Lymph Nodes

[HIV? poz about being neg]

I have been positive since January 2007 and was wondering how long does it take before the lymph nodes stop swelling...I notice them when i touch my neck they switch sides and stuff they don't hurt but are annoying and uncomfortable? Anyone tell me what is causing them? and how I can perhaps stop them from doing what ever it is there doing?

Thanks

[Central79]

Hey

I've been positive since October 2005 (diagnosed Jan '06) and my lymph nodes (groin, axilla, back of the neck, under my jaw) haven't gone down yet.

It's caused by your body recognising and doing its best to destroy the virus, like any other bug. Of course, it cannot succeed, but your body doesn't know that. Lots of people's lymph nodes don't go down until their immune system is very badly damaged, or the virus escapes immune control (same thing really) or they go on meds and the virus drops to very low levels in the body so the immune system doesn't have to fight so hard.

So basically, you don't want them to stop what they're doing - they're keeping a lid on the HIV.

M.

[Ann]

I never noticed I had any lymph node involvement until my doc pointed it out. For ages after, I kept checking them all the time and eventually pointed out to my doc that they seemed to be getting worse. "How do you know that?" he asked. "Because I keep checking them" I answered.

He said to keep my hands off them and I did and... they went down on their own.

Moral of the story - touching and checking your nodes all the time can make them swell and/or keep them swollen.

Leave them alone for a while - and yes, I know the temptation is always there - and see if they don't get better.

Ann

[antibody]

i had a swollen lymph node in the back of my neck for years. it would bother me a lot but in the 9.5 moths i've been on treatment it has gone away. my doctor told that it most likely would reduce as i get healthier. so it has.

[otherplaces]

Yeah, those crazy crazy lymph nodes.  Big surprize...another thing that varies wildly amongst us HIV+ people.  Me personally, my left lymph node has always seemed a bit swollen since infection.  Just the left one!  Don't ask me?!!  It is worse when I haven't eaten, and gets better if I have had 3 squares.  Confuses the hell out of me.  When I started meds it did lessen the swelling quite a bit, but still present.  Really I just gotta' trust my labs and try and not worry about it so much.  The labs are good, the lymph node...eh' whatever.  Our bodies are all a bit different in this regard.

much love,
brian

[minus_25]

Like Matt's post said, swollen lymph nodes are a sign that your body is putting up a fight.

I have been HIV positive since November 2006 and my occipital lymph nodes (each side of back of neck near base of skull) are slightly swollen.  My right feels a little bigger than my left.  Nobody can notice them when looking at my neck, even when I've pointed it out to my friends.  It did cause some worry at first though because I can feel them and it's a constant reminder that I have this stupid virus. 

[HIV? poz about being neg]

Ok so swollen lymph nodes are good great...Oh and Ann I'm trying not to poke them

[dgr20002]

I have had swollen lymph nodes under both arms and in my groin for going on 20 years with HIV. I dod'y guess they will ever go down. There have been times when the ones under my arms hurt. Maybe they are pressing against a nerve or something. I don't poke at them. I know they are there and I leave it at that.

David
Washington, DC