Swollen Lymph Nodes and Neck Pain

[renate1989yreanne198]

Hi all,I posted in another thread with a fellow twitcher who also complained of swollen lymph nodes.Basically since last Tuesday I noticed a proper marble sized lump in the left side of my neck. Then on Saturday my neck became really sore on this side from my ear to my collar bone and my back left molars are sensitive to a thig cold also.My entire neck now is irritated and inflamed so I've been using hydrocortisone and clotrimazole creams to try ad ease that and the centre and right of my neck, although without swollen glands, feels tender and sore to touch the skin.My first fear is lymphoma. Also I've been twitching like crazy in the left of my neck and down my left arm with some pain radiating into my left hand so I don't know if tumours can cause this.I have seen some writing about twitching and links to tumours but most write ups seem to suggest the twitching link to cancer comes after a patient has started treatment as a form of neuropathy connected to it.I am hoping this is a thyroid problem but I'm my sure if a thyroid problem would cause other neck glands to swell?? Also I know lymphoma is generally meant to be painless swelligs but I've also read people can complain their glands ache too. So this is what scares me.I am hoping that because the skin on my neck hurts that it's an infection but I really don't know.Afraid...

 

[JohnSmith]

Hi,i have exactly the same in my right side of my neck. That Problem exists for many years for me.Sometimes it is really a great marble an it hurts when I touch it. But that thing lasts only for a few days and after that it will become normal again. I have that also on the left side but never as great as on the right.I think that reaction is due to some small infection of my scalp or my face. I have often pimples on that Locations before my lumps get greater.But I never get nervous about that. The Scalp is one the most blood filled Locations so there is many skinn to clean up for the lumps.

 

[Gracer]

Reanne,as you definitely have some inflammation directly in the neck region, no wonder you had a swollen lymph node right before that. This does not fit typical lymphoma picture.Best way of course is to make blood test and lymph node byopsy To give you radiating pain, tumour must compress your nerve root right at the spine, at the vertebra level, so hardly you could feel it where the lymph node is.Seems like you have inflammation there whihc explains both neck pain and lymph nodes increase.

 

[FernFinnegan]

I have had swollen nodes and wait for a couple weeks and it will go away. Gracely is right, as usual. Not typical picture of lymphoma. Remember, when you hear hoofbeats expect horses, not zebras. Swollen nodes are common. Common things are common. Can be caused by a zit even many inches away from the node. Good luck and try not to stress about this. Common fear if you have history of health anxiety.

 

[renate1989yreanne198]

Thanks guys.I think I am spooked because the area in my neck which has the swollen node like a pea is sore and spasms and twitches more now.It s literally that I noticed the swollen gland because the skin on my neck started gettin itchy again (it presently feels different to touch at the moment too- very hard to explain) and then a few days later I started getting the pain from my left ear to my collar bone. Now I'm at the point where, as the day goes on, it's actually hard to find positions to hold my head as my neck feels so strained. If also aches into my shoulder and shoulder blade.I know lymphoma is usually painless; people typically just notice a swelling. Or they have itchy skin (this is why my neck skin being itchy freaked me out) or they lose weight and have a fever.I'm hoping as the same day the pain started I had a sharp pain at my back left molar from eating or drinking anything cold so I'm hoping this could be impacted wisdom teeth as I'm 25 and never had any come through yet. I just figured I was never going to get any. Or perhaps a root canal. I know impacted wisdom teeth can get infected and cause neck pain, swollen glands and headaches. I think I'd just be surprised if that's what it was as no tooth has cut the surface.Also with my twitching and spasming going through the roof, especially around this area of pain, made me worry my twitching might have been a symptom of underlying cancer.Annoyingly being on holiday to America atm I can't do much except see a GP as tests here would be astronomically expensive. Hopefully he can give me some antibiotics to see if it is indeed an infection. Any advice on what to do in the meantime or when I return home would be appreciated.

 

[renate1989yreanne198]

Also hi yuliasir! Thanks for your insights! My doctor emailed to say the blood tests (for everything) back in September didn't show anything worrying- I don't know if a lot could develop cancer-wise in that time (5 month window).Depending on how the doctor visit goes today and if any antibios help the swelling I'll be getting an ultrasound and biopsy back in Beijing or an x ray to see if it's my teeth. I did read the root canals can cause muscle spasms in the neck. So that might explain a lot

 

[Gracer]

tooth could give you a whole bunch of issues^ radiating pain, lymph node swelling and spasms. Hope this is the case really as it is looking much like that.

