Enlarged left tonsil & swollen lymph nodes in neck

Hi.

I’m new here but here goes. I’m almost 25 with 3 children & since about January, I’ve had what feels like bout after bout of what I assumed was tonsillitis. I’ve been to the doctors for it twice & was prescribed 2 courses of antibiotics twice too but nothing caused my tonsils to swell back down. Even in between my assumed bouts of tonsillitis, they never swelled back down either. I seemed to keep getting a sore throat on my right side, I think my right tonsil is slightly swollen but my left is definitely worse like maybe 3 or 4 times bigger. So this has been going on for a few months. In April, I got referred to the ENT department which was classed as a urgent referral but my appointment had been cancelled & I finally was seen last week on the 23 May, I assumed the whole appointment was to see whether or not I fulfil the criteria to finally get my tonsils removed but that didn’t even get mentioned. I explained to the consultant what had been going on for the last couple of months & he checked my tonsils & said they definitely swollen. He then wanted to put a camera up my nose which he did straight away & then said that my tissue behind my nose & everywhere seems really swollen. He then checked my neck & said he found 2 lumps & that he wanted to send me for a ultrasound there & then which he did. On the ultrasound, on my left side where my tonsil is extremely swollen, there seemed to be a massive lump that was pulsating. It looked massive on the screen & the radiologist were focused on it for a while compared to the other side & even brought a second radiologist in quoting he wants to get a second opinion whether these photos are okay. He then said they definitely swollen & I probably need to get them removed no matter what but no biopsy needs to be done just yet. Maybe it was to put my mind at ease I don’t know but when I got sent back to the consultant, he then wanted to send me for a urgent MRI on my neck within the next 2 weeks, he sent me off for 13 different blood tests & prescribed me with antibiotics for 2 weeks which so far is proving useless with the swelling. The consultant then arranged another appointment for 3 weeks time (15 June). The consultant never mentioned or talked about what he assumed it was or whatever but when I went for my blood tests doing, I had 3 sheets of paper with me of what they was testing for. In the clinical notes bit, it said Waldrye’s ring hypertrophy, cervical lymphadenopathy & he questioned whether I had a lymphoproferative disorder & what was the cause & I assumed they trying to find the cause of it with the blood tests (FBC, kidney & liver function, glandular fever, HIV, stuff like that). I researched those terms with google & found that they could possibly be investigating cancer. I know it could be amongst other things. I never got told this, I never asked. I feel stupid that I didn’t now but I was just in shock at the appointment. Anyway, the day after my consultant appointment, I received a phone call from the MRI department arranging an appointment for the 30 May. But it confused me because I got told I would need to make my own appointment when a letter came through for me & now it’s been arranged for me the day after so now I’m sort of thinking that my blood tests wasn’t normal & that’s why they fast tracked the MRI & arranged it for me.

I think I posted on here for some advice & to hear some similar stories really. I just hate this waiting game I just want to know answers & finally know what’s wrong with me! I’ve been poorly on & off for months now so it’ll just be a massive relief to finally know even if it does mean I’ve got some kicking *** of some sort of cancer to do!

Sorry for the long post & thanks in advance

Parents
  • Hi Kirstylouise93, I was wondering how you got on with your MRI results. I am currently going through almost the exact same thing as you, 2 course of antibiotics for suspected tonsilitus, nothing helping with my left tonsil swollen and lymph nodes all swollen on left side as well as a sore throat, mainly on the left side. One node is particular is really big and I can feel it pulsing under my jaw really strongly.I was seen by a different doctor who has now given me an urgent referral to ENT. I’m so worried and nervous as I have a gut feeling that something is wrong. Seeing as your symptoms sound so similar to mine I’m hoping you got a positive result and nothing sinister was found. 

Reply
  • Hi Kirstylouise93, I was wondering how you got on with your MRI results. I am currently going through almost the exact same thing as you, 2 course of antibiotics for suspected tonsilitus, nothing helping with my left tonsil swollen and lymph nodes all swollen on left side as well as a sore throat, mainly on the left side. One node is particular is really big and I can feel it pulsing under my jaw really strongly.I was seen by a different doctor who has now given me an urgent referral to ENT. I’m so worried and nervous as I have a gut feeling that something is wrong. Seeing as your symptoms sound so similar to mine I’m hoping you got a positive result and nothing sinister was found. 

Children
  • Hiya, 

    So I’m a uni student, in freshers in September I kissed a few guys and what not, and got the “kissing disease”. I went to the doctors and they diagnosed it as tonsillitis. I complete the cycle of antibiotics, then within 3 days get tonsillitis back again. However for the second round, the antibiotics had a negative effect, swelling my tonsils and nodes to a point where I couldn’t breathe. After going back they prescribed me different medication and I got better. Within a few days, I received a cold from a flatmate, and again, was ill. So the tonsillitis was gone by the early weeks of October. It is now the end of December, and my tonsils are still swollen (and terribly scarred) and the nodes have been permanently swollen. Is this the same problem you had? I’ve been back to the doctors but they just say “give it time” however it’s been almost 2 months, and show no signs of deflating or going.

