Swollen Gland????

**banana** · 10-30-2007, 05:22 PM

Hi:

I'm really stumped here I am hoping maybe someone has an idea for me.

Little background:

The end of September, I thought I was getting sick I went to the dr and he put me on zithromax and I began feeling better in a couple of days.

Fast forward to Columbus Day Weekend, I woke up with a swollen gland in my neck only on the left side. I thought it was the beginning of another cold and it wasnt bothering me too much. Saturday night my gland which is on my left side right under the jaw bone started to swell and became very painful so much so that tylenol didnt help and I was up all night. Sunday morning I brought myself to the urgent care center and the dr put me on another antibiotic and told me to see a dentist she thought it might be an abscess. Well the medication was really stong and was making me sick, it didnt make the pain or slight swelling go down at all.

I went to an ENT dr who examined me and sent me for a CAT scan which came back normal. He also suggested I go to a dentist. I went to 2 dentists and they both said nothing is wrong with my teeth that it is not an abscess. He prescribed zithromax for me as well as vicodin for the pain. Funny while on the zithromax the pain and symptoms totally went away for about 4-5 days.

I have another appointment with the ENT tomorrow. I dont know what to do. The pain ususally comes at night and the only thing that helps is a heating pad and that doesnt totally relieve the pain or swelling. The funny thing is it comes and goes. I will be fine for a couple of days and then bam it comes back and then it could last a couple of days, this has been going on for sooo long.

I did have blood work done the end of August so the dr thought that it didnt have to be repeated. They also checked my thyroid at that time. I think I am going to ask him to have more blood work done since I didnt have any of these symptoms when I had the blood tests in August.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? My dentist said I definitely do not have TMJ so that is ruled out. I do go to the chiropractor 2 times a week and he is stumped as well.

**sdrjeolsen** · 10-30-2007, 10:25 PM

Sounds like something to do with your lymphatic system. Maybe a plugged/infected duct or node or something? I say go for the bloodwork. Sorry, wish I had a better answer. I think there is a nurse or two on here....I'm just a med school drop out here, lol, so you know...just enough knowlede to be dangerous. Hope you find out soon and get it taken care of.

**PrairieRose** · 10-31-2007, 08:43 AM

I had mono as a teen and had those painful swollen glands under my jawbones for ages. You might have them check you for that. Those symptoms lasted forever and then I had a very bad relapse about 15 years later.

Hope you find some answers. If you don't I might ask to be referred to an endricrinologist. Jmho.

**many houseapes** · 10-31-2007, 09:47 AM

wow-I wish that i knew what to tell you.
To me, it seems like it could be an infected-or maybe even a calcified lymph node. I remember some years ago, I became sick w/ a high fever...but it went away & I felt fine.Then about a month later I found some knots in my neck...so I went to the dr. & they ran some tests...I had strep throat & I didn't know it. I still have the knots in my neck as a result & whenever I get the slightest runny nose, they get bigger b/c my body is fighting off something. Amazing thing about this story is that strep is contagious & no one else in my family caught it the entire month that I was a carrier.

**Cricket1** · 10-31-2007, 10:50 AM

Blocked salivary gland? Is it actually in your mouth or neck area--I'm a little confused. My son once had something like this (in his mouth) and it wasn't until they did a digital xray that they found the absess. It never showed up in the regular xrays. BUT if you had a cat scan, I would think it would show up in that.

**banana** · 10-31-2007, 04:10 PM

Well I went to the ENT today. He decided to scope me in his office through my nose and down my throat. He said the saliva glad is a little swollen and tender and talked about having it surgically removed. I told him I wasnt too fond of the idea that I would prefer to try something else first. I asked him if I needed a stronger antibiotic since I have always been put on zithromax for every infection I have ever had for many years and felt I might be immune to it. He said unless it swells up the size of a golf ball and sees me at that time then he would try a stronger antibiotic. He told me to call him when it swells bad and come right into the office. Well usually it swells up at night so that is not likely to happen.

I am sooo confused. I left the office and about 1 hour later my left side of my neck swelled up and red patches appeared on my neck. The swelling wasnt tooo bad but the pain was intollerable. I felt like I was going to pass out. I laid down for an hour with a heating pad on and it helped a bit.

My friend's husband is a internist and I called her up and her husband will see me tomorrow. I am hoping he can help me figure this out. Surgery to me is a last resort.

**mom2three** · 11-04-2007, 08:51 PM

Natural antibacterial is olive leaf extract (are you on any other meds?). Also have you/are you taking probiotics - you should have taken these just after the antibiotics before. Zithromax is harsh and clears out all your good bacteria as well and can cause yeast overgrowth (traditional doc may not think so, but that's whay so many of us get yeast infections after antibiotics). If you think this might be it and are on no other meds, you can try grapefruit seed extract (potent, but it works). Otherwise try the garlic mentioned here - it does help.

**karone** · 11-05-2007, 07:46 AM

how are u feeling?

**banana** · 11-05-2007, 09:08 AM

It hasnt swelled up on me since Wed. I went to a new dr on Thurs and he scheduled me for a test this week. It does get tender from time to time but I can live with that.

**mikandmari** · 11-08-2007, 11:34 PM

I hope you're feeling better! I get swollen glands sometimes. I remember being told that lymph nodes are sensitive and will swell up if you keep touching them.

Let us know how everything goes.

**banana** · 11-09-2007, 08:12 AM

I went for a sialogram yesterday, it wasn't painful at all. It took the radiologist 40 minutes to find the opening to my submandibular glad! When he found it he injected it with dye and took a bunch of picutres. He said he didnt see anything but wasnt entirely sure since he needed to blow up the pictures to get a better view. I'm gonna start on the garlic today hoping if it is some sort of infection that I will be able to kock it out once and for all.

Has anyone ever heard of French Green Clay? I found it while searching the web and someone said to gargle with it for gland disorders I wonder if that works?