Swollen Lymph Glands

[menzies233]

Two weeks ago I had a bit of a sore throat, the left side of my neck was a little swollen and painfull. I felt a lump about 1/2 inch under my left ear that was a bit painful / uncomfortable. Took a few paracetemol and within about 4-5 days it was gone.

Now, a week after the problem on the left hand side I have had major pain and massive swelling on the right hand side - like a balloon, coughing up crap cannot turn my head for the pain. It is in the same position, under my right ear, goes from my shoulder to my head.

I went to the clinic tonight and the Doctor gave me a shot of antibiotics, and told me to come back tomorrow for another shot. He also prescribed a course of antibiotic pills for a week.

I asked him if it was KHANGTHUM (Mumps) but he said no, he could not translate it into English and my Thai is not that great, all he was able to tell me was it was an infection of the Lymph glands and it was "very serious" - anyone have any idea what it could be and how it is caught?

Got me a bit worried. I never trust these doctors here, they always go for Anti biotics almost as a first choice. I hate taking them unless it is really serious. (The swelling on my neck is getting bad, like a tangerine)

[oncearugge]

You should arrange to consult a either a General Physician or an ENT specialist at a hospital.

Speculating about the cause/diagnosis here I would suggest is unhelpful.

If your condition has not improved by the morning seek an urgent second opinion.

[h90]

You should arrange to consult a either a General Physician or an ENT specialist at a hospital.

Speculating about the cause/diagnosis here I would suggest is unhelpful.

If your condition has not improved by the morning seek an urgent second opinion.

+1

If it is better tomorrow...OK...(Swelling may go back slowly but you still should feel an improvement).

Else hospital....specially as it is on the head....

[menzies233]

Thanks, if it is still swollen tomorrow I will take it to the Ram in Chiang Mai. I must admit, the shot he gave me tonight seems to be doing something, feel as sick as a dog, but the pain is getting less. I was just worried why he said it was serious but could not explain what the problem was. I asked about mumps etc. but he just smiled and said "Infection Serious" - 250 Baht! I tend to trust the advice here from the expats rather than the Thai Doctors - This same doctor gave me a bottle of Gaviscon when he clearly knew I had acute pancreatitis ( spoke to me in English and explained very little - but told my wife in Thai that it was probably wiser for me to get to the hospital quickly. Damn, you cannot trust anything here.)

Tonight I am going to give the Anti Biotics a try, 4 paracetemol and 5 bottles of Red Horse to try and get som sleep. Usually if I get a good sleep it seems to give me a good head start. Problem the last two weeks I just have been unable to sleep and I think my immune system is shot - awake every night at 1 am or 2 am, then feel like crap all day. If I get a good 8 hours might be OK.

[MaeJoMTB]

Thanks, if it is still swollen tomorrow I will take it to the Ram in Chiang Mai. I must admit, the shot he gave me tonight seems to be doing something, feel as sick as a dog, but the pain is getting less. I was just worried why he said it was serious but could not explain what the problem was. I asked about mumps etc. but he just smiled and said "Infection Serious" - 250 Baht! I tend to trust the advice here from the expats rather than the Thai Doctors - This same doctor gave me a bottle of Gaviscon when he clearly knew I had acute pancreatitis ( spoke to me in English and explained very little - but told my wife in Thai that it was probably wiser for me to get to the hospital quickly. Damn, you cannot trust anything here.)

Always get them to write it down, in Thai, on a piece of paper.

Then you can look it up on the internet later, or ask us.

(That is, if you don't have a Thai dictionary on your smart phone)

[oncearugge]

Thanks, if it is still swollen tomorrow I will take it to the Ram in Chiang Mai. I must admit, the shot he gave me tonight seems to be doing something, feel as sick as a dog, but the pain is getting less. I was just worried why he said it was serious but could not explain what the problem was. I asked about mumps etc. but he just smiled and said "Infection Serious" - 250 Baht!

Generally speaking it is best to stay away from "clinics" !

