Has anyone diagnosed with meningitis experienced lymph node swelling?

[Jmm645]

I was diagnosed with atypical meningitis this last october. the spinal tap came back negative for west nile which they had suspected. i have been checked for several different types of tick virus. when my spinal tap came back "clear" the neurologist cancelled my follow up after being in patient. was referred to rheumatologist that did lots of labs that said I was clear of several autoimmune diseases. Rheumatologist referred me back to neurologist for my ongoing headaches. I've yet to figure out exactly what I had and still have not fully recovered. Still having headaches and pain down my spine especially at the base of my neck, between my shoulder blades, and sacral. Two days ago my neck swelled back up? I'm nervousness that even though I've never recovered from what ever this was its starting over now.

[siobahn]

Hi I am 3 yrs post viral m, I suffered terrible headaches for over two years after, experienced neck, shoulder , multiple joint pain for what seemed an age. I also developed a swelling in the back of my neck ( enlarged node) had scans but ok . What u are describing is typical after havin men. I still had headaches well into my third year amongst a whole host of other symptoms. Frustration, seems to be the word used over and over again post men, it takes a long time to recover and quite normal to feel fear u were goin back to the onset of illness.

Your brain is healing, it takes a long while, be kind to yourself x

[Jmm645]

Thank you so much for the reply. I haven't read anything about people complaining of swelling. I was beginning to wonder if this was something different on top of VM. I was never told which stran of VM I had. Atypical VM was my diagnosis because I had s/s of VM but my labs always came back ok. I have no idea how all your lab can come back "ok" or negative and hurt so bad? I got sick mid October and it stated with my hip pain, breast swelling and pain neck pain & swelling, I thought it was starting round 2! I just this last week had a few hours 2 days in a row of no headache. I have always had at least a background headache. The 2nd good day I over did it. Again with the swelling in my chest and neck. I feel like I have been shot at with multiple bean bag round blasts all over my core. I'm just really glad to hear this lymph node thing isn't uncommon for VM. Another symptom I had that I hadn't read anywhere is early on, my skin hurt. It hurt to the touch??? Kind of the pain you get when you have fever but I wasn't running a fever? I was told that I had a small intercerabral bleed or aneurism behind right ear that usually is caused by the high fever I had? I guess I'm just looking for confirmation because every dr or specialist I see loos at me like I'm crazy when I tell them my symptoms. Even the everlasting headache symptom that I see is very common. Which by the way coincidence of maybe improvement? I found that a melatonin tab decreases my headache better than any narcotic. Just wished it worked to make me sleep. Thank you again for replying. It's nice to know I'm not a total freak like I feel I am at the dr.

[hannahg]

I had bm and have a constant raised gland at the right side of my . I used to be really worried until I had my pre op for my csf leak closure, it was then I happened to mention it to my surgeon as all the doctors said I must have an infection the surgeon explained it quite well to me and hope it will help you the part that is on my neck is a lymph gland not a node, lymph nodes swell when you have infection and then it swells the glands we have loads of lymph nodes and quite a few lymph glands however although they are connected they do have a difference when your lymph nodes swell not your gland it is usually an infection but if an illness has caused the lymph gland to swell its similar to a torn muscle and although the infection is gone because of the swelling to the glad been like a muscle it can take a long time to swell down sometimes it may not swell down at all, I have had mine now for a number of years but it is harmless. It can be tender at times but that's the swelling and certain things can agitate usually to do with heat or certain materials such as nylon clothing, jewlerry been around it, sometimes it is not very big and other times it seems like a lump, I'm not sure why this is but I do know things can agitate it.

As for the headaches have you ever tried forehead? Most chemists sell it and it comes in two forms a strip you put on your head or a rub, it is not really made up with pain relief, however does have a numbing agent I found this extremely good for my headaches and doesn't have the side effect that pain relief have, I use the rub/ stick, as soon as you feel the headache come on you place it or rub it on your head and a few minutes later the headache eases and shortly after it has gone, the rub I find excellent as you rub it on no one can see it and when your out and about you keep it on you and when you feel headache come on you can just rub it on and headaches gone, unfortunately due to a csf leak I have suffered numerous bout of meningitis the last time pain control was very difficult and I found forehead even helped with my meningitis headache

Another helpful medicine I have found is aspirin

These are the two things I found the best and I have tried loads from ibuprofen to morphine, also di hydracodeine, diclophenic, microwave, heat pads, anatriptaline annd a few others

I've also been told topirimate in low doses can be very useful

Also calomine tea

For joints and muscle pain I found radix muscle salts and radix unwind combined in a warm bath really helps but don't have it to hot or it can cause habitation to skin

Hope this helps

[menigitishead in reply to hannahg]

I had BM in May of 2010.. due to undetected CSF leak (no doctor it's not allergies). Hole closed but Hydocephulus some what remained.. sorta.. 2 1/2 years of scans.. ect.. nothing detected a hole anymore. Dec. 2012 hole came back and I herniated my brain.. Crainalectomy done Feb. 4th. So glad to read your post. I have complained about my sore neck that would come and go over the course of the last three years. (I have had multiple doctors and finally settled on one as of last Dec.) I recently spent 10 hours in the ER due to my extreme headach and stiff neck and shoulders.. ( I knew it wasnt menigitis.. but air on the side of caution I went to the ER on the advice of both my Nuro Surg. and Nuro. who happened to be out of town.) I have been passed on to a rheumotoid doc at some point in time when I tested positive for Lupus.. which turned out to be a false positive. My nuro at that time pretty much told me to go live my life that everything was alright. Boy was he wrong! I'm currently on Diamox until Sept. and will have an LP next week to check my pressure. (I don't fit the profile of idopathic intercranial hypertension). I'm not overweight.. ect, my pressure was only slightly above normal ranges while I was in the hospitol. It still warrented the use of Diamox. I had a swollen lymphnode this past week in my arm pit. The ER docs.. paid no attention to it. Even after I pointed it out several times. Anyway the swelling has gone down. I was treated with a Migrane Med. while I was in there and it actually releived my neck/shoulder pain. I've tried all those meds..I've stopped taking any type of narcotic and to ease the burden on my kydneys.. no over the counter either. Nothing helps anyway. I'm going to check out the rub you mentioned. I use arnac gel and horse ligament at times, which does seem to help relax the muscles. Thanks for posting.. I kinda rambled this out.. lol. Best of luck to you.