"Lumps" under armpits but lymphs ae not enlarged

[Thinktank]

My girlfriend has these tender soft lumps under her armpits since 6 months, they developed right after her last SLE-flare.
Her run-of-the-mill rheumatologist and dermatologist didn't know what to make of it and dismissed it as anything related to SLE.
Her LLMD however did examine the lumps and believes it's not the lymph nodes but lymph-fluid being stuck, the lymph nodes themselves are not enlarged.
Does anyone suffer from the same symptom or know what to do about it?

She suffers from SLE + vasculitis and has been diagnosed with lyme disease as well.

 

[snowathlete]

I have tender lumps under my armpits and chest, but not really sure what they are. They aren't really swollen and obvious like you would get if you lymphnodes are truely swollen. I have a lot of odd symptoms at the moment though that I am struggling to get to the bottom of. Hope you and your girlfriend are able to get to the bottom of it.

 

[Marco]

If two doctors have already examined them and don't think they are anything to worry about they could just be blocked sweat glands that will come and go over the space of a week or two.

I'm rather surprised that a rheumatologist and dermatologist didn't know what to make of them.

 

[Gondwanaland]

Cold packs or Bains Dérivatifs help.

 

[minkeygirl]

Could be part of her breast tissue. Has she been ever told she has dense and fibrous breasts? I have that and mine hurt occasionally, especially in my armpits. Maybe it just hurts more when she feels unwell.

 

[leela]

After years and years of perpetually swollen and tender axillary and cervical lymph nodes, mine eventually turned into what sounds like your description. They are still tender (and sometimes flare into more tender) but mostly sort of hardened in what feels like backed-up and/or atrophied.
In chinese medicine I they refer to this as "hardened" lymph, which is a form of stagnation.
I have never had anyone in regular medical world understand it or treat it. It was only in TCM that it was ever addressed, but I didn't stick with it
so still have the symptom.

Some of the nodes have gone back to soft and swelly now that I am doing apitherapy, which is stimulating the immune system.

It is interesting to note Perrin's observation that many PwME have broken lymph valves such that the lymph is flowing
in both directions and backing up.

 

[sarah darwins]

In the same area as leela's comment, I was going to mention acupuncture. One thing it's really good on is the lymphatic system. But go to a serious acupuncturist, one with extensive training either in the far east or at a dedicated school with multiyear training programmes.

Weird, isn't it, that there doesn't seem to be a medical specialty for the lymphatic system. Why is that?