axis.Im pretty confused because of the itching, the mild alcohol discomfort and the 12mm thing.Sorry for being so worrisome but I need to talk to people who understand me.
Dying_Swan
22-08-19, 17:38
Radiologist told me that they look benign
I am confident that your radiologist is better qualified than any of us to say this. Sounds like it hasn't changed in 3 months and they're happy it's benign. Great stuff! Itching and the alcohol discomfort could well be psychosomatic and it'd be interesting to see if they disappear once you stop worrying about it.
I am confident that your radiologist is better qualified than any of us to say this. Sounds like it hasn't changed in 3 months and they're happy it's benign. Great stuff! Itching and the alcohol discomfort could well be psychosomatic and it'd be interesting to see if they disappear once you stop worrying about it.
Thank you for your reply.I hope so that no change in these few months is a good sign.Lymphoma is pretty confusing fear because if you dont biopsy a lymph node you cant be 100% sure.I think that is the reason that i am still confused.I had health fears before (like MS or ALS) but i did a brain mri and EMG so i was sure that i dont have it.That's not the case with lymphoma fear.Anyway thank you guys for the support.
Dying_Swan
22-08-19, 20:20
Sure, I understand that. I had a lymph node scare a while ago. Radiologist was concerned and took a fine needle aspirate, but it didn't give a conclusive result. I saw a different radiologist who was completely satisfied from ultrasound that mine were benign. They went down after a few years. A friend of mine had lymphoma in her neck. Within a month it had grown loads and was very obvious to her doctors that something was wrong. Anxiety makes us struggle to cope with uncertainty, but I really don't think your radiologist would say it was fine if there was any doubt in their mind.
I have had every one of your symptoms. The itching drove me insane. I had horrible night sweats, I’d wake up freezing because I was soaked in sweat. I had enlarged lymph nodes in my armpits and groin. I pretty much forced my gp to refer me for a biopsy. All was fine. Itching went away, night sweats are few and far between, and almost 2 years later I still have slightly enlarged nodes. The Dr. that did my biopsy said sometimes they never go back down, and he’s seen it plenty of times. As long as the nodes aren’t continuing to get larger over time. Stress/anxiety causes a chemical release in the bloodstream that can cause itchiness.
Thanks for the responses guys really appreciate it .Just want an opinion.For the last week i have a feeling like i want to cough but i dont,i would describe it like mild tickle in the chest but i dont cough...I know about lymphoma mediastinal masses and i am a bit worried...i did my last chest xray in early July almost 2 months ago...could something change in this period of time?I am thinking to do one chest xray again but I also dont want to,because of the radiation...
NotDeadYet
05-09-19, 05:00
turbo1
I'm so sorry to hear that you are going through this. You have received some excellent reassurance on this thread from fellow lymphoma HA sufferers. I'm going to add my voice to theirs and specifically answer your last question. First and foremost, please remember that none of us, myself included, are doctors and cannot tell you for sure what's going on with you. It does sound like you have received some excellent medical attention and my first recommendation would be for you to trust your health care providers. They are not concerned and do not feel that your symptoms are related to an undiagnosed lymphoma. Have confidence in that.
Over two years ago I found an enlarged lymph node on my neck and went into an absolute tailspin. I immediately started itching (psychosomatic), experiencing night sweats (being in a constant state of anxiety), losing weight (because I wasn't eating) and even had the tickle you are talking about (psychosomatic). I visited multiple doctors and had them all examine me and come to the same conclusion: not lymphoma. My grandfather had lymphoma in his chest (where my HA about this disease came from) and he couldn't even breathe. He was constantly short of breath, constantly coughing, and ultimately had fluid around his heart. I would bet everything that the tickle your feeling is your HA. Please take a deep breath, meditate, and work on your HA. That is so much easier said than done, I know. Even today, two years later, I still found myself checking that node to make sure it hasn't grown. It hasn't. I'm fine. You're fine. Best of luck.
turbo1
I'm so sorry to hear that you are going through this. You have received some excellent reassurance on this thread from fellow lymphoma HA sufferers. I'm going to add my voice to theirs and specifically answer your last question. First and foremost, please remember that none of us, myself included, are doctors and cannot tell you for sure what's going on with you. It does sound like you have received some excellent medical attention and my first recommendation would be for you to trust your health care providers. They are not concerned and do not feel that your symptoms are related to an undiagnosed lymphoma. Have confidence in that.
Over two years ago I found an enlarged lymph node on my neck and went into an absolute tailspin. I immediately started itching (psychosomatic), experiencing night sweats (being in a constant state of anxiety), losing weight (because I wasn't eating) and even had the tickle you are talking about (psychosomatic). I visited multiple doctors and had them all examine me and come to the same conclusion: not lymphoma. My grandfather had lymphoma in his chest (where my HA about this disease came from) and he couldn't even breathe. He was constantly short of breath, constantly coughing, and ultimately had fluid around his heart. I would bet everything that the tickle your feeling is your HA. Please take a deep breath, meditate, and work on your HA. That is so much easier said than done, I know. Even today, two years later, I still found myself checking that node to make sure it hasn't grown. It hasn't. I'm fine. You're fine. Best of luck.
I am Sending you a Big THANK YOU.Really appreciate your response.Hope the best for you also.
Hey guys I dont know where else to post my thoughts so i am doing it here...I still have bad fear for lymphoma that is fed up by some symptoms.Lately night sweats are back and they are pretty bad...itching still here some days worse than others but i experience it occasionally..and alcohol related pain came when i drank one beer.Really dont know if it is psychosomatic.My palpable lymph nodes stay in the same size though, and has been around 5-6 months in the same size (thats when i discovered them,maybe they were there before this time).Dont know what to do I am confused...The worst thing is that i have read people stories who had the disease who experienced ymptoms 1 year or more before a final diagnosis and that scares me.Sorry for being a little wearing but i am confused and people here know what i am talking about.
If it helps, I still have my lymph nodes palpable, as they ve been during last year. And I don't think the lymphoma itch would just come and go. You should try the following exercise: whenever the itch comes, do not scratch and focus on something else, keep yourself busy. Do this for several days in a row and see how it goes.
sarahsarah
18-10-19, 00:32
A fear of having lymphoma was my first HA meltdown more than a decade ago, so I hear you so well. I had a pea-sized lump in my neck and was feeling achy all over with headaches for weeks and Dr Google gave me my diagnosis and I was sure I had it, especially when one of the listed signs of lymphoma was 'vague symptoms' which fitted right in!
I didn't have lymphoma, a course of antibiotics sorted me out and the neck lump went away, but nothing would stop me digging into my neck and elsewhere looking for enlarged nodes. I found so many lumps and bumps I never knew I had before -who knows what I was feeling- lymph nodes, muscle, fatty tissue- could have been absolutely anything, but I never stopped and made myself sore and ache which only added to the misery.
The lymphoma fear still comes back from time to time, I'm sitting here now aching a bit in my shoulders and wondering if it could be the big L, but I have largely stopped looking for nodes so this is progress.
You've been thoroughly checked out by a medical professional so if I were you I would take that and just get on with your life. I know that is far easier said than done but I would hate to see anyone else waste years on this like I have. Lots of love to you xx
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.