Swollen lymph nodes following Covid-19 vaccine

[EOTI]

About a week after my first shot of the Pfizer vaccine in my left arm, two of lymph nodes above my left collarbone rapidly swelled in size (one up to about 2 cm). The general region above my collarbone was also swollen, tender and mildly painful for several days. I am in stage 1 of CLL, and prior to this, I had only a few swollen lymph nodes. I would like to learn if anyone has had a similar response to getting this (or any other) vaccine/flu shot? Is this suggestive of an immune response, or possibly an exacerbation of cancer cell proliferation and a spike in the WBC count? I asked my GP about this and he wasn't able to provide me with a confident answer in the direction of either possibility. If anyone could share some helpful information about this, I would appreciate it. Thank you!

[AussieNeil Administrator]

A temporary increase in the size of your nodes near the injection site along with a temporary increase in your blood lymphocyte count is exactly what you want. It means that your germinal centres in your nodes are making lymphocytes specific to the vaccination, causing your nodes to swell. Those lymphocytes will then spread into your blood, increasing your lymphocyte count and hence your WBC count. Later, those B lymphocytes specific to the COVID-19 spike protein will either mature into memory B cells, ready to respond to and eliminate any COVID-19 viruses entering your respiratory system, while others will mature into plasma cells, first giving you a boost in your IgM specific to the COVID-19 spike protein, then into IgA and longer lasting IgG. This process takes a few weeks and should resolve after that. It's the same reason that our neck nodes can swell and feel uncomfortable when we get a cold, flu, etc.

Neil

[EOTI in reply to AussieNeil]

This is informative. Thank you, Neil, for your thorough response!

[dj02 in reply to AussieNeil]

Great info .. can u send scientific links to this please and notify us of any updates

[AussieNeil Administrator in reply to dj02]

Here's a rather technical paper explaining in more detail what I've stated in an abbreviated form: immunology.org/public-infor...

The videos in this post:

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo... on the adaptive and innate immune systems cover this at a higher level. See in particular the video introduced "Fantastic 9 minute video of a lecture on the innate and adaptive (humoral and cell mediated) parts of our immune system and how they all work together."

Neil

[Gardengirl44]

Yes this happened to me... groin and neck. It’s how I got diagnosed .

[EOTI in reply to Gardengirl44]

I'm sorry to hear. I was diagnosed recently in a similar manner; blood work for something unrelated. I'm glad to have learned of this early on, however. I hope you are doing well.

[LeoPa]

This is one of the side effects they mention that healthy people get too. Very common with viral infections.

[blowinginthewind]

Same here; I had lymph nodes is neck and axilla. They stayed up about a week. I decided that as someone with a past history of agoraphobia I needed an antibody test to see if I had any antibodies to help me decide whether to start going out or not. I did the test and I had some antibodies, not as many as perhaps someone without CLL would have, but some. Whether those lymph nodes being enlarged is part of the reason I have some antibodies I have no idea at all. I hope yours go down fairly soon - they are painful aren't they.

[EOTI in reply to blowinginthewind]

I'm glad to hear that you had at least some antibody response! I hope the same will be true for me. Be well!

[Vlaminck]

No noticeable new lymph nodes but WBC and lymph both went way up, almost doubled when tested 6 wks after 2nd vaccine BUT was positive for Covid antibodies. Fingers crossed that next check numbers will be backdown.

[EOTI in reply to Vlaminck]

It's great news that you produced Covid antibodies! Let me know how your next blood work goes; I am curious to learn if/how much your numbers do decline.

[Poodle2]

Yes, after the second vaccine - the lymphnode in my left arm pit (the side that I haf the vaccine in) swell into a "big" golf-sized ball. Had my bloods done 10 days later, a significant increase in lymphocytes and an increase in platelets, decreased haemoglobin. I had the same reaction when sick with covid so it kind of mirrored the experience in that sense. The lymphnode is back to normal, hope my bloods too as they were ok a week before the vaccine. My consultant said that all seemed a normal reaction to the vaccine but she moved my app from 6 months to 4 just to be on the safe side and explained if the swollen lymphnode continues to enlarge or I start getting any symptoms - to contact her.

Like yourself, I hope all will be back to pre vaccine numbers etc.

I have had a similar reaction in the past - to the Prevnar vaccine so I wouldn't say it's unusual.

[EOTI in reply to Poodle2]

Hopefully the vaccine response is an indication of a positive Covid antibody response. Let me know how things go with your next check up!

[Poodle2 in reply to EOTI]

Yes, I hope so too...thanks ❤

[SKINOW]

Unrelated to CLL, well-known local reaction to the vaccine. I had a similar response after a third Pfizer vaccination. I was glad to see Any Response.

[Jellajello]

Thank you for this discussion, I have been waiting a couple of months for things to settle before my next routine WBC. I had quite a strong fluish 36 hour reaction to second AZ jab, and was glad that something happened. For the next few weeks I was a bit tired in the afternoons and also had inflamed gums and more recently the bi-annual breast cyst burning pain which I know so well from near 30 years of mini cystic flare-ups. All investigated, several times. Much better now. Relating that to the jab though it might just be co-incidental. Will leave annual blood test until September.

[EOTI in reply to Jellajello]

I'm glad you're feeling better now. I'm not looking forward to the fluish reaction when I get my second shot, but like you, I'll be glad if something happens and my immune system produces antibodies. I hope your next blood test brings you good news! Let me know how it goes!

[Virabhadrasana]

Yes! This happened to me as well. I'm stage 1 also, wait & watch. Also had swollen nodes in armpit. Just subsided after about 3 weeks. It worried me too. Called doc, nurse said it was within the norm. No blood tests till late Nov prior to scheduled appt.