Lymph nodes along arms

[Jill763]

I'm a female, 5'5" 135 lbs, 51 yrs old, I exercise 5-7 days a week and am generally healthy.  A couple of weeks ago, I noticed what I believe are swollen lymph nodes along my inner arms from my forearms to my triceps.  I've never felt my lymph nodes in my arms before, so I'm not entirely sure that's what they are, but some of them feel sort of moveable and soft and a some of them (right above my elbow) are larger and firmer.  They feel about kidney bean sized.  I feel about 5 or 6 in each arm.

I've also been having breathing issues the last few months.  My doctor is treating me for asthma, although my lungs are clear.  My peak flow meter readings should be 475, and my average is 360.  I've been on 3 different inhalers (currently on Azmacort & Proair) and 4 medications (currently on singulair, claritin, omeprazole & ranitidine).  At times I feel as though I'm being strangled, although it isn't as bad as it was a month ago - which is when I started the omeprazole and ranitidine.  I've had a chest xray, ultrasound on my thyroid, blood tests for my thyroid and everything has come up negative.  

Are any of these symptoms related to the swollen lymph glands or is it probably a different issue?  I'll be visiting my doctor in 3-4 weeks as a followup to my asthma treatments, but do you think I should get in to see her sooner?  

Thank you for your response.

[Deb_55]

I Should Also Add That I am Disabled, From Various injuries (car accident in 2001) Was Diagnosed then w/Fibromyalgia and Chronic Myofacial Pain. I spent Thanksgiving Wkend Till the Following Tues. W/a Bout of Pancreatitis. I Do Not Drink, One of The Things the Dr's Kept Asking. All My Numbers were Right on the Money. Except the Pancreas was Slightly Raised to 500, Which they said was Fairly Low Considering the attack. When They Could Come Up w/No Reason for the attack, The Gastro Dr. Informed Me That Studies Are Now Showing That Fibro Seems to be the Culprit w/Many Of These Illnesses They are Coming Across. The Only Thing They Found Issue w/Was That I Had NO Potassium in My Body. Which Really Didn't Concern Me Greatly Since That is Usually The Very First Thing You alleviate When Urinating. And I Am a Heavy Water Drinker!!!! I Drink Approx. 200-250 oz. Of Water a Day! I Love Water!

[Deb_55]

I Have Just Found What I Believe to Be a Lymph Node Above the Breast, But Just Before the Arm pit. Feels As if it Is Right Against Skin, Just Found one Tonight On Same Side, Bottom of Arm pit. They Feel Like a Lima Bean. I've Also Very Recently Found a Mole On Left Buttock That I've Never Had Before, Slightly Off from being Round. What Worries Me the Most is My Father Died (in '91) From Lymphoma and also had Bouts of Melanoma! Is This How and Where they Start? I Have Recently Gone Thru The Harder Parts of menopause and have just turned 55.

[PACO6612]

all comments seem to be very interesting since I myself have developed lumps on my left arm right by  my wrist and elbow, some swelling at both locations and pain and stiffness. I got superficial phlebitis from and iv that i had at the ER 5 weeks ago, I have been doing warm compresses , bandages and Motrin to  not avail and all of the sudden I developed these lumps, so I asked for another ultrasound of my veins to get my mind of possible DVT. I just came back from the hospital's vascular dept where I got a second ultrasound to check for DVT , no problems with any of my veins was found, so here i am heading back to my primary Dr to see if I get some help with these rare and annoying lumps. I will contact you guys once I get some sort of clue on my problem thks   .PACO

[Ken_PA]

Hi, maybe the cramps are from reduced circulation in that area from the radiation. I'd call the docs office and describe your symptoms to a nurse, and ask to be called back about whether the doc wants you to come in or not.

As a side note, I'd ask the doc if you can take melatonin to try and decrease the damage done by radiation to the normal cells. It might help and usually it's said that melatonin won't impair the radiation therapy. (Melatonin is over-the-counter, not a prescription drug.)

[cherie1953131]

I recently had chemo and some lymph nodes removed.  Now I am having radiation of my left underarm and left breast.  I am experiencing charlie horses in my left underarm.  Should I go to doctor or hospital since my heart is so close.

[ben_momo]

I have two lumps in each arm. the lumps in the right arm r below the elbow, one of them is like 2 cm in diameter n has been there for ever (more than 20 years) but it doubled the size it was around 1 cm diameter. the lumps in the left arm they come n go when i do some kind of shot like TB skin test lately which was negative. I think what I have in common with some of you is the throat infection. I m not sure if i have one but my allegies have worsen lately and just a little dust make me cough badly n make my throat very dry. My chest x-ray is clear, blood test good. My twin brother had exactly the same lump with the same size n location just below his elbow in the same arm (right). any help?

