painful lymph nodes, serious night sweats, chills, fever, lymphoma? - Lymphomas Message Board

wowzers · 09-05-2009, 01:00 PM

about 6 weeks ago i was sick for 10 days with a fever near 103-104. i had a headache also, chills, nightsweats, painful throat, body aches, fatigue, and painful swollen lymph nodes in the neck. i had a monospot test done twice, both times negative. i had an epstein barr test done and it came back elevated and the doctor said his clinical opinion was that i had mono.

3 weeks later i come down with a fever again last monday. the symptoms are a little different this time, mostly now just having chills, fever, painful swollen lymph nodes in the neck, fatigue, and nightsweats that are definitely worse than the first go round.

i know nightsweats are a very particular symptom usually associated with certain illnesses. i had blood tests that showed it wasn't HIV, x-ray showed it wasn't TB, and now the only thing the doctor thinks it could be IF it's not mono again, is Hodgkin's.

i've now had the fever (this time around only gets to 101-102 instead of 103-104) for almost a week now this time around. i don't feel any better than the first day i got sick, but when i got sick the first time i didn't feel a lot better until i was totally better either.

i'm really concerned this could be Hodgkin's. the distinguishing symptom here the doctor finds unusual is the lymph nodes being swollen but PAINFUL, which is usually not the case in lymphoma. his perspective is that it is still mono, but he wants me to visit an infectious disease specialist next week and take him all my x-ray's, blood tests, epstein barr results, cbc, etc. and let him make a clinical determination. if he thinks it could be something more serious, then go get a lymph node biopsy done.

first i want to know opinions, and secondly i would like to know if you guys have insight on further Hodgkin's symptoms like does it get you sick one week and then go away for 3 weeks, come back, go away. or do your nodes need to be swollen for 4 weeks or more to be lymphoma or could 1 week indicate lymphoma. after i got over the first illness, lymph nodes shrank in size and were not painful or swollen and i had no nightsweats for 3 weeks until i got sick again this week.

i will say that i am a 26 year old male, and in the 3 weeks i was better, after the first week of taking it easy, i did some travelling (on a plane, where i know i am more susceptible to illnesses), i did some socializing and drinking, maybe more than i should on an occasion or two, and i was working a lot and it was a stressful 3 weeks, which could all lead to a lower immune system and potentially mono returning. but with the current symptoms, i simply don't know what to think.

thanks for you help.

fufu · 09-18-2009, 06:40 PM

If one has hodgkins lymphoma the symptoms do not come and go. A lymphnode can be lymphoma from the first moment a person detects that their node is enlarged. The only difference is that a person is never diagnosed as having lymphoma immediately because proper tests have to be performed to come to that conclusion. My mother was diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma after having a biopsy even though before that she had numerous tests done. She had drenching nightsweats, fatigue, and fever every evening. My aunt was also diagnosed with hodgkins lymphoma after having a biopsy, she had no symptoms, except a large lump on her armpit. Sometimes people appear with symptoms these are called B-symptoms, some people have no symptoms at all but an enlarged lymphnode only.
The symptoms of lymphoma can be the same as symptoms for very many other illnesses, this is why it sometimes takes so long to diagnose, because they'll do so many other tests before to rule out other things and then they do a biopsy of a node that is enlarged. Blood tests do not confirm lymphoma, the only test that does is a biopsy.
Sometimes when we have a cold, virus, or infection our lymphnodes do become tender and enlarged. i hope i was of some help to you.

chocolateman · 10-09-2009, 03:35 PM

did you ever find out what this was. I am currently suffering from the same symptoms and wondering if this is Lymphoma, TB, etc. What else could it be that is not so serious (what I'm hoping for).

Rafael · 10-09-2009, 05:49 PM

I believe it's not lymphoma. My partner have similar problem 2 years ago. Doctor couldn't find out what was wrong with him. He had , high fever then low for a day go back up. Also tired, not energy, night sweet and sometime swollen lymph node. He end in the ER, the Doctors found out large amount of fluid around his hearth. They remove the liquid but the never found out that was the reason. He went home feeling still sick without an answer. I suggest him to visit an Specialist of Word Travel Infection Diseases. The Doctor how I know through work in Univ of Miami. Found that my friend had a virus call coxsacki ...maybe you can look this option if you travel or have some sexual activity, maybe you got some weird virus

Rafael · 10-09-2009, 05:53 PM

Do your aunt have any pain in the large lump in her armpit?