Lymph nodes keep going up and down in armpit.

Hi guys just wanted some advice and to see if anyone else has had this problem before as my anxiety is so bad. So I contracted covid the end of December just gone. A few weeks later after recovering I noticed my right armpit had a lump,  I went to the doctors and he said it was a lymph node probably connected to having covid, it went down and I was relieved but for the past 2 month and a half now, when one lymph node goes down, another one pops up in the other armpit, they basically keep going swollen then going down, then after about about week they go up again. I'm really worried it could be cancer, or something else I'm worrying myself sick about it and don't no what to do. I'm scheduled to have a blood test Monday but like if it is cancer it's not going to be detected in my blood, I'm so so worried and nd can't find any answers as to why they keep going up and down, everyone and even doctors are saying the fact that they go down and up is that they're active which is a good thing but I just wanna know why this is happening. Hope someone can help me. Thanks 

  • Hello and thanks for your post,

    I am sorry to hear that you are feeling worried about your health.

    Swollen lymph glands are often a sign that the body is fighting an infection. We can't diagnose why you are getting these but as the doctors say this may well be related to your Covid infection in December. Some people find that they are taking a long time to recover from this infection so you are not alone.

    Doctors have guidelines about what tests to organise when a patient presents with symptoms. I am sure if you lymph nodes were present all the time or they appeared to be getting bigger then your doctor would consider arranging an ultrasound.  Even though a blood test can often not detect cancer, it can give an indication of the health of a patient and can also help indicate if an infection is present. 

    Try and get plenty of rest and drink enough fluids and eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

    Even though it is helpful hearing what other members of the forum it is difficult to compare one person with another as everyone's experience is so different.

    I do hope that you feel better soon. If your symptoms don't improve then do feel that you can go back and talk this through with your doctor

    All the Best,

    Catherine

  • Thank you for your reply it does help having someone else to talk to about it, I'm at home a lot of the time with my 3 year old so it could explain why I'm so anxious about it all the time, I mean I think and doctors have said it is probably caused by covid because I never had this until after I had covid so it kinda makes sense,  but I am so anxious about it, like they hurt and no bigger than a pea but when I think it's over and one side goes down, the other side goes up its just so weird I don't have any other symptoms so I'm just scared so to why this is happening. Then read on line lymph nodes in armpits go up or can go up due to breast cancer so it's scared me stiff.

  • This is exactly the same as what's been happening to me I'm on my 13 lymph node inflamed they last 5 days go down and another pops up. Iv seen 4 different docters all are not worried because there going down. But to me it's not normal, what was your outcome?

  • Hiya thanks for the response sorry late reply had lost my phone, yeah I understand your concern I've been going through the same thing, all doctors I've seen that k it's something to do with the covid I got in january, o find if i don't worry about it they don't pop up lol. They stopped for a few weeks now I'm having the same issue again. Did you get covid? And did this happen after contracting it, cos I noticed they started happening after I got covid, the doctors think it's just my immune system still working on ridding it, and have seen many people have the same issue. I try not to worry qbout it as my bloods all have come back normal. I'm just trying to live with it for now lol. I no its worrying. I don't have any else that happens just that the gland goes up in my armpit then goes down then a few days later it happens again....how have you been coping anything come of it your end ?.