Swollen lymph nodes. What to do?

Hello,

A few weeks ago I noticed a large lump on the back of my head. GP thought it was an abscess despite the lack of any redness around the area. Got prescribed penicillin but haven't gotten around to taking it yet since I figured it would pass on it's own (I've had this happen before and they healed just fine without treatment). The bump is still there a couple of weeks later, now the lymph nodes at the base of my skull are also swollen on either side. I also have a tender lymph node on the right side of my neck about 5cm below my ear and some tenderness in my armpit, though I haven't felt been able to feel a swollen node there. I'm mainly wondering if there is any cause for concern there and what I should ask from my gp. I don't generally feel concerned with my health but I find this bizzare and would like some advice of what to do next. For reference I'm a 22 year old guy with no family history of cancer as far as I'm aware.

  • Hello, 

    I had very similar symptoms last year and posted on here as I was concerned, I would definitely go to your GP and make them aware of your concerns and get them do have a look and take some blood. They did this for me as I had a large swolen lymph nodes in both sides of my neck, they fobbed me off a few times saying I was too young to worry about it I was 26. I had a friend who was 20 and had the same growth in the same place and he ended up being diagnosed with hodgkin's lymphoma (he had chemo and was cancer free less than a year after diagnosis) so I said this is why I was concerned and got a second opinion but it turns out luckily they where just raised from an infection I had a month before. One is still there now, they don't always go back down but I have had many tests done and all of them where clear.

    There is a very high probability that it's nothing to worry about but I would certainly go to the GP and get some test done for peace of mind and god forbit it is anything serious you will have caught it early and it can be treated fast just like my friend, I read through all the swollen lymph node chats on here when I was concerned and a massive majority of them turned out to be nothing, there are a number of reasons they could be swolen,

    Hope this helped mate and I wish you all the best