Poll on lymph nodes and glands

[MeSci]

By 'neck' I mean the glands and lymph nodes beneath the chin and/or on the throat. I'm using the common names for the body parts for simplicity.

Symptoms could be at separate times or at the same time. Each person should ideally chose four options: Neck swollen or not swollen, armpits swollen or not swollen, neck tender or not tender, and armpits tender or not tender, but of course if you're unsure about any of the options don't tick them.

Hope it's clear! I wanted to combine options to include both armpits and neck, but there were too many possible combinations.

EDIT just realised that it may look as though you should tick 'not swollen' and 'not tender' if the glands/nodes are not always swollen/tender but are sometimes. I didn't intend this. If they are sometimes swollen/tender you shouldn't also tick the not swollen/tender options.

And there was me thinking I'd made it 100% clear. Hope it is now.

 

[Sasha]

I think I might have had this in the distant past for some years (maybe 20 years ago) but it's so long ago I don't want to answer the poll in case I'm mistaken. I think that for a lot of us long-termers, symptoms change over the years.

 

[MeSci]

I think I might have had this in the distant past for some years (maybe 20 years ago) but it's so long ago I don't want to answer the poll in case I'm mistaken. I think that for a lot of us long-termers, symptoms change over the years.

Yes, they do. But I think I've had the swollen neck glands/nodes from the start. OTOH, I am getting more armpit twinges recently (19 years with ME now), but I try to tell myself it may be a sign of recovery - my immune system correcting itself.

A girl can dream...

 

[A.B.]

I have had a mildly swollen lymph node since forever, but only on the right side of the neck. Also in the right leg / groin area but that seems to have gone away. By mildly I mean it doesn't hurt and is barely noticeable when I pay attention to it. The lump is visible if I tilt the head to the side though. I'm curious about this. Does anyone know why lymph nodes stay in this state for decades?

 

[Tired of being sick]

I have tender spots all over my entire body including my scalp.

So I have not any idea if some of this just under the surface widespread pain involves lymph nodes or not.

I have widespread pain, deep under the surface, to the bone as well.

 

[cigana]

I have swollen lymphs, but not in the neck or armpit.

 

[MeSci]

I have swollen lymphs, but not in the neck or armpit.

May I ask where? (You don't have to answer, of course.) I did think of including the groin/top of legs area but thought I'd better keep the poll manageable with just two areas commonly affected.

 

[halcyon]

I didn't answer because I've been different treated vs. untreated, not sure if that will skew things. For the first ~10 months, the submandibular nodes under my jaw were very tender but doctors didn't seem to think they were swollen. Only one doctor was able to notice a slight swelling of my cervical nodes upon palpation on one occasion. I would also get random twinges in my occipital nodes but very infrequently.

Since starting Equilibrant I've noticed increased tenderness in the submandibular nodes and the cervical nodes in my neck as well as my armpit nodes feel very swollen in a way they never have.

 

[optimist]

I used to have in my armpits, but not anymore. Now, if I take Flaxseed oil I get swollen nodes in the groin and on the neck - I suppose that's due to Omega-6. I found that if I kept on taking Flaxseed oil the swelling goes down after about a week or so... so I am not really sure what to tick here

 

[alex3619]

I used to have constant swollen and tender lymph nodes in my neck (just under jaw near ear), possibly for about a decade around 1990. I no longer get such unless I have a flu or I come into contact with rotting food which can trigger this and a lot more. Fortunately both are rare.

 

[MeSci]

I used to have in my armpits, but not anymore. Now, if I take Flaxseed oil I get swollen nodes in the groin and on the neck - I suppose that's due to Omega-6. I found that if I kept on taking Flaxseed oil the swelling goes down after about a week or so... so I am not really sure what to tick here

It's omega-3 that flaxseed is high in, not omega-6. That's the usual reason for taking it.

 

[WillowJ]

Mine are tender, but the docs don't seem to notice (they typically check only the neck areas), not even the (very few) careful and perceptive docs, so I assume they aren't swollen.

 

[MeSci]

Mine are tender, but the docs don't seem to notice (they typically check only the neck areas), not even the (very few) careful and perceptive docs, so I assume they aren't swollen.

I don't think I've ever mentioned my armpit twinges to a doctor, as it is usually a waste of time - and indeed counterproductive - to try to discuss ME with UK doctors.

But someone carrying out an ultrasound scan (what are such people called?!) on my neck said that my submandibular glands were swollen. I also get swelling of what I assume are the cervical lymph nodes (I've always been rather crap at anatomy!), as they can be felt as two hard lumps amongst the more general swelling under the chin.

 

[justy]

I have one swollen gland on the back of the head, near the neck - ot has gone up and down for the past 6 years. No doctor is interested in it, when I say swollen lymph node they press hard all over the neck and down the side of the back of the neck, miss the spot and declare all well!

The ones directly under my ears are often mildly swollen. My GP said they weren't interested in those ones!

 

[optimist]

It's omega-3 that flaxseed is high in, not omega-6. That's the usual reason for taking it.

Ohh... at least there's something in that oil that does it, I am quite sure... the same thing happened when I took a blend of Omega 3/6/9

 

[worldbackwards]

Always had swollen glands in the neck from the start, but only rarely tender.

 

[MeSci]

Always had swollen glands in the neck from the start, but only rarely tender.

I don't think mine are ever what I would call tender. Yes, it's mildly painful if I press hard on the lymph nodes, but then it hurts when one presses hard on anything! But my axillary (armpit) nodes are definitely tender at times.

 

[rosie26]

I get an unusual drawing out/ache from lymph nodes in the groin area from time to time (the sides of the bikini line and down the leg a bit). In the severe years when my exhaustion was really bad, the glands in my neck felt swollen and thick but not visibly.

 

[Little Bluestem]

I have had a pair of swollen, tender somethings (I’m crap at anatomy, too) at the top front of my neck, right below the back of the jaw, since the start, or very near the start, of this 28-year run.

It was a few years in that I started to get intermittent itching, stinging, burning in my armpits and the front of the creases where the legs meet the trunk. I don’t get that very often any more.

 

[MeSci]

I have had a pair of swollen, tender somethings (I’m crap at anatomy, too) at the top front of my neck, right below the back of the jaw, since the start, or very near the start, of this 28-year run.

It was a few years in that I started to get intermittent itching, stinging, burning in my armpits and the front of the creases where the legs meet the trunk. I don’t get that very often any more.

The neck ones you describe are what I call the cervical lymph nodes, but I see that Wikipedia lists a whole host of different cervical lymph nodes!

I think the top-of-leg ones are part of the groin (inguinal) area. I often get pains on the outside of the top of my legs and can't figure out whether this is lymph-related or muscular.

Glad I stuck to common names for the poll anyway! Not sure what - if anything - the results can tell us, I'm afraid. The most consistent thing so far is that most of us get swollen neck glands/nodes.