Hi.

I think you need to get a second opinion.

It sounds as though it might be a lymph node that's swollen. I'm currently going through tests as my ENT consultant suspects I have lymphoma after going to my GP with a swollen superclavical lymph node. The mass that I have in my neck can change throughout the day, and depending on what position I am sitting in too, sometimes it's less obvious, so your GP shouldn't be refusing to check you properly. 
 

the fact that you've had it for 4/5 years though and you haven't had any further symptoms is hopefully a good sign. 
I would defo ask for a second opinion and if you feel like you aren't getting anywhere with your NHS dr and you can afford it, get a private consult, just to put your mind at ease.

The mind can cause no end of worries and if you have anxiety too you may experience symptoms that aren't really there, they are real but the cause can be in the mind, Although I think actually feeling a mass is quite hard to imagine. 

Have you considered trying something like Yoga to help calm your anxiety too. I say this as an anxious yogi ‍♀️ too.

I hope you get some answers soon and feel more rested.

good luck x

Thank you so much for your response and I'm also so sorry to hear that, my fingers are crossed and I pray for you that, that won't be the outcome for you. Thank you for validating my experience and I'm definetley going to take your advice, I'm calling the GP one last time tomorrow and then will go private if needs be. Definetley going to try yoga again that is a great way to stress relieve so thanks for reminding me, also glad it helps you, anxiety if the worsttt!‍♀️I really appreciate your reply and would love to have a update on your situation if you're comfortable to do so, wish you only the best in life and health for the future x

Hello and thanks for your post

I’m sorry you are worried about a neck lump that you’ve had for some time. I would like to be able to help, as clearly this is causing you a lot of worry, but it is not really possible for me or anyone else here on the forum to give you a diagnosis. Even if someone had similar symptoms it does not mean that their situation is the same as yours, as symptoms can develop for a number of different reasons. So, their situation may not be the same as yours.

A neck lump can be due to various reasons, such as a local skin infection, or a blocked or inflamed lymph gland (lymph node). Sometimes lymph nodes come up in response to a recent bacterial or viral infection elsewhere in the body. It can take a long time for them to go down and sometimes they might not go back to their original size.

I do think that because you were seen by the ENT team and had ultrasound scans  you should be reassured. I say this because they are experts in these conditions.And at the time you had the neck lump scanned, it didn't come back as being a cancer. If the doctor was at all concerned about this they would have discussed this with you.

The difficulty is then taking on board what that specialist or health professional has said and being able to try and move on. As you’ve previously mentioned this has now been present for 4 or 5 years, so I think you can probably assume it is just a part of your normal anatomy.

Health anxiety can be very debilitating and it can have a very negative impact on your quality of life. I am unsure if you have asked your GP for help with this, if not do ask. I don't know if you are aware of an organisation called  Anxiety UK.  They are a national organisation who help people with anxiety. You may also find the NHS Every Mind Matters website helpful as they have a specific section about anxiety.

I hope this is of some use.

Kind regards,

Celene

Thank you so much for your response Celene, I completely understand it's impossible for you to help with a diagnosis. I guess I'm just using this as a place to panick whilst waiting, I went back to my GP and explained my worries it's completely ruining my life I feel sick, itchy and can't eat because of this. He confirmed he could feel the lump which he confirmed wasn't my thyroid, pulse or muscle but was in fact a lymph node, which he believe is 1inch long, (I think it's 2inches but appreciate it's harder for someone else to also feel and I stick my fingers into my neck hard) he's told me this is a normal size and they normally don't worry until they reach the size of a golf ball? I've been reading about peoples understandable worries at a pea sized lump so how I've been told having a hard rubbery 1 inch lymph node really hasn't calmed me down. He's contacted the ENT department again if they'd 'entertain' another type of scan to me, I feel the doctors where I'm from think I'm just trying to waste their time but this is Absolutley petrifying for me I'm fully convinced I have what I'm most scared of and I feel awful saying it for those that have been diagnosed but there is something completely off about how I'm feeling and I still feel helpless. I've been having panick attacks, waves of sickness over worry and get in hysterics even thinking about it it's 3:46am right now and I'm sick with worry that I've left it too late already I don't know what to do with myself and can't afford private help right now. Sorry for the ramble honestly just beside myself x

Hello there

I know you have posted this question to the person who started this thread however they may not get back to you as it has been a while since they communicated on the forum.

I am sorry to hear you lost your dad to cancer and appreciate this has made you more aware of your own health.

Lumps and bumps can appear in the body for all sorts of reasons. Commonly caused by infection that settle with time but in other cases it is a normal part of our anatomy and nothing to worry about.

It is good to hear you have seen your GP who isn't concerned. They are trained to spot red flags and i'm sure if there had been any suspicion they would be arranging more tests.

In regards to blood tests coming back out of range once again these can be caused by various factors so try not to overly worry if you can.

AnxietyUK have some useful suggestions here.

Hopefully you will see the haematologist soon and your mind put at ease. If on other other hand they need to do some more tests then you'll be in the right hands for this to happen.

Wishing you all the best

Naomi