Swollen Lymph Node - Allegany,NY

Updated on March 21, 2015
T.P. asks from Allegany, NY
7 answers

My son woke up Saturday morning with an extremely swollen and painful lymph node on his left side of his neck. I called his pediatrician and they got him right in. She put him straight on Augmentin hoping it would start reducing in size over the weekend. Well we had a follow up appointment on Monday after school and there was no improvement and it had actually seemed larger. While there Saturday she had drawn a pen circle around the swelling to monitor the size of the swelling.So since this hadn't gotten better and still very painful she sent us straight into Children's Hospital where we were until getting discharged late Thursday evening. While there they did two ultrasounds and an IV of antibiotics every 6 hours. There was still no improvement after over 24 hours which they said there should be which prompted the second US. They also started running more blood work but as of right now we have no results back from the bloodwork. We follow up with his pediatrician on Monday again and then possibly off to an ENT. I'm just concerned that it's not just an infection like the hospital says it is. It's still very painful, still swollen like it was and hasn't gone down and hard as a rock and doesn't move. He never ran a fever or had any other symptoms and no colds or anything leading up to this. Any suggestions? Hopefully our doctor will have more answers Monday or do more tests than the hospital who didn't seem very eager to figure out what was causing this "infection." Thanks!

UPDATE AND ANSWERS TO SOME QUESTIONS: He hasn't ran a fever at all through all of this. The lymph node is very hard and doesn't move and very painful. Children's released him because they said that instead of sitting in the hospital until we see results they sent us home on the oral antibiotic of what they were giving him in his IV. And I know lymph node swelling is common but the fact that his doctor was concerned enough to send me straight to Children's after no change only a little worse after a couple days makes me wonder what it is. I just feel a little concerned only because of everything I'm reading is that if it were truly an infection then it should start responding to the strong antibiotics that he's on plus the doctors said themselves it should be. Also, they pretty much ruled out a lot of viral things because like I said, he has no fever, no loss of appetite, nothing. Who knows? Can't wait until Monday when we get blood results back.

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So What Happened?

We got the results back Monday from bloodwork and he tested positive for Epstein Barr virus. The lymph node was still pretty hard the doctor said and so we have to go back in two weeks to see how it's doing. Hopefully it goes away by then!

More Answers

D.B.

answers from Boston on

Well, the good news is that nothing awful has shown up on the tests so far. Maybe you'll get an answer from the blood work.

While a swollen lymph node is usually the sign of the body fighting off an infection (a good thing, actually - the immune system at work), it's only going to respond to antibiotics if the infection is bacterial. If it's viral, it often doesn't show up on any test at all, and it just has to run its course. He might not have had other symptoms enough for you (or anyone to notice) - I had a swollen lymph node in my neck for a few weeks, with no other symptoms, but who knows if there was something lurking "beneath the surface"? We just waited it out and my doctor said that, if there was no change in a few weeks, we'd take the next step. That never happened.

I totally understand that this is scary for you, but it could well be the body's natural response to something minor. I hope he will be fine and that you will get some peace soon!

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M.L.

answers from Cleveland on

Oh wow. . I can't offer any advice but I sure hope he gets better soon. It would be great if u can update.

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S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have swollen glands weekly. I've just had my tonsils out so I hope that fixes that. However, there has always been an identifiable reason for my lymph nodes to be enlarged. I hope you and your medical team can figure it out for your son. Good luck!

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R.A.

answers from Boston on

Is their a fever of any kind?

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I hAve a swollen gland in my neck that's been there for years. Apparently I had an Infection at some point. Doctor checks it when I'm there for something else. I've asked about it and more than one doctor said that the lymph nodes help our body to get rid of infection. I suspect the swollen node is the result of chronic tonsil infections.

Your doctor is taking it seriously. I would trust him. I suggest if it were something else they would have found it with all the tests. Until fairly recently there were very few tests with which to diagnose. Pres cribing antibiotics was the only way they treated infections. Science discovered that patients were becoming resistence to antibiotics. Many adults my age are allergic to penicillin. Penicillin. Back then penicillin was the only antibiotic available.

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W.W.

answers from Washington DC on

Welcome to mamapedia!!

My 12 year old son gets swollen lymph nodes on the side of his neck. They mimic "frankenstein" nodes. They started when he was 2. They can be very hard and hurt. He doesn't run a fever. However, they go away.

If your son's hasn't changed in 10 days and IV antibiotics? Why did Children's Hospital discharge him? Blood work will hopefully give you an answer.

Prayers for answers!!

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Try giving him some real Sudafed.

I get mine at a real family style pharmacy. Places like Walmart do not order their own meds according to what is out there but to what Wamart storage has.

I tell my pharmacist I was liquid children's Sudafed. Not the fake Sudafed but the real stuff. This way he can take a half up to a full teaspoon but that depends on his age.

Try him on half a dose and see if there is any difference.

To me, I find that nodes go down when the dried out gunk in the system is loosened and drainage can happen again.

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