 

[renate1989yreanne198]

Hi all,I'm back in China now...i'm looking for general advice on how to proceed with this...basically even before I noticed the swollen nodes in my left neck, I was having tighening sensations of my gullet and jaw and slight neck and shoulder pain on the left side...then obviously the pain in my neck, ear, jaw and shoulder hit really bad in the USA. After taking cephalexin for a number of days the pain went away and was gone for 2 whole weeks but the glands remained swollen.I went to my doctor who said he could feel them but they felt small to him. He ordered two ultrasound scans and the ultrasound doctor said the glands were still small and a normal shape so he wasnt concerned about them. But since returning to china Ive bee getting the unbearable pain in my neck and shoulder again, as well as some pain in my jaw and back left tooth...but it's not unbearable and when i look in my mouth it doesn't look like anything is coming through at the back...so i dont know if i could have an impacted wisdom tooth or root canal really...i have very good teeth; no cavities or fillings ever so id be surprised if i had a root canal.I ordered a blood test at a local chinese hospital to check out my red and white blood cells as ive been getting spasms in my neck and collar bone area more as well as my left eye lid, and im afraid it could all be a sign of cancer from something pressing on a nerve or leukemia/ lymphoma.I dont really know whether i should also continue seeing my doctor as he doesnt seem keen to address any medical requests for certain tests, but rather wants me to see a psychologist again for my health anxiety...which i am fine to do but i get annoyed because these arent phantom symptoms and are very painful and distracting and pain killers don't do any good.

 

[RhinoWebster]

Not to be a jerk as I am sympathetic to your plight.This is not a cancer forum -- or more importantly -- a hypochondriac forum.I am glad you are over your ALS fear -- and moved on to cancer - as mentally that is much more treatable.The CT scans would see if there was something to be suscpicious about. I have had a marble sized lymph node forever that sometimes flares up and is huge and noticeable.It COULD be a saliva stone stuck in your ducts -- eat some sour candy and lemons and see if that helps.go see a therapist -- the mind is a powerful thing it can make you feel pain you don't really have.Good luck to you.

 

[renate1989yreanne198]

I don't think you're being a jerk, but I know there has been some evidence of things like Isaac's syndrome being linked with [potentially] some cancers/ tumours.It was interesting though, I went to see a physio about my neck pain, and she believes it is postural down the left side of my body, and she actually asked if I was getting muscle twitching without knowing any of my background...This intrigues me if it could be muscle tightness over time causing this as the left side of my body is the predominant side which twitches, and when this pain began in my neck I noticed it too was twitching/ spasming much more.My main symptoms which I need to follow up on with my doc which concern me a little is that I keep getting a repetitive red rash where the neck is sore/ lymph nodes are swollen and that I get some weird sensations with swallowing from time to time. Not when I'm eating or drinking, but just general swallowing, as if my throat feels a little swollen/ blocked making it harder to swallow saliva, and then this panics me a little that it could be bulbar onset...but I believe with bulbar onset, the swallowing issue becomes more pronounced later, and usually speaking/ voice problems come first/ tremors in the tongue, which so far, I've not had.Also, touching wood, it's been just over 7 months of really noticeable twitching [I always had a few minor twitches before] and from neurological studies I've seen, it says the average time for someone who presents with only twitching as a first symptom of ALS, it takes on average 7.2 months for weakness to appear...so if I'm ok by the end of this month, I feel confident I should be able to put this to bed.I think a lot of this for me has been down to the living environment in China...I've never been as ill in my life as I have been here...recurrent ear, chest and sinus infections...weird stomach problems...then all over twitching followed by this weird neck swelling and rash...I'll be happy to rejoin the western world soon!Thank you all for your thoughts and input...and any suggestions on what to do with this neck thing would be greatly appreciated as always!

 

[kickassRachelRachel]

Sounds like you are experiencing swollen lymph nodes more than anything else. I use essential oils every time mine flare up, and they usually go down pretty fast! There's also this stuff I use called "lympha rub" it is good for making headaches or cramps go away, too. You just apply it topically to wherever there is pain. There are many reasons why your lymph nodes are swollen, and it can be from warding off catching any infections or illnesses, to even sinus stuff. It's weird, but don't freak out, swollen lymph nodes do not always equal cancer. It doesn't hurt to get anything checked out, though. Thankfully for me, my mom is an RN and so I rarely have to go to the doctor to get anything checked, because she knows her stuff pretty well!