Abnormal Under Arm Lymph Node

I actually had a very similar situation but they were not nearly as alarmed or thurough with me as they were with you. I had a lymph node in the side of my breast that swelled up during pregnancy and then became larger and worse after the baby was born and thru nursing. I stopped nursing and the lymph node stayed. Because of my family history I was sent for an ultrasound and then also a mam. They saw the lymph node was enlarged but couldn't tell why. They did some blood tests and found nothing. I did not have a biopsy or chest xray. I was told that with nursing sometimes the lymph nodes will become enlarged to protect the breasts from infection. I guess that's what the lymph nodes do in general but because it's such a close proximity to one another that the nodes can really become very large. It's a protection mechanism for our body and that's what they do. Likely your immue is down because of the current pregnancy and you're still BF so it seems to me that your body is just fighting something off so your milk ducts don't become infected/clogged. They took my case very serious because my mother had just passed from breast cancer but they told me that typically they would not have even looked into it, I guess this is common for some people. I'm happy they were so thurough with you but I thought that wasn't common. But who knows, it's a case-to-case situation. Anyhow, maybe ramp up on your vitamins and do a lot of massage in that area to help drain it. I'm not a doctor and I'm sorry you're in this situation but they did everything they can do now and it didn't show anything. I sincerely don't feel surgery during pregnancy for this would be worth it. Just give it some time. I had mine swollen for a total of probably close to 10 months before it entirely went away.

Hi E.,

It's scary, isn't it? I had an enlarged lymph node behind my ear for almost a year, which had no apparent cause. During that time, it drove me crazy, and did end up having a CT scan, etc. etc. It eventually just went away. There's a good chance yours will, too, so please try your hardest to keep the faith and to not worry too terribly much while you are pregnant. See how it goes after the baby is here.

That said, not to alarm you, but I will mention this, too. I used to be a medical malpractice paralegal, and we once had a case where a woman had lump(s) in her very upper side of the breast, almost in the armpit. She also went through many, many tests, and everyone told her she was fine. When they FINALLY diagnosed her, it was cancer, and it was Stage 3 or 4. The difference, though, is that she also felt not herself, and was really tired, and just truly felt something was wrong, but nobody listened to her and/or they couldn't figure out what was causing the malaise. So, my point is that if you feel that anything ELSE is wrong, or you're really super tired (over and above the pregnancy), be more persistent in finding a reason and/or go to see the best specialists you can.
Again, I'm sorry to alarm you, but it's just something to keep in mind.

All the best to you and your baby and your family.

This just happened to my girlfriend and she did all that you did and they eneded up giving her antibiotics and boom that did the trick did you take any antibitoics yet? ask for them if not and maybe that is all it is!?
hang in there, Let go and Let God take care of you two!
J.

Gosh, glad things are calmer now.
I have a lump that comes and goes under one arm. My dr. thought it was a lymph node. I have found that it can get agrivated when I shave. And when I was breastfeeding, it would get really large and sore especially when that side was overfull. My youngest is 21 months and my lump has been gone for a while. I have been taking vitamins and a probiotic, whether that has helped or if it is just being more careful shaving and no longer breast feeding/hormones I dont know. thanks for your question.

Hi,

I personally think they made you go through all of that for nothing!
I don't think you have cancer. Lymphnodes can enlarge. It's their way of
fighting off an infection. You must have had some kind of injury or trauma to your arm.

I had a lump in my arm pit, close to my breast. What I just wrote, is what my doctor told me about mine. The fact that the biopsy has shown nothing, confirms that you are fine. Unless your family has a history of breast cancer, please stop freaking out and concentrate on the new baby coming.

Everything is going to be ok! : )
S

I am sorry to hear you are going through this while being pregnant. I went through something similar about a 8 months ago. I felt a strange hard lump on the side of my neck. When I went to check it out my doctor said it could either be a lymph node that was enlarged or a cyst on my thyroid. I went for all the blood work etc. but they came back negative so they sent me for an ultrasound which revealed it to be a very swollen lymph node. My doctor also took the watch and wait approach and I am happy to report it is back to being completely normal. I was told that sometimes for no reason what so ever a lymph node or group can react very aggressively and stay swollen for up to 3 months. I am not saying this is the case with you but it might be worth waiting it out and seeing if its not your body reaction to your pregnancy rather than putting your baby at risk. If you want to go and get another opinion but doctors are normally very aggressive with any form of cancer so if they are telling you to wait they must be pretty sure its benign.
Please let us know how it turns out.

hello and congrats on your pregnancy and adding a boy to the mix thats exciting. I had this same issue without the complications of being pregnant. This sounds a lot like my story, but it happened to me before i had kids. I also was told i had dense breast tissue. I had an ultrasound after feeling a lump myself. they didnt think it looked cancerous but didnt know what it was so they gave me the option of taking it out or waiting. I opted to take it out, not sure if I would again but, at the time seemed like the best option. I had surgery which was done with local anthesia. it was very difficult for the surgeon to remove the lymph node he said it kept slipping so it was definitely more painful than expected and i have a high tolerance for pain. they got it out and immediately took the sample to be tested and came back and said not to worry its not cancerous. not sure of the cause. Dr. said some people have these issues throughout their lives and they never amount to anything. Lymph nodes can be enlarged from fighting off an infection, and in the area that mine was in they said it may even be from underwire bras pushing in the area under the arm pit. Not sure if I am much help here but, just know that it is probably minor and you can deal with it after baby.

It's ok, I wouldn't call being worried about having lymphoma when you have one of the most major symptoms of it being paranoid. My friend had a swollen node, except she wasn't as lucky, and had to undergo<a href="http://www.natrelle.com/breast_reconstruction.aspx&quot;&... cancer surgery</a> to get the node removed.

My aunt gets lumps in her breast all the time and had numerous tests...turns out it is her bodies way in reacting to things she eats. she cut something out of her diet and the cysts went away. I'm thinking it was milk or maybe it was artificial sweetners???? Do a google search on cysts and see what you find...she told me it is fairly common.