Opinions please

[chooky01]

Hi,
Every morning for about 6mths, I have had swelling in nodes in my neck, it would usually go down during the day, and return the next day all over again.
For about a year I have had a persistant non productive dry cough, figured it was smokers cough, had a chest xray, all clear, not even signs of infection or emphesema. But still cant explain cough. Bare with me now, there is more sorry...
Now, after blood test, which has in the past been normal, it is showing a sudden iron deficency anemia, even took dr by surprise.
Also, my morning swollen nodes in my neck, between chin and ear, are more or less perminant, worse in the morning still, but don't seem to go down. They are only visably seen slightly in the morning, but I know my body, they are staying enlarged during the day.
Symptims of fatigue, not tired, just exhaustion by midday, and haveto just lie down, constant feeling of being hot alllll the time, even in air conditioning, I feel like I have a fever, everyone who touches me, or whom I touch, say I am too hot. I sweat at night but not drenching, and can only sleep under a sheet, even in winter, and I kick this off also, regardless if we have the bedroom airconditioner on. my appetite has wained a little, I get hungry, but just don't feel like eating, plus when I do eat, I get full quickly.. no obvious weight loss, but I never weigh myself so not really sure.
And now it is getting a little sore to swallow. Sore around my ears (just below ears near jaw)
I also am getting quite itchy, mainly arms, to the point I will break the skin, and now my foot will itch grrr, very annoying indeed.

Does Lymphoma of any sort cause iron deficient anemia?
Are any of my symptoms worth telling the dr to look or test me for any kind of lymphoma?

I am just a bit worried is all, any opinions/advice would be great.
I go back to my Dr in a couple of weeks.

Thanks
Lee.

[Ken_PA]

test

[Ken_PA]

Hi, Lee. That's not too long at all, especially since this is a mystery condition.

I'd keep the jaw in mind even though you feel nothing there now. That kind of thing has devastated some people's health, though it's not common. There is also growing evidence of the same from root canals.

MS, a diagnosis by exclusion, can always come up whenever anything neural is involved. I guess you know that :)

Enlarged nodes from lymphoma almost never go down on their own, except slightly from reduced surrounding inflammation.

"the right side only swells slightly, noticable to me, I figure it is reacting to other node"
The immune system is all about secreting biochemicals that rev up other parts of the immune system.

Whatever got into the lungs is probably the cause of everything.

[chooky01]

P.s again...
No sore throat, only occasional soreness when I swallow on one side near ears (forgot to add that lol) and it is very occasional, like not persistant

[chooky01]

Hi Ken,
The bad tooth has not bothered me for years, is not swollen, no abscess, or puss or anything, the jaw thing has been found incidently while doing a scan of my trigeminal nerve, has actually surprised both me and the Dr that a shadow was found on the MRI and CT scan. About 7 years ago my tooth played up, sore, still no abscess, but no node swelling, or mouth swelling, a course of antibiotics settled the tooth, and has been fine since then. Dr thinks that could possibly be what caused the shadow, a previous dental infection, but is not sure, is why they are sending me to the dental surgeon.

I am still being tested (over time) for possible M.S, which might explain the itching...it could possibly explain fatigue, also the low iron

The cough is persistant, usually at night, I could have had it longer than a year, but I'm a smoker (in process of quitting) so tend to have just gotten useto it as a smokers cough, just has been more persistant lately for me to take more notice of it. Is no sore throat.
Is usually the left node that swells, and doesn't go down, the right side only swells slightly, noticable to me, I figure it is reacting to other node lol, but I'm no Dr. The nodes is a relative new thing, with one occurance in the past, makes me look like I have a fat neck lol grr

My Dr put me on iron, if it doesn't come back to normal, he's going to order tests for internal bleeding, stool samples etc, but at the moment it's a watch 'n' wait.

I will ask the Dr about the nodes, it did happen once before, last year but was very slight, and dr said is too small to worry about, will mention again because the left is larger than back  then.

Personally, I know something is not right with me, you know when your body just doesn't feel normal, it niggles away at you, untill you can get action from your dr, or till someone listens.. my dr is slow at sorting things, but I think that is because he likes to check off the list possabilities untill he gets to the right reasons for symptoms, can be frustrating, but he is good. It just leaves me to my own devices, and google lol. Never always a good thing, but I figure no harm in asking. I ask my Dr just as many questions too lol.

Thanks for the reply Ken_PA, :)
Is good to hear others opinions, I think it helps with perspective questions to ask my Drs

Cheers
Lee
P.s, sorry the reply is long winded...oops

[Ken_PA]

Oh, I've just seen about your jaw. An occult jaw infection can cause most or all of your symptoms. Did your bad tooth come before all other symptoms started?

[Ken_PA]

Hi, it's possible that your iron deficiency causes your tiredness. But I'd guess that it's the other way around, that whatever caused your original symptoms is also now causing the iron problem.

Iron deficiency can come from not absorbing enough or else from internal bleeding. Both can probably be caused by a MALT lymphoma, but that doesn't seem likely in your case because you got the nodes first and then the GI tract - and the airway came first of all.

You can ask for a GI endoscopy. There is also an over the counter occult fecal blood test.

There's not a good, specific blood test for lymphoma.

Your nodes are probably too small to warrant a sonogram.

The odds are that you do not have lymphoma, Yes, you should mention all symptoms, but they are "non-specific". E.g., itching can be from cancer but more likely from the immune chemical histamine. Maybe a topical anti-histamine or a steroid would help with some relief until you find the real cause.

Would you say that your cough is coming more from your throat or from your lungs? If the throat that could be causing the lymph nodes to react.