Anyone with experience with enlarged lymph nodes please help?

I have had a lymph node in my neck that has been palpable for a while know, but at times it is bigger than other times, but always remains palpable. I was seen about that one initially and the doctor found more that weren't as alarming but that she wanted to keep an eye on. Went back in for her to check the lymph nodes again in 2 weeks and to do a complete pulmonary function test because I had told her that when I take deep breaths it feels like I have a heavy plate sitting on my chest causing pain (sometimes bad enough to knock me to my knees) Anyways, lymph nodes were still palpable and the pulmonary function test didn't go well at all and I was put on albuterol. On top of the problems I was already having with my breathing, I started getting really short of breath where walking from one room to another would leave me panting. Also, when I looked up it felt like the lymph node was blocking air flow or something. Hard to describe. Anyways, I went to the ER who did a CBC and from my understanding he said those were okay but he was rushed away pretty quickly in mid sentence so I don't know the actual results. He also referred me to an ENT but with tricare my primary care has to authorize me to go after her own exam. Which brings me to the follow up from the ER. She did a thorough exam of my neck and found 7 lymph nodes that were palpable in my neck and 2 in the groin (one on left, one on right) She sent for a medical release of my blood work from the hospital. (Oh I forgot to mention, the doctor at ER put me on doxycycline to see if it would take away the lymph nodes, which it hasn't) She told me to set up another follow up with her in 14 days (which ended up being 20 because they had no available appointments til' then) On my follow up she wants me to another CBC along with a blood test for lymphoma and leukemia (was unaware that there was a blood test for lymphoma but I'm guessing maybe the characteristics in your blood cells would tell them if the possibility of the cancers were present...unsure??) and said if the lymph nodes are still there we will go from there. My question is, does this sound like something to worry about? And if anyone could please tell me if there is another way to get a referral for an ENT if my primary won't let me go next time (considering the nodes are still present, which at this point, I'm sure they will be...seems to be the pattern) I have tricare Prime. The lymph nodes are not painful at all. I had one at one point when I had a cold but that one has gone away since and the others still are there.

It sounds like the doctors have been doing unnecessary investigations till now. You have taken antibiotics already. I would go for FNAC of one of the lymph nodes and if not conclusive, next choice would be a lymph node biopsy and send it for histopathology to find out what actually, it is. I suggest you to do these investigation.

Hmm...I know exactly what u r going through as I am also in a somewhat similar situation. I found a lymph node in my neck back in December of last year and didn't go get it checked until earlier this month. The doctor should have taken a blood test and do a chest X-ray for signs of infection etc. They should have also put u on a course of antibiotics and come back in 3 weeks to see if the lymph nodes had responded to the antibiotics. I'm not a doctor, I am just telling u what my doctor did for me. I can imagine how u must feel. It's a very worrying and depressing situation to be in when all u want to know if this is serious or not so that u can get on with ur life. At this point it looks like the doctors are doing alot of unnecessary test and not taking ur concerns into account. The best thing to do at this point is go to an ENT doctor to have a biopsy. I have never had a biopsy and don't want one myself, but this is as far as my knowledge goes on stuff like this. So far my Dr. is doing the wait and see method with me. I hope everything turns out ok. I am really sorry to hear about ur suffering as I am in a somewhat similar situation. All i know is that lymph nodes can swell for many reasons like allergies, cold, flu, etc.

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