Hello. I need some advice. About 2 months ago, I noticed a small pea sized lump on the back of my neck. It did not move in size, but appeared to feel squishy. A few days later I noticed a lump behind my ear on the same side of my body, and later in the day one on the side of my neck just below the ear. Well, I called the Dr and they told me to keep an eye on them, they were probably just due to a virus, to give them a few weeks and come in if they were still there. The one behind my ear gradually went away... Well, a few weeks passed, and the other two were still there, so I called and went in for an appointment. A nurse practitioner examined me and said they felt like lymph nodes and that I probably had a virus, and to go home, get some rest, etc.. and to call if I felt sick or had a fever. Well, it has been a total of 2 months now, and the two are STILL there. The one on my neck is the size of a peanut, and is squishy and moveable, non tender. The one behind my ear is still the same size and neither appear to be growing any, but are not by any means getting any smaller. I am wondering if anyone has had anything similar happen to them, and how long I should give it before I go back in AGAIN to have another exam. I am kind of scared, but if it was something serious, I would think I would be feeling really sick by now or the lumps I have would be changing or something! Anyhow have any advice for me? Thanks

There are no sure way to find out exactly what may be causing your swollen lymphnodes other than getting a biopsy of some sort. If the doctor did other tests (e.g. complete blood test, mono,etc), and if all came back fine. I think it's best to wait and see.

Everybody has lymphnodes, and if you search hard enough - you'll find them. Since they seem to be very small in size, I don't think there's much you can do about it now.

I've had my lymphnodes for over 3 years, I have many (neck, above collarbone, groin). I still don't have any symptoms yet. But I keep finding new nodes and it seems to get bigger(especially the one above my collarbone). The thing is my doctor still don't know what's wrong with me. I'm going to get a biopsy soon, don't know when yet..

Not to scare you or anything, some people have no symptoms at all - but they later find out that it is something serious.

Since it's only been 2 months (swollen lymphnodes sometimes takes a long time to go back down, it may not even go all the way down..), I think it's better to wait it out a bit...

Hey everyone. WEll, both my lumps are still there but they have not increased in size at all, which I guess is a good thing, but I am still curious as to how they even showed up in the first place and why they are not going away or getting any smaller. Can they be related to ear problems? I ask that because I have had chronic ear problems my entire life, and last time I was in the dr office, they told me the ear on the same side of my head as the swollen nodes, was 75% plugged with earwax way deep inside, so Im wondering if that could possibly have ANYTHING to do with the swollen nodes. I bought a wax removal kit but as far as I know, I have not gotten any results... I am going to give them a few more weeks and then go back in but am frustrated and wondering if anyone else has ever had anything similar to this happen to them.... :/

I am going through the same exact thing I had one appear in Aug. I have always taken thyroid meds as of aug all of my blood work is fine. The ent gave me anitibiotic no biopsy. Last week I started getting so tired I was falling asleep driving. I found my self in Er where they said I was in severe hypothyroidism. I have still been given no explantion or biposy. They increased my hormone levels monday. I now have 2 swollen lymph nodes on back of neck. 1 under chin. 2 in back of neck and difficulty swallowing they are telling me now that it is a virus. They put me on the z pack although. I generally work 45 plus hours a week and have a family and I am at the point where I have been off the week and taking a bath seems to wipe all of my energy out. I am so frustrated. I know that it takes a while for a lymph node to go down and many things can cause it but I would get someone that would biopsy it better safe than sorry.

Yeah, I have not been able to go get it looked at, due to the fact that I switched jobs and my health insurance won't kick in until November! I am trying to wait it out, looking for other symptoms in the meantime, but so far nothing, I have no idea what could be causing it... I have not felt sick at all, but find it odd that they are on the same side of my body and I have not found any anywhere else. They are also not growing in size at all, but just wont go away! I had a thyroid test not too long ago and everything was normal, so I don't think it would be from that. Still, the only thing I am thinking of is maybe its coming from that ear on the same side. When I am wondering how long it can take for them to completely go away and if I should be concerned if I am feeling fine, except for the fact that they are bothering me due to the fact that I don't know how they got there! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

A few thoughts for all of you...

Swollen lymph nodes alone are usually a sign of infection of some sort - although the nodes in the cases of infections are typically painful to the touch (kinda like they feel bruised and tender).

This is not to say that all swollen nodes that are NOT painful ARE a sign of cancer, but there is definitely more concern when you have swollen nodes than are NOT painful.

Insist that you get checked out completely. Here is what happened to me about 11 yrs ago, but some other symptoms appeared prior to these painless swollen nodes in the left side of my neck.

Normally an extremely energetic person, I had just moved to Houston from mid-Michigan and had begun to feel exhausted all the time. I then developed a rash under my arms and all over my back. I also began to have nightsweats that were soaking me and my bedsheets.

I went to several medical clinics and they all said it was probably just the change of climate, moving away from my family, etc. So I waited a few more months and the symptoms did not change (and I was feeling psychologically fine!).

During an intense volleyball match, an opponent spiked a ball like a cannon and it hit me on the back of my left shoulder/left neck area. Knocked me out and the area on my left shoulder swelled up like there was a Nerf basketball under my skin. Immediately went to a private practice physician and after being tested for everything from HIV to cat scratch disease, I was finally biopsied by an oncological surgeon and received the bad news that I had lymphoma. The volleyball hit actually caused swelling of tissues around the nodes, but the nodes within the tissue were swollen - some hard, some soft, but all were painless to the touch.

Now here's the good news...since I live in Houston I had MD Anderson Cancer Center about 15 mins from my home and there treated me very aggresively (I was 26 at the time of diagnosis). I went into remission after 2 surgeries, 6 months of chemo (NOVP) and 5 weeks of radiation on the top half of my body. I have now been in remission for over 10 years.

So, this is certainly not meant to scare any of you, but one thing I have learned for sure...even in the best of medical care, you must be your own advocate and push the medical community to check things out more closely. I believe you need detailed bloodwork, x-rays, CT scans, etc., so that you can either put your mind at ease or get moving with staging and treatment plans.

I'd be glad to respond to any of you with any further questions. I am not a doctor, but have a brother who is a surgeon and helped me learn so much about what I was facing that I often feel like a doc!

Good luck and do NOT let them tell you it's just a virus! I did that initially and it could have postponed my diagnosis long enough to iniliate my best chances to be treated and survive. I now have a fabulous wife of 9 years, and 2 young sons ages 5 and 3! Not bad for someone who was completely sterile after treatment!