HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Is this a panic attack? Why are my lymph nodes swollen?

Support Forums
>
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/27/2011 3:20 AM (GMT 0)
This sounds dumb, I'm sure. Whats a panic attack? Are these related?-

Two years ago or so, I went to the dentist with pretty crap teeth. I wound up with something like 4 root canals. Awful. Shortly afterwards, I noticed my neck had two swollen lymph nodes. I let them go for well over a year (only on my neck, nowhere else). One on the left side, one under my jaw. I went to several doctors and they were all pretty lousy, all said it looked like an infection and it'd go away. Never did.

I had a biopsy last year on the lymph node on the left side of my neck. It came back fine. Nothing. Use to be an infection or something, but my body must have gotten over it.

Ever since about 5 months before my surgery, in social situations where I'm sitting down I freak out. Even if it's just at work or a restaurant, I feel very faint, and I fidget for a good 10 minutes (sometimes hours) so I dont vomit or faint. I have no idea what this is all about. I just get dizzy and very faint for some reason. I attributed it to maybe being claustrophobic for some reason? (When I go outside or return home I'm fine)

The lymph node under my jaw is still pretty large. Im not sure if it's movable. I mean, I can grab it and pinch it, but if I try and move it, it just recedes back. It hasn't changed since when I went for my biopsy. But when I turn my head either way it's very noticeable.

Anyone have any idea?

Post Edited (saturdayskids) : 4/26/2011 9:47:28 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/27/2011 4:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome. Well it does sound as if you are dealing with panic issues. You say that you have had a doctor's check-up, and that you were given a clean bill of health? If that is the case, and there is no physical reason for your symptoms, then your next step would be to get a referral to a therapist to help you deal with the anxiety. A/P is very treatable with therapy. I went through CBT (a type of therapy very effective in treating anxiety/panic) and went from having unmanageable panic attacks daily, to gaining my life back!

As far as the lymph nodes go, have you been back to your dentist/endodontist? Maybe you should be checked for a mouth abscess? Or lymph nodes can swell due to allergies, do you have any? Maybe an allergist or ENT could help.

Check out our Resource Guide at the top of the page for lots of coping techniques for anxiety and panic, as well as a couple of on-line therapy sites, to get you started until you can find one on one help. There is nothing worse than suffering A/P, so give these a try and start feeling better soon!

Again welcome, and post anytime:) I hope you will find this a place of help and support!
Scaredy Cat
Posted 4/27/2011 4:29 AM (GMT 0)
As far as the lymph node stuff goes- I had a full on biopsy, everything came back normal. Used to be infected they guessed, but they didnt want to take out the other lymph node. I have no idea why, because its been sitting there swollen for the past 2-3 years now.

I havent been back to any doctor or dentist since all of this began. They tested me for just about everything and it came back negative, so that was a sigh of relief, but these panic things just keep coming back, now almost daily.

It's funny, it doesnt happen when I'm standing. If I'm at a sit down show (or game or something similar) it almost always happens, but if it's a standing up/pushing around kind of show, I'm totally fine! Anytime this happens I just feel very faint and sort of like vomiting. I can't pay attention that well to anything as it's occuring, and wind up grabbing the back of my head or itching my scalp and fidgeting to keep from fainting.

I'll head over to the resource guide now to read a bit more. Thanks so much for the friendly welcome!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply