Lump under armpit - any experiences?

[WellWaitForItToPass]

Starting to get a bit anxious now and I could do with some positive stories please. It sprang up seemingly overnight. About a week ago. I’ve got a scan booked in about 10 days time so that’s good. The doctor thought it may be a lymph node and that it would go down, but it hasn’t. It’s about the size of a small grape now, I think if anything it’s bigger than it was.

It moves around, and it’s tender if you prod it. Which I’m told are both supposed to be good signs so that’s good.

I’m also told that things like this can be quite common, so I’d love to hear some positive stories please.

Thank you.

I can’t find the thread now, but I’ve had very similar and it was a lymph gland and it did take a good few weeks to go down.

There was another similar thread and I linked another thread of people with a similar experience on it…. Both threads were full of the same fine experiences of lymph glands.

I’ve had a cyst that was like that. They drained it.

Thank you for replying!

I had something like that, was an axillary abscess. Hurt like mad. Had to be drained under GA. The worst part was as it actually went deep into the armpit so had to be packed after draining. I then had to go to the hospital every 2 days to have the wound unpacked and repacked with fresh material….One of the most painful unpleasant experiences of my life. Nothing sinister though thankfully.

I had a lump in my armpit removed that was a lipoma (fatty lump) and then had to have the grim packing experience described by @Spanglybangles.

It flares up now again but I take evening primrose oil and it helps.

Good luck. I know it’s a nervous wait.

You've not had a vaccination or been unwell anytime prior to the lump have you?

I had this too and it was a lymph node that went down but good to get it checked x

I have had this too and it was just an enlarged lymph node.

Have you been particularly stressed recently? That can trigger abscesses and infections IME.
I had a boil in my armpit that made even my Sporner Corner DSis feel sick. Genuinely looked like a 3rd boob, nipple and all. It started out as a lump and got bigger and bigger.
I pierced it with a sterile lance and drained it over a few days, applying antiseptic every time. It was disgusting the amount of crap that came out. Sorry, TMI I'll shut up now!

I had a reoccurring one in my left armpit a few years ago. I put it down to stress in retrospect.
Like a pp it would occasionally take weeks to disappear. It was nothing sinister.

Thank you so much!!
The abscess stories sound awful!! But I’d still rather an abscess than something worse.
I’m trying not to Google but it’s not easy!

I had one. Went for ultrasound and it appeared as a black hole on screen. Black means liquid, not solid. It was just a cyst. The radiographer offered to drain it. I declined but two months later had it done because it was painful when I was pushing it to put deodorant on with a roll-on. The liquid was pure black but apparently it is normal . It wasn't painful.

Really hoping it’s a cyst - I would def say yes to instant draining 😂

I think benign things like cyst or boil or infected lymph node are the vast majority of cases. So your chances are good. Fingers crossed for you.

Yup I had one under arm. Moveable, size of a large pea. It was a cyst but it freaked me out.

Good luck OP, odds are you'll be fine.

This is what I had too.

My lymph nodes on 1 side came up after my covid booster last week. Were you unwell or have any vaccines before it came up? Any infections/cuts to that arm/finger etc? Could also be an infected hair.