Do I really have mumps?

[PhatNeckMendoza]

I’m 33, fully MMR immunised as a child.

I started with tender swollen glands a week ago which swelled overnight Saturday going into Sunday with immense pain. DH made me to the drop in clinic to be checked on Sunday.

My neck is very painful to touch or move my head, it hurts when I swallow, but I would say the pain is more in my neck than my throat and I have occasional sharp pain in my ear (same side as the swelling).

Drop in clinic said likely mumps … but I just feel like the swelling is more in my neck than my cheeks. I rang GP this morning over 50 times and was unable to get through. 111 said it’s a GP job and to try again tomorrow.
I understand if it is mumps it is viral and I just have to let it run its course, but what if it isn’t and I need antibiotics?

I have taken a rubbish picture, which I feel makes the swelling look less than what it is in real life.

What do you think mumps, or not?

Hmm, I had mumps as a kid and I remember my neck been swollen. I don’t remember my cheeks been swollen. So maybe?

Like @CormorantStrikesBack i had mumps as a child and also remember a swollen neck.

I would get it checked by a GP but it may well be, Google says MMR is 80-90% effective against mumps. You may be in the unfortunate 10-20% bracket.

I know two people who have had mumps despite being vaccinated. So it could well be.

My DD-early 20's (fully immunised/boosted etc) just had the mumps. She had a reasonably light dose.

She was told at her GP that there is currently an outbreak in her area due to lots of ppl not being vaxed- she works with children.

She had a very fat neck/face.

They are def out there!

*edited to say she HAD a fat neck-not she HAS one 😂

Your immunity from the vaccine could have waned a bit by now. I'd think mumps would be unusual in this day and age but not impossible. I had mumps as a child and remember the swelling being on the neck but close to the front and under the jawline. Get it checked out. If it is mumps, I hope you don't get hit too hard.

DH had mumps but said he was really poorly with it, weak and vomiting.

I had mumps a few year ago whilst pregnant with my dd.

I've just looked at pics and I was swollen from my cheeks down to my neck - I have to put a damp flannel under my chin for chafing 😩

I had mumps too. Despite having my MMR and mumps was the only one I was immune too crazily enough

Immunity can often wear off unfortunately in adulthood. It’s not unusual to not be immune anymore. I was non-immune to measles despite being fully vaccinated as a child. I had to get the MMR again as an adult for work.

Oh poo, the NHS website threw me by saying hamster cheeks.

I am having paracetamol and ibuprofen like they’re going out of fashion, but drop in clinic wouldn’t give me anything stronger cos I’m breastfeeding. They did check my throat and ears and said my throat was red, but no sign of tonsillitis and my ear looked fine, just waxy … cheeky mare!

Struggling to get comfortable enough to sleep, trying to sleep with a travel pillow as lying down on either side hurts.

I am feeling pretty miserable, will try again harder to get through to the GP tomorrow.

Possibly. Diagnosed with mumps last week. Swollen parotid glands, lots of jaw and face swelling. Looked like I had been chewing wasps! Felt pretty crook with a fever for a couple of days, then all over by about day 5.

I did have a minor sore throat about 2 days before the swelling started.

I’m 51, and MMR vaccine wasn’t a thing back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth when I was a kid. Checked with Mum, I’d had mumps when I was about 4!

I had almost exactly the same swelling before Christmas - mine wasn't mumps but because I had a kidney infection. It was just a very swollen (and bloody painful) lump. It was actually the worst bit!

@mynameiscalypso I am worried that they have missed something else, as she was pretty quick so say mumps and send me on my way.

Which I don’t really blame her for, because mumps!

I had to ask her to look at my throat and ear, which she did to her credit, but said both were fine.

I'm fully vaccinated and had mumps. Looked like yours apart from much more swollen.

I had swelling exactly like that.. it was related to my teeth and I actually had an infection and abscess deep in my gum. So odd though because the pain and swelling was in my neck, exactly where your is. So dental was the last thing I expected. Maybe something to check in?

@PhatNeckMendoza also fully vaccinated as a child and got mumps about 10 years ago, so painful I feel for you! Very sore and swollen neck (only on one side for me), it felt very hot I remember only eating yoghurt and ice cream and it got worse before it got better it was brutal. GP refused to see me, they did tell me to report it to public health though (can’t remember now how I did this). They also told me to stay away from (not then but now) DH if that’s any use at all. Good luck!

@AlwaysAnxiousAnnie 111 asked if it could be a dental problem before telling me I just have to get in touch with GP. I was only at the dentist first week in January, but obviously an issue could still arise between then and now.

@Carla2601 I’ve been told to expect a swab in the post, but it won’t diagnose me quick enough if it isn’t mumps and I need antibiotics for something else.

I am setting an alarm for 7:59 and will keep ringing GP until I get through!

I had an illness before Christmas that gave me swollen neck on one side, generally felt bleurch, sore throat beforehand. Not as swollen as you look, and lasted about 3 days. DH and MIL also got it, none of us were particularly ill, all had either had, or been vaccinated against mumps at some stage.

My brother was vaccinated and got mumps at 15. He looked terrible with the swelling!

I had mumps as a child and remember it well. I have 36% hearing as a result. My audiologist told me I was lucky to have any......
This outbreak frightens me

@PhatNeckMendoza i think the reason they do that is because once mumps is suspected (it’s quite hard to misdiagnose I’d say) you can’t leave the house until it’s gone, and they don’t let you into GP surgeries or hospitals (or not where I live anyway) because it’s so dangerous to poorly people.

hope you’re better soon

When I was at uni there was an outbreak of mumps, in part, because many people mistakenly thought the MMR vaccine would protect them against mumps. As it turns out, if you were born between 1980 and 1990 it is likely that the version of the vaccine used did not protect against mumps, and even after 1990 some versions of the vaccine used would only protect against measles and rubella despite being referred to as the MMR.

I have had mumps twice as an adult despite being vaccinated, so yes it’s possible

@Carla2601 the nurse I saw on Sunday was horrified that I’d been left in the general waiting area for over 2 hours despite me saying when checking in that I thought it could be mumps.

I am in awful pain again this morning, to the point of tears and I don’t consider myself a wimp, so if I can’t get a doctors appointments I think it’ll have to be a 111 job, but they were quite dismissive yesterday when I eventually got a call back.