Painful lump in my neck

Hello. I have never posted here before but was hoping to gain some insight into what is going on with me. I know everyone says not to worry and people don't like to tell people it could be bad when they don't know what they are dealing with, but I just need straight honest answers.

 A few days ago my neck hurt pretty bad on the left side and I thought I must have slept funny or something. I was rubbing my neck and I felt a small pea sized lump. It is straight behind my ear and down about 3 inches. It feels like it is attached to a muscle in my neck. It is quite firm and doesn't move around very much. Most of the severe neck pain has gone away and I am left with a tender achy feeling. The lump is tender to the touch. I have had a mild headache every day since Saturday when I found it. I also had a sinus cold going on, but it seems to be gone today.

 I have a few other symptoms that I am not sure are related. I went to the Dr and when he felt the lymphnodes in my neck they were quite tender too. Also, for about six months now, when I shower, my back just behind my armpits hurts when I wash it. It feels like tender breast tissue would, but in my back. My breasts have been sort of tender most of my life. Also, I get stabbing pains just behind and below my left ear once or twice a month. I don't know if that can be related as I have had that for a few years, but I thought it was worth mentioning since it is in almost the same area.

The doctor felt my neck, but I know he didn't feel the lump because I have a hard time finding it myself and he only felt for a second. He prescribed some antibiotics and said if it didn't go away, I should come back. No explanation. Nothing. I think that he was just placating me because I tend to be a worry wart, but I know a lump and pain when I feel it.

Forgot to mention that my ear is aching ever so mildly today too.

I am just wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms and what the outcome was. I am not afraid to hear that it may be cancer, I already know that. I just want to know if I need a second opinion and need info to be proactive about my healthcare. Thanks for any insight.

I also have a lump in the same place and pain in the same area. I told my dr. and they don't seem to worried about it.  My lump got a little bit bigtger about size of a nickle and they still don't seem worried about it.  I even mentioned it to my neurologist and he wasn't worried either,  They say it is a fatty tumor that is not cancerous.

 WOW

That is all I can say after reading your post , I found my cancer by accident roughly 3 1/2 years ago by touching my gland area on my right side of my jaw. You discribed it perfectly as a little pea, I also called it that and a Bee Bee pellet.

My family Doctor wasn't sure about it, so he had me go to a Head and Neck Specialist, who started me off as if I had the flu just to eliminate that thought. Roughly 10 days and I was back and he did a Biopsy on that area. He had a hard time finding it as it was a small lump as you mentioned.  All the while, the clock was ticking and by the time I found out after the Biopsy, I was Stage 3 Base of Tongue cancer. The Head and Neck Specialist then sent me to another Specialist that I was very pleased with. Once meeting with him, it went very quickly.

Tumor on base of tongue and one lymph node involved.

Be very pro active about something that you may not know and do get another opinion. I felt that it was cancer from the get go, we know our bodies. I had a feeling and I was right. You might be also. I hope you are wrong, but be on the safe side of this.

My Best to You

I agree-WOW-because many H&N cancers are 1st discovered by a seemingly swollen or enlarged lymph node in the neck, Mine was excized by an ENT right away, because it was 3+ cm. The path was SCC, stage IV with 4 known lymph node involvements. (CT & PET to confirm) I had an unknown primary. I had ignored the lump quite some time, and it grew & spread. I would never make that mistake again. Be proactive and insist on whatever tests they will order to confirm that it is/or is not harmless. It's your life, and you call the shots! Best of luck, Gayle

Yeah, so I am not insane to think that antibiotics are ridiculous? I don't want unneccessary medication and I don't want to further destroy the use of antibiotics. I have no sign of infection at all. It's just a stupid thing to try given the circumstances in my opinion.

I agree with the others....be proactive.

I went to my GP for a sore/swollen throat that I thought was allergies. He didnt know what I had, but prescribed a course of antibiotics "just in case".

At least he knew what he didnt know and referred me to a topnotch ENT specialist who took one look at my throat and told me I had cancer. 

Get yourself to an ENT or a head/neck doctor and get another opinion. You need to do this asap. If it is cancer, better to deal with it sooner, rather than later.

Good luck and best wishes,

Mike

 

On 6/4/2008 weegie wrote:

I even mentioned it to my neurologist and he wasn't worried either,  They say it is a fatty tumor that is not cancerous.

How can they tell that it's a non-cancerous fatty tumor unless they take it out and look at it? Excisional biopsy, anyone?

My experience was the opposite: teeny breast lumps I could never find myself showed up on my mammograms, so they did the lumpectomy and found that they were non-cancerous fatty tumors.

And I knew a gay guy whose lover discovered the lump which turned out to be Hodgkins. No wonder your neurologist isn't worried. It's not his neck.

So I have a bit of an update. I was laying down and I found the lump in my neck and discovered that while laying down it is quite mobile. It moves back and forth at least an inch I would say. I don't know if that even makes a difference.

Also another thing that I thought of is that for a few weeks I have been itchy. Mostly on my trunk, arms and head. And no I don't have any weird bugs, thank you. Just thought it was kinda strange. I don't know if it could be related.

Thanks for all your advice so far.

On Jun 04, 2008 12:00 AM hadabaday2day wrote:

Hello. I have never posted here before but was hoping to gain some insight into what is going on with me. I know everyone says not to worry and people don't like to tell people it could be bad when they don't know what they are dealing with, but I just need straight honest answers.

