Anxiety and Stress Forum - swollen lymph nodes

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Q: swollen lymph nodes

asked by: Mrs Bod on July 19th, 2007

New User

Hi everyone - new here!

I found a swollen lymph node under my ear about 4 weeks ago. At the time I was getting some earache so I went to the doctor. He said he couldn't find any sign of infection and said the node was probably due to me fighting off a throat infection or something.

The node didn't go and I was checking and fiddling with it night and day. The earache got worse so I went back to see a different doctor. She said that my ear canal looked a bit inflamed and prescribed some drops. I asked her about the node but she checked it and said she felt it would go away on its own and that they looked out for nodes much much bigger and rubbery.

So I got the drops and calmed down a bit. I've been using the drops for just over a week. The earache has got better but now and again I get the odd pain which feels like its coming from the ear drum/back of throat area.

The node remains and I did some checking on the internet to find that if you continually check them, they can remain inflamed. Also, in my calmer moments, I notice that I can't feel it if I look straight ahead and check normally. It's only when I crane my neck that it really pops out.

My problem is that it's beginning to really take over my life. Usually, if I've had an infection or whatever and my lymph nodes swollen, they go down really quickly.

I just wonder if I was in a state of mind when I found the node which has convinced me that it's something more serious.

I had PND which appeared four months after my first son was born. I was shaving my legs one day and found a blemish on my leg which from that moment on, I was convinced was skin cancer. I saw four different doctors and practically begged one of them to cut it out!

It went on for weeks and weeks and I probably missed out quite a chunk of my son growing.

This is beginning to feel the same and I start a new job in a week's time. I don't want this to take over my life - I just don't know what to do.

Mrs Bod

Replies(6)

Kahlan25

replied on July 19th, 2007

New User

I can say that I totally relate..it has gotten to the point when I ask a person a simple question about something-they automatically assume I am worrying and they make a joke saying "maybe it's cancer"...I hate that it because I don't mean to freak out-but I have watched my father go completely downhill from cancer and worry that I would do the same and not be able to be there for my kids..I do so much that I worry obssessively over the little things...Over the past year or so I have gotten much better-I just tell myself it isn't anything to worry about and that it will go away in time..if it IS something to worry about, I can have it taken care of...I hope this helps a little-in the least you know you arent alone Wink

Pan

replied on July 19th, 2007

New User

Hey, I know exactly what you mean. Read my thread a couple down about understanding compulsions and obssesions. I found a lump a month ago and worrying about that developed into acute anxiety syndrome. When you couple this with OCD it is not good news. I am getting increasingly paranoid about my health and often think I've got some serious undiagnosed medical condition.

The strange this is, it dawned on me a couple of days ago that I do actually have an illness and it is anxiety. Ultimatly, I may or may not have another medical condition, all the evidence and GP advise suggests not but having the worry is causing me real world issues with anxiety that need to be addressed. It is a vicous circle but I am feeling that having a better understanding of knowledge as to how and why anxiety strikes and also the underlying reasons why I worry inordiantly about my health is helping me.

metalcrystal

replied on July 19th, 2007

Experienced User

Pan wrote:

You are totally right Pan, the disease is Anxiety. Constantly checking your body for signs of cancer and other diseases is not normal, healthy behavior. Searching for information on the internet and talking to other anxious people about it only validates your anxiety. Anxiety is a big liar, it makes you believe crazy stuff. I know it is hard to believe that when you are in this anxious state, but it is true. Not to say we will never get sick, but 99.9% of the symptoms i read about here on this forum are straight up anxiety.
As Pan said, we need to treat theunderlying mental issues. Talk therapy, CBT, and medication are all fantastic ways to deal with worry or anxiety disorder. Anxiety will not go away on its own, it is part of who we are. It is not just being nervous. It may be not be as bad sometimes, but it always comes back until you deal with it.

Pan

replied on July 19th, 2007

New User

metalcrystal wrote:

Pan wrote:

agreed.

The biggest mistake I made was to google my symptoms. The problem is that if you already have a tendancy to anxiety or obssesive thoughts then you can easily focus in on the negative aspects. You then put yourself in the bizarre situation when the anxiety symptoms that this brings on are mistaken for the symptoms for the condition you believe you have.

I had totally 100% convinced myself I had testicular cancer. I read on the net that back pain was a symptom of advanced testicular cancer and it would be no exaggeration to say that within 15 minutes my back was killing me. Now, this reinforced further the belief that I had cancer...in reality it was of course just anxiety. It was just anxiety and my mind combining to send me on a negative thought loop that in the end totally fried me and from which I'm still recovering.

I am now a lot more selective of the sites and threads I look at. Support and discussion is fine but on lots of sites you find people with very little knowledge presenting information as if it is fact....the problem is when you are in a state of anxiety the capability of determining the valididty of information is severly reduced. Your focus and and rationality goes out of the window and you just get deeper and deeper into the mire.

I now know the reasons for my recent preoccupation with my health and understand that the reasons for my acute anxiety syndrome where caused where my total inability to deal rationally with my health scare. I am feeling much better over the last week....I am on meds but don't know if they have kicked in but am convinced that by looking into the subject and finding out about anxiety this has helped hugely. It is anxiety that is the enemy and you need all your energies concentrated on combating that and not being drawn into the trap that it is something else hidden away. Knowledge has helped me hugely but above all be very very careful where you aquire this knowledge. As someone once said ' a little knowledge is a terrible thing'....I can't really think of a more relevant quote that could have helped me through the nightmare I have endured over the last few weeks.

metalcrystal

replied on July 19th, 2007

Experienced User

Anxiety

You sound like you are in a much better place. I know that even when you start your meds you feel a lot better because you know you are doing something about your crippling anxiety , and it is going to get better. Oddly, my meds have made me feel less depressed, and I went to the doc seeking help for anxiety! I am sure everyone here has heard that anxiety and depression are the "ugly twins", anxiety is often the symptom of depression. My anxiety was off the charts! But after 6 weeks on Cymbalta I find myself thinking more positive thoughts, and seeing issues more clearly. I can feel the old tapes and thought patterns in my mind start to play, causing physical reaction, but i am able to cut them off better now. Funny, cause I was thinking it would just be my anxiety stopping.
I had about a year of Cognitive Behavior thereapy, and I still remember all the things my therapist taught me about irrational thinking. It works very well. In my case, I need the meds also.

anxiousone33

replied on January 13th, 2008

New User

Swollen Lymph In the Neck

Hi everyone.
Recently my boyfriend told me he was diagnosed with chlamydia. I have the symptoms too such as pain during intercouse, abnormal discharge and need to urinate more frequently. Knowing that just freaked me out. I become very afraid of having another deasease like hiv. Since when I espend my days on the web reading about symptoms of other STDs; can't sleep well anymore and eating is almost impossible to me now. Never been so stressed im my whole intire life and now I notice that I have a enlarged lymph node in my neck. I'll search for a doctor in the next few days, but until now I can only think about the worse. Is this a answer from my immune system for such anxiety and stress? Just psychossomatic ? Or do I have to keep thinking that I'm going to die???? Please, help me.

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