[kyhickchic]

I'm a 43 year old female. I noticed my left arm was swollen March 2 and felt like scrambled eggs underneath the skin. I went to the health clinic at work and she took some measurements of both arms starting from bicep to wrist and my swelling started in my upper arm but I just didn't notice it until it got to my forearm. Now I've noticed weakness in my arm and I'm not sure if I want to call it numbness but it feels almost like its a sleep but without the pin pricking in parts of it. It was aching off and on but that has subsided but the swelling isn't going down. I went to the ER and they put me on some strong antibiotics thinking its a case of cellulitus (staff infection) but I've been on the antibiotics for over a week and the swelling still isn't going down. A couple days after starting the meds I developed a cough and a fever and hot and cold spells and just feeling very weak. Since I had heart surgery a couple of years ago they looked for blood clots to see if this was the problem but the tests came back clean. I called my doctor after I developed the fever, cough, etc and she seems to think I got the flu bug on top of whatever this is going on with my arm. In the past week I've been to the ER, the health clinic at work, my primary care doc and my heart doc. All tests at heart doc are coming back good so far but my primary care doc said to just stay on antibiotics for now to see if there's a change. I just don't know what to make of this. The lady at the clinic felt my armpits for large lymphs but said they felt ok. So it seems to be in my left arm only from the shoulder and both sides of my arm all the way to my wrist (almost). Any ideas?

kyhickchic

[Ditey]

If I were you guys I'd see a hem/onc...breathing could be to aneima, and swollen lymph nodes...well let them check you out real good. They'll look at your blood under a microscope and see if this could be any thing else.  

I had low counts for 3 yrs finally went to a different doctor and counts were still just a little low and I went to hem/onc, I was diagnosed with  a very rare magliant blood disorder, that has no cure or positive treatment.

I'm not trying to alarm you guys, but I'd for sure rule it out!

Best wishes...please keep us informed

[worried1018]

I had a "charlie horse" in my arm, right above my elbow anteriorly. Never before has this happened.I did nothing unusual that day or overworked that arm.This was about 1week ago.Since then, that arm has continued to worsen. It is sore from the shoulder down, can't extend my arm out,can't raise my arm, can't turn my arm outwards most of the time.This morning, I was just rubbing my arm to try and ease some pain when I noticed, what I think, is a swollen lymph node in my arm pit.I have no symptoms of any kind,no fever,etc.I am very concerned because I had an abnormal PAP a few weeks ago. Follow up on that is in the works. Please help...

[sandan]

my limph nodes under my arm have swollen and the  tablets the dr gave me is not working
am 43 mail and I have had this before it went away with a double doze of tablets this time I got blood tests and xray
so what wrong is it infection or somthing more

[NYgirl72]

Ask your Dr about checking your ACE levels and a chest x-ray for  Sarcoidosis.  It is an autoimmune disease and you have ann the symptoms.

[Revsma]

Hello...
I'm new here but have and have had almost the same things Jill described, right down to the asthma. My GP laughed at me and said the 'beads' I felt in my upper arm were nothing but fatty tumors and that I should stop worrying. Well, those 'beads' have since disappeared and 'traveled over' to the other arm. Without any break in the skin or infection anywhere at any time, I now have a 2 cm lump at each elbow near the joint and one above one joint about 6mm or so-I know one has been there for over a month, I don't know about the others.  I just found a lump behind my knee today. Do you think these are all lymph nodes? I have zippo in my armpits but weakness & fatigue & weight loss w/o trying. I currently have nodes in my thyroid & have had 7 tumors (benign) above the neck excised along w/radiation 20 years ago. Anything lower than the neck totally stumps me (pardon the pun). Blood tests were OK except the liver/bone was a tad off about 4-6 weeks ago. Same GP never got it retested to find out which one & exactly how much. Yes, I'm seeking a new GP and wonder if I should get these arm lumps checked. What's confusing me is don't you have to have big lumps in your neck to before you have to be worried about some type of lymphoma? That's all I've ever heard of...
Thx

[riley180]

Hi.
Among the things to consider for lymph nodes in the arms are: a reaction to a prior  infection (try to recall if you used to have some problems with the skin, wounds), benign cysts (some of these have a tendency to grow near the joints – the exact reason isn’t clear, but some minor injuries along the tendons may form capsules and promote development of cysts), then there’s cancer (though lymphoma presenting on the arms not the armpit is pretty rare). It is not likely that the asthma is connected with the lumps you are feeling.

[Jill763]

My breathing still hasn't improved, so my doctor is referring me to a pulmonologist, and I'll see if I can get any more answers about my breathing issues and the lymph nodes.  Yeah, that feeling of being strangled is bad.  Thanks, Connie.

[Connie 1]

feeling like you're being strangled is terrible!  go ask your doc for more help.  lymph nodes that stay for more than 2 weeks are worth going to get checked by a doc.