 A few days ago my neck hurt pretty bad on the left side and I thought I must have slept funny or something. I was rubbing my neck and I felt a small pea sized lump. It is straight behind my ear and down about 3 inches. It feels like it is attached to a muscle in my neck. It is quite firm and doesn't move around very much. Most of the severe neck pain has gone away and I am left with a tender achy feeling. The lump is tender to the touch. I have had a mild headache every day since Saturday when I found it. I also had a sinus cold going on, but it seems to be gone today.

 I have a few other symptoms that I am not sure are related. I went to the Dr and when he felt the lymphnodes in my neck they were quite tender too. Also, for about six months now, when I shower, my back just behind my armpits hurts when I wash it. It feels like tender breast tissue would, but in my back. My breasts have been sort of tender most of my life. Also, I get stabbing pains just behind and below my left ear once or twice a month. I don't know if that can be related as I have had that for a few years, but I thought it was worth mentioning since it is in almost the same area.

The doctor felt my neck, but I know he didn't feel the lump because I have a hard time finding it myself and he only felt for a second. He prescribed some antibiotics and said if it didn't go away, I should come back. No explanation. Nothing. I think that he was just placating me because I tend to be a worry wart, but I know a lump and pain when I feel it.

Forgot to mention that my ear is aching ever so mildly today too.

I am just wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms and what the outcome was. I am not afraid to hear that it may be cancer, I already know that. I just want to know if I need a second opinion and need info to be proactive about my healthcare. Thanks for any insight.

Hello, I as well have never posted but sometime feel that my doctor looks at me funny when I come in with another illness.  I too have found a lump in the same area.  I have been very ill for about a year and after 3, week long, hospital stays in one year and extreme swelling in my legs they diagnosed me with Lymphedema.  If you look up this condition or read anything about it - they underlying issue that causes it is some form of cancer or tumor or previous chemo.  They have not found a cancer or tumor as of yet.  As I said above I have had many many issues since all of this ranging from extreme asthma issues, bronchitus, pneumonia 3 times in a year, large cysts on various parts of my body and pain in my joints and muscles of my legs and feet.  I went to the doctor yesterday because I haven't been feeling well and have had a fever and sore throat for a couple of days and I know from experience not to let it go because my body can no longer fight the infections because my lymph nodes and lymph vessels dont work properly anymore.  She felt my glands under my chin - gave me antibiotics, sat and listened to me complain about my many other aches and pains and sent me on my way.  WELL this morning I felt worse and now have a painful lump in the same spot as yours, behind my ear and down about 3 inches.  Its the size of a dime.  I dont know if I should go back to my doctor for her to just write it off as the infection I have or should I go to a ENT specialist.  This lump scares me as my conditions underlying cause is some form of cancer, cancer is heavy in my family, my grandfather, my father, died from cancer and now my 55 year old sister was just diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.  Frustrated and not sure what to do??

On Jun 04, 2008 12:00 AM hadabaday2day wrote:

Hello. I have never posted here before but was hoping to gain some insight into what is going on with me. I know everyone says not to worry and people don't like to tell people it could be bad when they don't know what they are dealing with, but I just need straight honest answers.

 A few days ago my neck hurt pretty bad on the left side and I thought I must have slept funny or something. I was rubbing my neck and I felt a small pea sized lump. It is straight behind my ear and down about 3 inches. It feels like it is attached to a muscle in my neck. It is quite firm and doesn't move around very much. Most of the severe neck pain has gone away and I am left with a tender achy feeling. The lump is tender to the touch. I have had a mild headache every day since Saturday when I found it. I also had a sinus cold going on, but it seems to be gone today.

 I have a few other symptoms that I am not sure are related. I went to the Dr and when he felt the lymphnodes in my neck they were quite tender too. Also, for about six months now, when I shower, my back just behind my armpits hurts when I wash it. It feels like tender breast tissue would, but in my back. My breasts have been sort of tender most of my life. Also, I get stabbing pains just behind and below my left ear once or twice a month. I don't know if that can be related as I have had that for a few years, but I thought it was worth mentioning since it is in almost the same area.

The doctor felt my neck, but I know he didn't feel the lump because I have a hard time finding it myself and he only felt for a second. He prescribed some antibiotics and said if it didn't go away, I should come back. No explanation. Nothing. I think that he was just placating me because I tend to be a worry wart, but I know a lump and pain when I feel it.

Forgot to mention that my ear is aching ever so mildly today too.

I am just wondering if anyone has had similar symptoms and what the outcome was. I am not afraid to hear that it may be cancer, I already know that. I just want to know if I need a second opinion and need info to be proactive about my healthcare. Thanks for any insight.

well i have the same problem as you...but on the rite side behind my ear bout 4 inches down...but mine are 2, the size of a small grapes..they hurt very much and i get sharp stabbing pain once in a while and when i touch them tthey feel like bruisers... the pain behind your armpits oround your back is actually called pleuresy it is inflammation ogf the lining of lung walls... that comes from an infection u have had like a very bad cold or pneumonio or something related to that look it up...like sharp shooting pains ususally between ur shoulder blades  and under ur ribcage in the bottom back part...ive had that for 5 years i got walking pneumonia n since i didnt know i had it till it was almost to late well thats how i got it...very painful flares up when u stress to much or not enuff rest...