I think marijuana is causing me to have a swollen lymph node.

I'll start off by saying I smoked at least once a day before this all happened.The pain under my jaw started in October and gradually got worse and worse until I finally went to the doctor in late December. It would hurt worse after every smoke session. He said it was a swollen lymph node and gave me two medications: Naproxen (anti-inflammatory) and Cephalexin (antibiotic). I started taking those and it helped a lot but when I was out of meds, I could still feel a slight pain. It was 90% better though. I did not smoke the whole month of January. In February I began smoking again and throughout the month the same pain was coming back stronger and stronger after every smoke session again.

The pain isn't just when I smoke though; it's all day. It has ruined smoking for me and made me really stressed out. Has this happened to any of you guys?

Sounds like you have a bacterial infection (hence the Cephalexin he gave you). The swollen lymph node is simply a result of a localized bacterial infection, it's not necessarily what's causing the pain. You should make sure you completely clear the infection before smoking again because all the smoke is doing is suppressing your immune system slightly to allow that bacteria to grow.

Field Report - Cannabis, Armpit Pain, and Lymph Nodes

Field Report - Cannabis, Armpit Pain, and Lymph Nodes

10 Nov 2011

This is a report on my experience with cannabis since 1 Oct 2011. Since this date until 4 days ago, I did not work outside the home and smoked cannabis daily. I smoked many different types of cannabis obtained from three dispensaries around the SF Bay Area. The quality of the medicine has varied greatly, and I suspect that there many have been contaminants in some of the cannabis that I have smoked, but I've tried several types and sought out the highest quality medicine I can find.

The symptoms I will describe below apply to the highest quality cannabis I can find, which is to say that I believe that the particular problem I have with cannabis is caused by the cannabis itself and not contaminants in it, although contaminants may have played a role in the development of my current health condition. Because of this condition I do not currently smoke cannabis and do not plan to start.

During the period 1 Oct 2011 to 1 Nov 2011 I lived alone and smoked cannabis almost continuously since I was not working. Over the course of 4 weeks, I noticed increasing pain in my neck, back, flanks, and below my armpits with peak pain occurring 10-20 minutes after a smoke session, continuing with moderate to high intensity for 2-6 hours, and gradually subsiding over the course of 2-3 days (48-72 hours). Despite the pain I continued to smoke cannabis daily. In addition I developed heartburn and mild to moderate acid reflux problem from excessive smoking. I still have mild acid reflux problems.

During this period, I additionally experimented with small amounts of the following over-the-counter medications available at pharmacies and grocery stores: DMAE, Theanine, Liver cleanse (Whole Foods store brand, a compound containing Milk Thistle and vitamin C).

During this period, I adopted a sleep schedule where I would stay awake for 24 hours and sleep for 12.

In early Nov 2011 (I forget the exact date), after having been awake for over 24 hours, and about 10 minutes after a cannabis smoke session (2 moderate bong hits, in total less than 0.5 gram) I was struck with intense pain in my back, flanks, and between groin and hips (both sides). The flank pain ran up and down my back from the top of my shoulder to groin level. I would later report a pain level of 500 on a scale of one to ten to the emergency room nurse.

I dialed 911 to report a drug overdose and was taken to the emergency room, but reporting a cannabis overdose and flank pain to the EMT, nurse, and doctor did not appear to be particularly insightful. I was admitted with a panic attack, intense back/flank pain, and hypoxia. After an X-ray and PET-CT scan, the doctor declared that I was fine, and I was discharged. My total time in the hospital: less than six hours.

Since then I've ceased regular cannabis use and have mostly recovered, although my recovery has been somewhat hampered by what I believe is a common cold.

Several days later I "tested" myself by taking a short sequence of very small bong hits. About ten minutes later I was again struck with mild discomfort (2 on a scale of 1-10) below my armpits and immediately ceased smoking.

TL ; DR

In my opinion, due to a history of smoking cannabis, my body cannot tolerate cannabis, and this intolerance manifests as mild to intense pain at the lymph nodes in my upper body near my armpits.