I am unable to advise about Drs./Hospitals in CM

Sorry.

[menzies233]

Thanks, if it is still swollen tomorrow I will take it to the Ram in Chiang Mai. I must admit, the shot he gave me tonight seems to be doing something, feel as sick as a dog, but the pain is getting less. I was just worried why he said it was serious but could not explain what the problem was. I asked about mumps etc. but he just smiled and said "Infection Serious" - 250 Baht! I tend to trust the advice here from the expats rather than the Thai Doctors - This same doctor gave me a bottle of Gaviscon when he clearly knew I had acute pancreatitis ( spoke to me in English and explained very little - but told my wife in Thai that it was probably wiser for me to get to the hospital quickly. Damn, you cannot trust anything here.)

Always get them to write it down, in Thai, on a piece of paper.

Then you can look it up on the internet later, or ask us.

(That is, if you don't have a Thai dictionary on your smart phone)

Cheers,

that is where I keep falling down in Thailand, I do not have a smart phone, I don't have a mobile, I don't even have a watch, they find it strange but there you go, never wanted any of that stuff.

[menzies233]

Thanks, if it is still swollen tomorrow I will take it to the Ram in Chiang Mai. I must admit, the shot he gave me tonight seems to be doing something, feel as sick as a dog, but the pain is getting less. I was just worried why he said it was serious but could not explain what the problem was. I asked about mumps etc. but he just smiled and said "Infection Serious" - 250 Baht! I tend to trust the advice here from the expats rather than the Thai Doctors - This same doctor gave me a bottle of Gaviscon when he clearly knew I had acute pancreatitis ( spoke to me in English and explained very little - but told my wife in Thai that it was probably wiser for me to get to the hospital quickly. Damn, you cannot trust anything here.)

Always get them to write it down, in Thai, on a piece of paper.

Then you can look it up on the internet later, or ask us.

(That is, if you don't have a Thai dictionary on your smart phone)

The clinics where I am only write your name on the plastic bag and the dose. They never ever write what the medicine is or what it does. Every time I visit I spend an hour on the net finding out what garbage they prescribed, and 90% of the time most of it goes in the bin. It is only when I feel to be at deaths door will I take any crap these doctors prescribe. My (Thai) wife would drag my baby son up to a clinic every time he had a cold and the bloody idiot doctor would prescribe a course of antibiotics, and on her return, I would dump them in the bin.

[MaeJoMTB]

Thanks, if it is still swollen tomorrow I will take it to the Ram in Chiang Mai. I must admit, the shot he gave me tonight seems to be doing something, feel as sick as a dog, but the pain is getting less. I was just worried why he said it was serious but could not explain what the problem was. I asked about mumps etc. but he just smiled and said "Infection Serious" - 250 Baht! I tend to trust the advice here from the expats rather than the Thai Doctors - This same doctor gave me a bottle of Gaviscon when he clearly knew I had acute pancreatitis ( spoke to me in English and explained very little - but told my wife in Thai that it was probably wiser for me to get to the hospital quickly. Damn, you cannot trust anything here.)

Always get them to write it down, in Thai, on a piece of paper.

Then you can look it up on the internet later, or ask us.

(That is, if you don't have a Thai dictionary on your smart phone)

The clinics where I am only write your name on the plastic bag and the dose. They never ever write what the medicine is or what it does. Every time I visit I spend an hour on the net finding out what garbage they prescribed, and 90% of the time most of it goes in the bin. It is only when I feel to be at deaths door will I take any crap these doctors prescribe. My (Thai) wife would drag my baby son up to a clinic every time he had a cold and the bloody idiot doctor would prescribe a course of antibiotics, and on her return, I would dump them in the bin.

You have to ask.

[sipi]

My wife has had swollen lymph glands in Thailand and Australia, and the usual procedure (from what I can gather) is to do nothing and monitor and hopefully (normally) they recede. Failing that a course of antibiotics to help fight the infection.

[Wonka]

It could be leptospirosis. Have you been breathing dust from the ceiling?

