Lumps below collarbone

[dertli]

Hello, I'm a 17-year-old hypochondriac who's recently been very stressed out. Basically, my shoulder and arm has been hurt for almost 6 weeks. It doesn't constantly hurt, it just happens when I get up and use my chest muscle. I thought it was a strained muscle but the pain is in my arm too, it feels like nerve pain to me.

Anyways, when I tried to locate the source of the pain, I discovered several lymph nodes. They feel enlarged, like the size of a pea, but they aren't visible from the outside. I can't feel them when I gently swipe my hand below the clavicle, put they become apparent when I press on them. Most seem movable and soft, and I wouldn't have discovered they were there if I hadn't had that weird arm/shoulder pain.

Should I go to the doctor? It's been 6 weeks and they didn't find anything on the chest x-ray or the blood tests a few weeks ago, but I believe it's malignant.

[Carys]

You've obviously already seen the doctor about the issue, and had a couple of checks, so what did they think the cause was ? Were your under arm nodes checked last time you visited ?

I'd start looking for muscular skeletal reasons for your hurting arm and shoulder - bad posture, using phone and laptop in a difficult position ? Gaming ? Lying on your side and holding yourself up with your arm ? Sleeping pressing on it ? Start thinking about your behaviours and isolating anything repetitive that could cause pain, because clearly the xray and blood tests showed nothing serious.

[dertli]

My under arm nodes were not checked because I hadn't really noticed them the last time I went there. I have a bad posture, I do use my phone and laptop a lot, often hurting myself. And I sleep on it as well. I will see a GP just to get some reassurance though.

[Fishmanpa]

A node (if it was an actual node you felt) the size of a "pea" is not "enlarged".

Positive thoughts

[Carys]

I have a bad posture, I do use my phone and laptop a lot, often hurting myself. And I sleep on it as well. I will see a GP just to get some reassurance though.

You don't need the reassurance from the GP, you have a cause and effect already, sort your repetitive use/bad posture/sleep position and I should think you will be fine.