lymphoma? weight loss, fevers, itching

[jeric]

Hi, I'm a 23 year old female. I have had pretty significant weight loss over the past 1 1/2 years... at first I really enjoyed the weight loss but now friends and family have begun commenting on how much I have lost and are concerned that it is too much too fast without me trying or doring anything to lose the weight. In October/November 2010 I was 210 pounds, I am now 127 pounds. I am still in a normal range for my height, which is why my doctors haven't questioned it too much, but the fact that is is still happening at about the same rate as eariler worries me, in October 2011 I was 150 pounds.

For the past few months I have been getting fevers as well, in the 101-103*F I'll run a fever about every 3-4 days or so otherwise my temperature is normal.

I have also had itching all over my body (this has been something I've had for the past year or so, it comes and goes in intensity) but sometimes at night when I'm sleeping I will scratch so bad I cause myself to bleed. My skin isn't particulaly dry and I use allergen free for everything (soaps, lotions, etc).

I also deal with fatigue/weakeness but my doctors have never been able to find a cause for it and it's something I have adjusted to living with.

For me the weight loss is the most worrying symptom right now, what really worries me is when I look up causes of weight loss everything pretty much all of the causes have been ruled out except for a maligancy like lymphoma, then when looking up lymphoma I see so many similar symptoms to mine I get even more worried.

I feel crazy for worrying about this, because I think I can't possibly have lymphoma. What do you guys think am I just going crazy here? Has dr google taken over my mind? I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, but I'm not sure how to bring this up... I really feel crazy for even thinking this and that I should just let it go but there is that little voice in the back of my head that just won't let it go.

Any advice, opinions, comments greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Ken_PA]

"He said that my lymph nodes weren't 'particularily' suspicious... "

likely going by size, shape, moveability

btw, if you have autoimmuniity in your family, then you are more likely than average to have the same (hashimoto) or some other autoimmune condition

[jeric]

I ended up not getting the ultrasound, instead the new doctor I saw recommended a CT of my neck, chest and abdomen. I also saw an oncologist who agreeded with her decision about the CT and also ordered a few labs and a chest x-ray. He said that my lymph nodes weren't 'particularily' suspicious... whatever that means lol.

My new primary dr I saw also thought it might be an absorbtion issue but since I am not having an GI symptoms that is less likely so they are working up the lymphoma first.

It is definitly not my thyroid though because that is what everyone thinks it is so I have had just about every blood test to check for thyroid problems, both my sisters have hypothyroidism and my mom has hashimotos and nodules in her thyroid that she is in the process of getting worked up... but all of my thyroid tests come back stone cold normal.

My CT is monday... hopefully I'm able to drink the barium and keep it down so they can acutally do all of the scans!

[amd2003]

I just wanted to let you know that the neck scan is the BeST way to go. That dr should be your new dr. I have ALL the same issues as you, same excuses and all over the last year and a half. I recently noticed hard lumps in my neck that I was not going to ignore (dr prescribed antibiotics)  along with all my symptoms. I almost convinced myself of lymphoma until they scanned my thyroid. Look up Hyperthyroid.  I am on a much different road now but still itching. :) Good luck!

[Ken_PA]

Hi, if the US shows the presence of a 'fatty hilum' then that's a pretty safe bet that a node is benign. But the absence of a fatty hilum does not necessarily mean cancer. Then there are other indicators which tend to lean one way or the other. But if they see a fatty hilum then you can relax.

[jeric]

All of my blood work came back normal. My primary care doctor said it was probably something viral, and that we should just re-check my weight in 1-2 months. I spent the weekend thinking it over and I'm just not that comofrtable waiting this out. I contacted 2 cancer centers to see if I could see someone there to rule out or diagnosis lymphoma. One place they were concerned about my doctor's approach to this but ultimately could not offer me an appointment because their doctors can only see people who have already been diagnosed. At her encouragment I called my docto biospr to see about further testing, she ordered an ultrasound of the neck that I will be having on Friday. I'm playing phone tag with the other cancer center, but I assume it will be the same result as the first. I have made an appointment with another internal medicine doctor for this Thursday to see if they would approach this any differently/to get qa second opinion on this all.

I'm just not sure if the neck ultrasound is the best next step, because it seems to me like no matter what the results I am going to eventually need a biopsy unless all of my enlarged lymph nodes suddenly return to normal.

[jeric]

Well I just saw my doctor and she found a few lymph nodes in my neck as well as one in my armpit and groin that were hard enlarged and painless. She ordered done blood work, comprehensive metabolic panel and CBC with differential, she said if it is something like lymphoma I will have big changes in my blood work... But I thought the only way to diagnosis lymphoma was biopsy? Are there changes in blood work with it. She said after she gets the blood tests results she will decide what tests she wants to do next

[adk2009]

It is hard to say if you have lymphoma or not. Have you visited your doctor yet? I found this one page with the most common signs of lymphoma

http://www.lymphomainfo.net/lymphoma/symptoms.html


The worse thing you can do now is worry. Relax. Make a doctors appointment and take each day as it comes. Wish you the best

[Mochadelicious]

Hello and welcome to the forum.  I'm not a doctor so possibly there is something else going on, but to me I think you should ask your doctor about the possibility of lymphoma.  The amount of weight loss is significant, especially if you weren't trying to lose.  The fevers, itching and lump under your jaw also raises some red flags.  Lymph nodes are everywhere in your body, so it could be a swollen lymph node in your jaw area.  

Blood tests and scans can be done, but the only difinative way to know if it's lymphoma is to have it biopsied.  If a needle biopsy is offered, I'd ask about the possibility of having an excisional biopsy since a needle biopsy is pretty hit or miss.

Please keep us posted on how your doctor appointment goes.

[jeric]

Oh, and I can never feel lymph nodes (even when they are swollen, like with an infection) so I'm not sure I have any that are swollen, which is a good sign.

I do have one hard, large lump under my jaw line that I noticed a few months ago, but I'm not even sure it's a lymph node.