I would take doxycycline immediately, if it was me. Dicloxacillin should also work against leptospirosis.

Best to go to the hospital of course. It takes a week to get answer from a leptospirosis test.

[h90]

Thanks, if it is still swollen tomorrow I will take it to the Ram in Chiang Mai. I must admit, the shot he gave me tonight seems to be doing something, feel as sick as a dog, but the pain is getting less. I was just worried why he said it was serious but could not explain what the problem was. I asked about mumps etc. but he just smiled and said "Infection Serious" - 250 Baht! I tend to trust the advice here from the expats rather than the Thai Doctors - This same doctor gave me a bottle of Gaviscon when he clearly knew I had acute pancreatitis ( spoke to me in English and explained very little - but told my wife in Thai that it was probably wiser for me to get to the hospital quickly. Damn, you cannot trust anything here.)

Tonight I am going to give the Anti Biotics a try, 4 paracetemol and 5 bottles of Red Horse to try and get som sleep. Usually if I get a good sleep it seems to give me a good head start. Problem the last two weeks I just have been unable to sleep and I think my immune system is shot - awake every night at 1 am or 2 am, then feel like crap all day. If I get a good 8 hours might be OK.

Actually I don't understand why you go to a clinic, I am sure Chiang Mai has good hospitals. That is the wrong place to save money.

Good luck and update us....

[MaeJoMTB]

Actually I don't understand why you go to a clinic, I am sure Chiang Mai has good hospitals. That is the wrong place to save money.

Good luck and update us....

For treatment described by the OP .......

CM RAM bill 3-5k

Clinic bill 200-300bht

Do you understand now?

[h90]

Actually I don't understand why you go to a clinic, I am sure Chiang Mai has good hospitals. That is the wrong place to save money.

Good luck and update us....

For treatment described by the OP .......

CM RAM bill 3-5k

Clinic bill 200-300bht

Do you understand now?

There might be something between price wise? Public hospital?

And anyway you can't take the 4000 Baht difference with you into the grave. The wrong place to save money. Or if any infection enters the brain and you end up as idiot it will cost you a lot more.

[MaeJoMTB]

Actually I don't understand why you go to a clinic, I am sure Chiang Mai has good hospitals. That is the wrong place to save money.

Good luck and update us....

For treatment described by the OP .......

CM RAM bill 3-5k

Clinic bill 200-300bht

Do you understand now?

There might be something between price wise? Public hospital?

And anyway you can't take the 4000 Baht difference with you into the grave. The wrong place to save money. Or if any infection enters the brain and you end up as idiot it will cost you a lot more.

You're assuming the CM RAM treatment would be more effective than the Clinic treatment.

From my previous experience, the price does not reflect the quality of treatment.

Often the treatment is identical.

Randomly, one of them will totally screw it up.

Just a few months back an American acquaintance of mine went to RAM with a large swelling on the side of his neck.

Just a cyst, they said, we can cut it out or it will go down on it's own. He chose nothing.

Now I hear, back in the US, it has been diagnosed as a malignant tumor.

Just one of many amusing CM hospital stories I have to tell.

[Sheryl]

Well for sure the OP should stop going to this particular clinic and doctor. Ditto letting his child be treated there.

There are plenty of doctors with good English speaking capacity in CM, no reason at all to settle for less.

Sripat (CMU Hospital) has some of the best specialists and costs there will not be noticeably more than a small private clinic. http://sriphat.med.cmu.ac.th/eng/home

Clinics are usually best avoided but I would make an exception for this one http://www.healthcaremedicalclinic.com/index.php Dr. Morgan is a very good GP. It's only her though so not the place for specialist care though I would tend to trust her referrals.

Going back to OP's original question, there are many things this could be but I am inclined to doubt it is an ENT problem. Would rather suggest an infectious disease specialist or else start with a GP (Dr. Morgan would a good choice, and she can do basic blood tests). Mumps are indeed possible, if it looks like this picture http://www.immunize.org/photos/mumps-photos.asp (click on the one of the adult)

[h90]

Well for sure the OP should stop going to this particular clinic and doctor. Ditto letting his child be treated there.