  • Hiya,

    Ok, first of all, don't panic! 

    I have HPV cancer of the tonsil which typically affects people in their 50s. I am 58. I have never had an HPV vaccine because it didn't exist then. You might have had one in the past few years. Check that out.

    Next, I have had a problem with losing my voice in January/February every year for a long time now, to the extent that I was sent for occupational health assessment at one point. I am an English teacher in a big city school and am exposed to all sorts of bugs. I also talk 100% of my working day, as you can imagine (and quite a lot in my spare time, it has to be said) so I tend to punish my throat a bit.

    So last year, tonsilitis wasn't a surprise and there was a suspicion of a quinsy. Eventually, there was no quinsy and only one tonsil went down. That was in February. Between February and October I saw three different practice doctors and my dentist and it was the fourth doctor who diagnosed a problem. My dentist is the real shocker here because she is the most thorough practitioner ever and she checks your glands and your jaw movement etc every time. If she didn't find my swollen glands then, in July, it's because my glands weren't swollen in July. All my doctors could see up till then was a swollen tonsil. My partner is angry that no one did more but I don't know how much more they could have been expected to do. All I can say is that when there was a possibility of cancer my health area care has been fantastic. 

    Have you explained your fears to your doctor? He can explain his reasons for waiting a little or offer an alternative course of treatment in the meantime. When you say kissing disease, that's what we used to call glandular fever or what Americans call mono, short for mononucleosis. Had that! Same as you, as a student! That can be a really debilitating thing; I had to repeat a year of study. If you had that in September you are bound to feel ropy. It takes a while to get well.

    I think you are being really hard on yourself. Remember you deserve to be looked after a bit and if you are the person responsible for that just now then be kind to yourself in little ways every day. Get your work done but if it is too much, go and see your advisor of studies. They want you to pass and can help you. Enjoy yourself but don't go out and cane it too often. Make new pals and do new things. 

    Ok, time to stop. Tomorrow is Hogmanay, time for celebrating and taking stock. Decide what you want to do, write down what you want to ask your doctor, then go out and have fun. Don't live in your tonsil's shadow! (Eh?) Let me know how you get on, and not just with your tonsil, either.

    Happy New Year when it comes!

    Allie

  • hey omg literslly the exact same thing has happened to me ! are u still in this situation? if not what did u do to make it go away??

  • Hi im currently going through a similar situation (i can see that this post was made quite a while ago so it'll be interesting to see what happened with you!). For about a month and a half now I've had the left side of my tonsil swollen and two swollen lymph nodes (1 on each side which have been going up and down). Latley I've had no other symptoms but I've been feeling fatigue. I've had a blood test to see if it was glandular fever and its come back negative and I've seen a gp and he's said that he thinks im suffering from a post virus infection but i have a weird feeling that maybe something more is happening? If anyone could reassure me that would be fab and if you could let me know what happened to you that would be nice :) x

  • Millie1498

     

    Hi I hope you are well? I'm having almost the same as you went to a private ent yesterday and he wants to do a tonsillectomy and biopsy, I was just wondering how you have been getting on sick you posted in October? xx

  • Hi Millie! 
    Nothing has progressed since my last post. Unfortunately feel totally pammed off by my doctors and with covid etc nothing has been done. My symptoms haven't gotten any worse but it's still a big worry, I'm glad to here your ent sounds keen to investigate further with you. Wishing you all the best and good luck with your procedures! 

  • Hi Cmarie19

    Just replying to see how things turned out with your situation. I am currently experiencing the same thing right now, swollen left tonsil swollen left side lymph nodes and slight sore throat on the left side, after having been prescribed antibiotics and nothing worked I'm now currently awaiting an "urgent" appointment for a camera to be inserted down my nose to find out what's going on.

    I am extremely worried and didn't know I had anxiety until this started. Would you be able to let me know whay happend with your case if possible.

     

    many thanks 

  • hey shell09,

    How did your appointment go?

    Im currently suffering with exactly the same symptoms as you. One enlarged tonsil and swollen lymph nodes.

    I've been referred to ENT, but I've got to wait 10 weeks for appointment. 
     

    Feeling pretty anxious about it all!

     

  • Hey, i have something very similar. Left side enlarged tonsil, both sides swollen lymph nodes, but a weird feeling on my right side that seems to come & go...

    going to ask GP for an ENT referral as my bloods were normal..

     

    how did your ENT appointment go?

  • Hey,

    Yeah very similar symptoms. ENT initialling said that they thought I had quinsy. But I had my check-up appointment on Monday and they have found a 'nodule' on my tonsil. So I'm booked in for a tonsillectomy/histology. Pretty nerve wracking!