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Neurology (Expert Forum)
Weird Swelling
This forum is for questions and support regarding neurology issues such as: Alzheimer's Disease, ALS, Autism, Brain Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Headaches, MS, Neuralgia, Neuropathy, Parkinson's Disease, RSD, Sleep Disorders, Stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury
Weird Swelling
by BeeCee, Jun 16, 2001 12:00AM
Background: 44-year-old female, early-stage fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, frequent head and neck pain (esp. on right side), lymphedema, TOS, frequent yeast/fungal infections (vaginal, scalp, skin on chest, feet), irritable bowel syndrome, digestion problems, myofascial pain syndrome, TMJ pain, sensitive to certain foods and meds (1 example -- get hives daily, Claritin stopped the hives but made me cough and have trouble breathing when I ate suspect foods)
I have a set of what I call "squishy golf balls" about 1" above my collarbone (one on each side), closer to my neck than my shoulder. Not painful. They have been there for at least a year, when I first noticed them. No one seems to know what they are. PT thinks they could be trapped fascial fluid. Two chiros think they probably are muscle-related, seem to be where the scalene muscles attach. GP not sure.
Two weeks ago, I noticed about a 2" red circle overlapping one of the golf balls (right side). Thought it was another type of skin reaction, but it was still there the next day. On the 3rd or 4th day, it turned to a pink-brown color and changed shape -- bigger + had a "line" extending from it. Saw the GP 10 days later (when I could get in); she had no idea what it was. Still there today. No pain -- except for a few days it felt like a deep bruise when I touched it. I cannot remember any kind of bump that could have bruised the area. Plus it never turned yellow or black or purple. (Not sure how one could bruise "the top of your body.") One day (yesterday), I felt a pea-sized hard lump in it, but it is gone today. Have pulled 2 ticks off my dog recently, but they were not the small deer ticks.
I had gone to the GP mainly for a red rash on my face -- nose, cheeks and above the eyebrows to a lesser degree. Much worse the week before, when I called for an app't. (Chiro thought it was from clearing the Claritin from by body after I stopped taking it.) I have had the rash for months, but not this bad. GP thought I had rosacea and prescribed a cream for it. No change after 4 days of using the cream twice a day. I also told her I have noticed painless sores on my tongue and other places inside my mouth (infrequently). I frequently have swollen ankles, joint and muscle pain, am losing hair (which she observed a year ago and asked about).
My questions:
* Do you know what the squishy golf balls are?
* Any idea what the red circle was? Possibly a diskoid rash? But why change color?
* Is there a definitive way to diagnose lupus? GP did not order any tests.
Thank you very much.
I have a set of what I call "squishy golf balls" about 1" above my collarbone (one on each side), closer to my neck than my shoulder. Not painful. They have been there for at least a year, when I first noticed them. No one seems to know what they are. PT thinks they could be trapped fascial fluid. Two chiros think they probably are muscle-related, seem to be where the scalene muscles attach. GP not sure.
Two weeks ago, I noticed about a 2" red circle overlapping one of the golf balls (right side). Thought it was another type of skin reaction, but it was still there the next day. On the 3rd or 4th day, it turned to a pink-brown color and changed shape -- bigger + had a "line" extending from it. Saw the GP 10 days later (when I could get in); she had no idea what it was. Still there today. No pain -- except for a few days it felt like a deep bruise when I touched it. I cannot remember any kind of bump that could have bruised the area. Plus it never turned yellow or black or purple. (Not sure how one could bruise "the top of your body.") One day (yesterday), I felt a pea-sized hard lump in it, but it is gone today. Have pulled 2 ticks off my dog recently, but they were not the small deer ticks.
I had gone to the GP mainly for a red rash on my face -- nose, cheeks and above the eyebrows to a lesser degree. Much worse the week before, when I called for an app't. (Chiro thought it was from clearing the Claritin from by body after I stopped taking it.) I have had the rash for months, but not this bad. GP thought I had rosacea and prescribed a cream for it. No change after 4 days of using the cream twice a day. I also told her I have noticed painless sores on my tongue and other places inside my mouth (infrequently). I frequently have swollen ankles, joint and muscle pain, am losing hair (which she observed a year ago and asked about).
My questions:
* Do you know what the squishy golf balls are?
* Any idea what the red circle was? Possibly a diskoid rash? But why change color?
* Is there a definitive way to diagnose lupus? GP did not order any tests.
Thank you very much.
Doctor's Answer
by CCF-Neuro-M.D.-RPS, Jun 16, 2001 12:00AM
Dear BeeCee:
Sorry that your having the variety of symptoms you describe. I think you may be in the wrong forum and a dermatology or rheumatology forum might be more profitable to answer your questions. What you describe it sounds like it might be a lymph node as the location you describe contains lymph node chains and is a drainage area. But without seeing and feeling your 'squishy golf balls" I can't be certain. Claritin would not give you these as it sounds like you got them after you stopped claritin not during. Rashes can be from a number of things. What has your allergist told you and what sort of testing have you undergone? SLE is usually diagnosed by doing DNA antibody testing, complement testing, and clinical correlation. However, there is no one single test that is diagnostic for lupus.
I hope you can find answers to your myraid of symptoms.
Sincerely,
CCF Neruo MD
Sorry that your having the variety of symptoms you describe. I think you may be in the wrong forum and a dermatology or rheumatology forum might be more profitable to answer your questions. What you describe it sounds like it might be a lymph node as the location you describe contains lymph node chains and is a drainage area. But without seeing and feeling your 'squishy golf balls" I can't be certain. Claritin would not give you these as it sounds like you got them after you stopped claritin not during. Rashes can be from a number of things. What has your allergist told you and what sort of testing have you undergone? SLE is usually diagnosed by doing DNA antibody testing, complement testing, and clinical correlation. However, there is no one single test that is diagnostic for lupus.
I hope you can find answers to your myraid of symptoms.
Sincerely,
CCF Neruo MD
Like you, I also experience CONSTANT swelling of the hand. In my case it is the left hand. I have ALL the symptoms you mention except the "golf balls" Yesterday, I had the EXACT same red patch on my arm that you mentioned with that red "line" running out of it. Almost like a scratch. I have been tested for Lupus, MS and many other things. One Lupus came back positive but the accompnaying other three tests were negative. It really gets frightening doesn't it? Anyway, anybody have any ideas what this could be....HELP!! My hand also breaks out in little blisters that really get sore and infected. I was in the hospital with a serious lung infection and had to get the lung scraped off. There were 3 litres of infection on it. I am here to tell the story thank God!! I also have mild but chronic kidney disease. My middle finger on the left hand looks like a sausage. Very embarrassing to have such an ugly left swollen hand like this. It is also exacerbated by exercise. So as i say, HELP!!!! Any ideas anybody? Good luck beecee and let us know how you are fairing.