MUSCLE SPASMS IN RIB AREA

[sandie490]

Hey Everyone,

Has anyone here gotten spasms in the rib area? Sometimes it's on the left side, just under the breast area, but I mostly get the spasm on the right side.  I couldnt figure out what it was, I thought it was a problem with my liver, until recently I figured out, its a muscle spasm.  It's almost like when you get a stitch on your side, but this is more like a muscle contracting pain, like when I had the HUG ( I think).  Anyway, I finally figured it out, because I've been getting this horrible tightness in my calf and foot, I thought my calf was getting numb, but now I get a tight knot all the time.  I noticed when I  am on my left leg to long it will get worse.  So I have been telling my DRs that the calf is always numb, but you know what its muscle spasms.

Anyway, I also get this same contracting tightness,(thats the only way I can describe it) under my rib cage.  The two same spots all the time.  Boy, talk about pain.

What is this from.  IS this a common MS sx?  I know that muscle spasms are, but what about these places.  I also get muscle pain under my arm pits, its weird, sometimes its really uncomfortable to lift my arm when this is present.
Do you think that these are spasms?
Sandie

[benjie68]

One of my greatest concern right now is muscle spasm on my right rib, below the armpit and rigth below my floating ribs. As if I couldn't breathe anymore when symptoms began to trigger. I noticed it happens whenever I twtich my upper body to the right, especially when I am backing my car and looking at the back not relying on the side mirror. It will take 10 to 15 minutes to relieve the symptoms by choosing the best body position which im not certain yet. It started 2 yrs ago in the abdominal area but now its more on the upper right area. Abdominal cramps started months prior to my kidney stone shockwave in 2011..I would like to know the best meds to get rid of it. Thank you.

[Poppy7402]

These sorts of pains can be a symptom of lots of things.  

MS can't be detected via a blood panel, only through a thorough neurologic exam and MRI etc.

The rib pain you describe could also be intercostal neuralgia, which also has many causes, ranging from minor to serious.  

[elp388]

I've had these rib cage spasms off and on for the last ten years but the last two years it's been more often and more painful. I would mention it to my Dr. When I go for regular check ups but he always said ..just take some magnesium or potassium it'll fix it and a banana.  I still have them and it's worsening. Being a typical stubborn male I don't visit the Dr. Unless I have a fever and need antibiotics . Tonight I do a web search and find out its a common symptoms of M.S. now I'm really worried because I don't know much about the disease. What test is it that tells the physician one has it? Can it be detected by blood panel?  Thanks!

[ardy101]

hi all for the past 4 months on my left under the arm pit.where the tube to remove fluid back in 1994 was, have had the same spams, sudden and tight will take my breath at times..need to ly back and relax..seems to be like a charlie horse..only in the muscle area of the cancer.. was afraid for a bit..have done a bunch of digging..no inoformation out there..looked into this group..aa  us ladies  the Doctors have got to love this age group and  our chat..will try the B12 supplement and let you know how it works..hugs ardy wisconsin...I am a Blue Star Mom  my Moose is in the SandBox go Army Mom Strong..

[socrates2k1]

I know exactly what you are going though.  I have that feeling on a daily basis.
It makes it difficult to breathe, especially deep, at least for me.
It just started getting worse again, today, but I figure as the temperature rises,
so does the increase on my MS symptoms.

This will be my 2nd Summer dealing with MS symptoms, so I'm waiting to see
just how much it will effect me, this year.

Take care and God bless.

-- Socrates

[ack65]

I'm not yet diagnosed but was in emergency for what you describe back in Oct 09.  They did blood tests, xray and ultrasounds and found nothing to explaine the weird pain so they shot me up with pain killers and sent me on my way.  I am now beginning to think it was this dreaded ms hug or some spasm of sorts because it went away by the next day but boy was it painful!  I told the ER that I thought I was having another gallbladder attack but I no longer have a gallbladder. A

[jensequitur]

I get a cramp right underneath the floating ribs - I have to reach down and push up under the ribs to press on the muscle.

I also get a really excruciating spasm in the esophagus.  At first they thought it was GERD, then three months later I'm diagnosed with MS... but the GERD is still on my health history.  Not sure how to change that.

Don't forget that the body's an extremely complicated place - there are so many nerves that can be damaged.  You'll see some repeat offenders - once a muscle starts spasming, it's a signal that the nerve is damaged, so expect some more of that.  

[supermum_ms]

Ahhhh the Hug, how we love to hate the dreaded HUG me not!

First time i had the Hug was in 08, sheeesh it was bad, thankfully i have not had it that bad since, intercostal muscle spasms are not fun. I still have muscle spasms and i have the feeling ive been thumped really really hard on each side of my spine, the right weirdly hurts more than the left and its my left side thats dodgy. Up until a little while ago i was also having my sternum crack from all the spams, again no fun.

I'm a limbo lander too, and unfortunately intercostal muscle spasms are not exclusive to MS, its quite common for body builders and sports nutts to over work their muscles and have them go into spasm, now the trick is in explaining how you set off the whole of your left rib cage just by lifting the kettle. lol

Years ago afew weeks after my son was born i had a mystery spasm under my sternum, that brought me to my knees in unexpected shock, lots of tests nothing they could work out to the cause though, it was put down to my body realigning its self after child birth. I've heard other people mention their hug in a similar way and have wondered if that unexplained episode was another missed heads up warning.

Cheers..........JJ

Oh i've found if i lay down flat on my back and do lemarse (sp) breathing it helps.    

[JenEpicFarms]

Me too - Me too! I am not yet diagnosed, but from what I can tell it falls under the MS Hug category (insert raspberry here :oP

Mine is almost always on the right side, along the bottom of my ribcage and runs the gambit from annoying to excruciating (I spent 11 months in testing for all manner of gall bladder/stomach/liver conditions...oops). It will, however, periodically pop up on the left side (just to keep me on my toes I think :o)

[johnnymutt]

Yep, I get those spasms all the time, and boy do they hurt badly. Sometimes I'll go 3 months or so without having them, but then all of the sudden, whap, I've got them back. Then they'll come and go for months on end. Sorry to hear that you are enduring that kind of pain. I know the ones in the rib cage makes you feel like you're being ripped apart sometimes.

Good luck
John

[Guitar_grrrl]

Yep, sounds like a spasm to me.  The dreaded MS hug is in this category, too.  Both are fairly common in MS.  T-spine lesions are often the culprit.  

Are you diagnosed?

Feel better,
Guitar_grrrl