My doctor suspects lymphoma/alcohol pain

Hi your first line was not rude my filter read it as Watch and Wait...... or as some see it Wait and Worry :( ...... once someone has been diagnosed.

If you look at my profile Thehighlander you will see that it took over 21 months of investigations, a few CT scans and 6 biopsys to confirm I had a rare type of NHL and get the exact type of lymphoma and yes this can only be done through the pathology results and in my case it was a Dermatologist who gave me all the information as my NHL was a skin Lymphoma. 

The stage number (I was 4a2) in blood cancer gives the Heamatologists the information as to how it has to be treated....... and in reality the higher the number makes no difference - completely different from solid tumor cancers.

Hi Milliejane,

I know it has been a long time since you posted this and hopefully by now you have some answers. If you are still unsure of what to do, for what it's worth, my advice would be to get a biopsy ASAP so you can confirm if it is HL or not. It is better to have peace of mind than to be wondering, particularly as HL is so treatable and curable. 

Pain in the lymph nodes after drinking alcohol is a highly unusual symptom and is associated with HL. It is quite a rare symptom of HL and not many people get it. I was one of the people that did get it, but my pain was in my chest back in the early days before my neck lump appeared, but it is different for everyone.

Remember that GPs are generalists and they won't always realise the significance of certain symptoms my GP had never even heard of this symptom and it was dismissed as costochondritis for months! There is nothing to lose in being pushy, you have to look out for your own health.

All the best and I hope that it all turned out to be nothing.

Helen x

Thank you all, 

I’m happy to report we did the biopsy and the results came back as just “reactive”, with lots of inflammation that has likely been there for many years since my mono/Epstein Barr. The ENT said that the alcohol pain is not well understood but that they think that it has something to do with the HL causing long term inflammation thus allowing you to feel the alcohol pain for long periods of time, he says he thinks that since my lymph nodes are chronically inflamed that the alcohol makes it worse and causes the instant pain, but he did say that it is just a theory as they haven’t pinpointed the real reason alcohol causes pain in some people. 

So I feel relieved and very thankful for all your advice/caring words. 

Except at my recent appt to have my stitches removed the ENT did say that he wants to see he back in 6 months to recheck with an ultrasound, not sure if that’s normal or if he is just being causious because of the link between Epstein Barr and lymphoma

Hi and its good to hear your news. These bodies do give us a hard time but we have to push the doors at times to get answers.

I would take the return appointment in 6 months to be a good insurance policy. As your ENT says EB does have some links to Lymphoma so always best to double check.

So get on with living and I would say have a glass or three of fizz but only that ;) 

We are always around to help out.

Highlander ((hugs)) 

Hi Milliejane Its been a long time since you post this. How are you now? I hope you read. I have the same symptoms I have pain in my nodes when I take a few shots of alcohol the feeling was not intense its kinda swollen feeling at first I thought It was boil because after few hours it will burst that happen for years but not all the time I experience pain it only happen if my nodes is swollen and it happen in my live for many years. I have lumps in my nape 4 small like a pimple at first its only one and their in pain last week. I been so curious what's happening why my boil (thought it was boils at first) why its in pain when Im drinking so I researched and came up with HL by the way I have also swollen nodes in my collarbone painless for many years the size of it never change. I visit an ENT last week to check my concern and told me that my 4 lumps in my nape was lymph nodes and their active fighting infection because their little swollen. He also said those lumps was too small to be a lymphoma and the nodes in my collar seems to be swollen in the past its just never come back to its original size. So right now im on antibiotics 4x a day for 7 days hoping the lumps on my nape will shrink.

After reading your thread It gave me a peace of mind I hope my condition will be like yours also.

PS. sorry for my English im not good at it.

Hello ,

just a swift reply to say that, yes, it’s been a long time since this was posted, the person in question will have probably left the site.

i hope that your nodes too, are simply reactive. But don’t hesitate to return to your doctor if they are still there after you’ve finished the antibiotics and giving you trouble. 

Hugs xxx