There are plenty of doctors with good English speaking capacity in CM, no reason at all to settle for less.

Sripat (CMU Hospital) has some of the best specialists and costs there will not be noticeably more than a small private clinic. http://sriphat.med.cmu.ac.th/eng/home

Clinics are usually best avoided but I would make an exception for this one http://www.healthcaremedicalclinic.com/index.php Dr. Morgan is a very good GP. It's only her though so not the place for specialist care though I would tend to trust her referrals.

Going back to OP's original question, there are many things this could be but I am inclined to doubt it is an ENT problem. Would rather suggest an infectious disease specialist or else start with a GP (Dr. Morgan would a good choice, and she can do basic blood tests). Mumps are indeed possible, if it looks like this picture http://www.immunize.org/photos/mumps-photos.asp (click on the one of the adult)

I always doubt doctors who can't speak English.....How would they educate themself and how they could even pass University. All the scientific literature is in English and neither in Thai or Dutch or Hungarian or whatever. And actually every doc or pharmaceut (spelling?), no matter young or old was just perfect in English, most probably better than me. So what is a Doc who can't name a disease in English (or in Latin), also has no dictionary or internet on hand to look it up (well everyone might forget a word).

I may sound overly harsh or aggressive but as mistakes bring you into the grave it is better to be paranoid than tolerant.

[Longtooth]

Well for sure the OP should stop going to this particular clinic and doctor. Ditto letting his child be treated there.

There are plenty of doctors with good English speaking capacity in CM, no reason at all to settle for less.

Sripat (CMU Hospital) has some of the best specialists and costs there will not be noticeably more than a small private clinic. http://sriphat.med.cmu.ac.th/eng/home

Clinics are usually best avoided but I would make an exception for this one http://www.healthcaremedicalclinic.com/index.php Dr. Morgan is a very good GP. It's only her though so not the place for specialist care though I would tend to trust her referrals.

Going back to OP's original question, there are many things this could be but I am inclined to doubt it is an ENT problem. Would rather suggest an infectious disease specialist or else start with a GP (Dr. Morgan would a good choice, and she can do basic blood tests). Mumps are indeed possible, if it looks like this picture http://www.immunize.org/photos/mumps-photos.asp (click on the one of the adult)

I heard (urban legend?), that if an adult male stays up and active with the mumps it can descend down to the family jewels!?? Dunno for sure. Antibiotics don't work on virus'.

[h90]

Well for sure the OP should stop going to this particular clinic and doctor. Ditto letting his child be treated there.

There are plenty of doctors with good English speaking capacity in CM, no reason at all to settle for less.

Sripat (CMU Hospital) has some of the best specialists and costs there will not be noticeably more than a small private clinic. http://sriphat.med.cmu.ac.th/eng/home

Clinics are usually best avoided but I would make an exception for this one http://www.healthcaremedicalclinic.com/index.php Dr. Morgan is a very good GP. It's only her though so not the place for specialist care though I would tend to trust her referrals.

Going back to OP's original question, there are many things this could be but I am inclined to doubt it is an ENT problem. Would rather suggest an infectious disease specialist or else start with a GP (Dr. Morgan would a good choice, and she can do basic blood tests). Mumps are indeed possible, if it looks like this picture http://www.immunize.org/photos/mumps-photos.asp (click on the one of the adult)

I heard (urban legend?), that if an adult male stays up and active with the mumps it can descend down to the family jewels!?? Dunno for sure. Antibiotics don't work on virus'.

I only know that you can get mumps on both sides....I actually did. got it on one side, and when it was almost good I got it on the other side. But as child it is harmless....

[Sheryl]

In adult men mumps can indeed cause orchitis (inflammation of the testicles) sometimes leading to sterility.

[chubby]

have you had the mumps vaccination?