swollen lymph node and night sweats for over 3 months

Question

I have been having night sweats for over 3 months (almost every night). Have swollen lymph node behind right ear that ct scan showed as a 6mm cyst. My ENT decided to just watch it for 6 months. Asked ENT about night sweats and he said they were probably lymphatic and not his area :/ Now my PHP has made me an appointment with an internal medicine doctor about the night sweats. Also have 2 cysts in my thyroid, but ENT was unconcerned with those as well because my thyroid levels were checked many times and normal range. Have felt generally yucky (no energy, etc.). Have also had really bad constipation since January that has changed to diarrhea in past couple of weeks. I have crohn's disease so the diarrhea is normal but the constipation is not. I have not had any weight loss, but I always eat weather I am hungry or not because of the crohn's disease since I was 10. I am now 29. I am a full time college student and mom, so this is really putting a strain on my life and the internal medicine doc appointment is still well over a week away.

This discussion is related to hard lump in neck behind ear - should I be concerned?.

fuzzykiwi · Answer

Dear clynn19815,
I have had these same symptoms. They started off simple and got more complex with time. Sound sensitivity, anxiety, itching legs, feet - things that would come and go.  I hope you are not a women for fear you will never get past - the permien/menopause diagnosis. After 32 doctors, several zoloft etc. suggestions, and 2 previous neg lyme tests, the 3rd was positive by the CDC.  After the magic 14 days of doxycycline I improved from seizure/shutdown stage to being able to find my way around my home again. But then NO doctor would treat me further since they think that is the cure all number of treatment days. I found a lyme doctor to treat me and have been slowly improving.  In addition to lyme, I am being treated for babesia and bartonella - both also carried by ticks and are the two TBD associated with the symptoms you mention. Seek a lyme doc opinion asap!

Docs- Please change Lyme (not plural) disease to Tickborne Disease (TBD) and get educated on these widespread diseases. Treat on clinical symptoms not poor testing. Your patience are headed into the harder to treat late stages while you prescribe anxiety meds.

clynn19815 · Answer

Does anyone have any suggestions besides an automated response?

clynn19815 · Answer

Thank you. My hormones have been tested and are okay. Tested negative for AIDS. Had negative TB skin test. Not currently taking any medications and haven't been for a long time. Was tested for diabetes and hypoglycemia (both negative). Thyroid tests were fine (tested several times). I hope that I don't fall in the never found category :/ Am concerned about the lymphoma, but cannot get anyone to biopsy the lymph node behind my ear. It is firm and painless. I am hoping that this new doctor will biopsy, so I can at least rule out lymphoma. Had a clear endoscopy in 2009 also. Have them regularly because of the crohn's disease.

KMathurMD · Answer

Hi 
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Night sweats are a common occurrence in PCOD. This can be corrected by hormone replacement therapy or by puncturing the cysts. Other causes include AIDS, cancer (Hodgkin's Lymphoma), infections in the body (like tuberculosis of gut) and side effect of certain drugs. It can also be due to severe acidity with H pylori infection and gastric reflux, hypoglycemia, carcinoid syndromes, hyperthyroidism, and sleep disorders. At times cause cannot be found out.
Do discuss this with your doctor (GP/PCP) and get this invesigated. Take care!