MS Hug, but different than before?

[anon07072023]

I've had an MS hug before, and it's typically on my left side (like most of my other symptoms).

Yesterday, I went to the ER.  Wed, it started with a vague pressure on the right side of my chest, and it has slowly gotten worse. My symptoms have slowly changed from a vague pressure to almost a stabbing pain/tightness along the bottom right side of my ribs extending from the right side of my ribcage to a little passed my sternum.  The pain/tightness has been so severe, I can't reallly take normal breaths without a huge amount of pain. And when I try to yawn, I can't because there's too much pain when I try to inhale.

Anyways, the chest x-ray and all my bloodwork yesterday at the ER didn't point to a collapsed lung or a blood clot. The doc there said he really thinks it's muscular. Today, I've also been getting short quick spasms on the exact opposite side of all of this, on my back.  It make me kind of think of spasticity, since that's kind of how my left hamstring spasticity is - if it's really tight (mine is always a constant, unrelenting muscle tightness), then the front of my left thigh will also do these quick short spasms on it every now and then.

Anyone have any ideas or have you experienced something similar? I'm going to leave a vm for the nurse for my MS doc and also call my primary tomorrow.

Thanks!
Kelly

[anon07072023]

I called the nurse coordinator for my MS neuro and left her a vm about everything. She called me back today and said it didn't really sound like a MS hug, because they're not usually painful and people don't normally get stabbing pain.  I thought about forwarding her this link from above ....

[anon07072023]

Thanks guys.  I already left a vm for my MS neuro's nurse coordinator.  I guess I'll see what they say.  I never realized that the MS hug could get so severe. I was actually crying on Sat from the pain from it, right before I went to the ER.
-Kelly

[Guitar_grrrl]

Hi, Kelly,

I have a frequent visit from my "Anaconda".  Often, it's on my L side, and it feels like it's trying to pull my breast bone to the left.  Lately, though, the whole lower ribcage has been involved, especially after a sneezing fit (ahh, Spring!).  Sometimes I'll have banding across my lower abdomen (morning contitutional).  It's interesting, the variation....

I'm glad you're calling your neuro.  Let us know what s/he says.

[addicted2harleys]

Hi, Kelly-

I am sorry that you are struggling through new pain.  I have experienced the same...right side rib area.  I did address this with my pcp because he takes care of my symptom management.  He said he believed it was muscle spasms in the muscles in my rib cage.  He didn't mention spasticity, for me anyways.  And I didn't get the short quick spasms in the back with this.  

He did prescribe the Baclofen for me at that time, which seemed to help some.   My next visit with him, he prescribed muscle relaxers and wanted me to go for physical therapy.  

Since then I have begun getting muscle spasms in my back, terribly.  I have also been getting them in my legs, only when I walk.  But with the new leg spasms I have also developed the twitches.  

I feel like my brain is scrambled eggs right now, so I hope this all made sense.  Mainly, I wanted to let you know that you are not alone in this symptom.  I think you should definitely address it with your doc.

Hugs,
Addi

[anon07072023]

I found this link -
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Multiple-Sclerosis/MS-Hug/show/790358

I think I may have the MS hug on steroids....

[tiredaz]

Sorry I don't know what this is either, Kelly, but I have had very similar symptoms.  My PCP said he thinks it's muscular.  I could hardly turn over in bed without screaming.  Muscle relaxers didn't really help much.  Now I'm so afraid of it happening again that I know that probably adds to the tightness all over my body.  Guess it helps to know one isn't alone in this thing, but I hope yours go away and never come back!

Good luck,
Linda