Pain in the Side MS HUG??

For the last 6 days, I've had a pain in the right side. It's starts in my mid to lower rib cage and wrapped around to my back. It also effected my lower back but only on the right side. It felt like every muscle is spasmed and it felt like I pulled every muscle in those areas. It would even hurt to breathe and move. I was wondering if this is a similar feeling to the "MS Hug". I didn't do anything strenuous so I didn't pull anything.

I am feeling better today. It was like as fast as it came it left so, I was wondering if it sounded neurological. I am not DX with anything at this point but I was wondering if maybe this is what the MS HUG felt like (even though I know it probably feels different for everybody).

{{{HUGS}}} but not the MS type...LOL

[mokibear]

I too am undiagnosed but have had the same thing as you described. I had posted about it at the time I was going through it and the general response from everyone was that it sounded very much like the MS hug.

I hope that you don't get it back again any time soon as I know how uncomfortable it is.

Non MS type HUGS
Moki

[jensequitur]

Kinda feels like a stitch in your side, right?  I think it's a variant of the MS hug.  Any sort of pain and cramp in that area would qualify.  Of course, it's just another manifestation of spasticity, probably caused by a lesion in your spine.

[Terrie2008]

Hi
Sorry what is an MS hug, it might explain a feeling I get.

[Rena705]

The following is a bit of information on the MS hug...I am sure some feel it differently than others but this is a bit of a guideline:

Firstly, a physiological explanation:-

There are tiny muscles between each rib, called intercostal muscles which basically hold the ribs together, but also give the ribcage some flexibility; it's when these muscles go into spasm that we get the MS hug, a friendly description of an extremely uncomfortable and often painful symptom.

Secondly, these are personal descriptions by MS patients of how it feels:-

To start with it's more of a burning pain than a crushing one which begins in the back. Some are lucky and catch it in time so there it stays. However it can sometimes move around to the front, and if it travels all the way around then it does indeed feel like being hugged by a boa constrictor! Some rarely get it as high as the chest and usually stays confined to the midriff area. At its worst, it can last for several days.

It feels as if I’m wearing a very tight rubber band which stretches from under my arms to below the waistline; the band gets tighter and tighter until it becomes difficult to breath. It feels very constricting and although not all that painful, is very uncomfortable. I don’t feel hungry because of the perceived pressure on my stomach.

I find myself holding my arm folded across my abdomen in order to ease the discomfort and find I can't breathe deeply enough to get my breath. I tried taking my asthma inhalers thinking these would help but because it's a skeleto-muscular thing, they gave no relief.

I have excruciating chest pains which take my breath away, however heart tests have shown that my heart is healthy but because of the recurrent nature of this, I was told it was the MS Hug or ‘Girdle’.

Thirdly, how do we deal with or treat these symptoms?

Because of the varying severity of the Hug, there are many ways and these are some recommended, again by MS patients  :-

My Neurologist sanctioned my GP to prescribe a 5mg diazepam pill along with Ibuprofen and I have to admit it only lasts a few hours by taking that combination.
I’ve never had any "proper" treatment for it, but I incorporated it into my self-hypnosis sessions. I would visualise that I had my torso was wrapped tightly in clingfilm, then would visualise the clingfilm being ripped off – this is an over-simplified description of what I did. With time the hug diminished down to a patch the size of a fist in my solar plexus - interestingly, where I’m told we "hold" our fear. After that it disappeared completely.

I find that warmth is something which helps. I use a warm blanket or hot water bottle and find that the more I relax the more the tightness goes away. The best thing for me though is to lay down and be cosy. Being outstretched helps the feeling of restriction on the diaphragm and being warm helps to relax enough for the pain to dissipate.

Two things I depend on are:- Analgesic cream, liberally applied on my back, to calm things down before they get out of hand and Lorazepam. I'm very sensitive to the sedative effects, so just take quarter to half a tablet, which I let dissolve either under my tongue or between my lip and gum, thus it reaches the bloodstream much quicker than if it has to go via the stomach I've discovered that the secret is to treat the hug at the very first sign, rather than trying to ignore it in the hope that it'll go away - I believe that, as with a lot of other things MS (vertigo springs to mind), once the brain gets into a groove, it's very difficult to persuade it to stop.

[Wobbly]

Rena, your are so helpful...that does explain things more.

I'm not yet Dx...but I get these types of pains...it starts in my side..I thought it was my gall bladder or liver...burning feeling...then it moved to my back...now my right side gets it too..??  

Maybe Kidneys??  not sure..I will be asking my Dr about these next week...and still waiting for my MRI results..I'm sure they will be late..hehe

andie

[slightlybroken]

Thanks for the info. It does sound similar to what I was feeling. I've never had this symptom before so I wasn't sure what was causing it. My lower back started to hurt and then it moved to the front to my rib cage. It was very hard to move without feeling pain (at least on the right side).

I've had spasms in my back many times but never in my rib cage. It wasn't the worse pain that I've felt but it was very uncomfortable and annoying.

Thanks Again

[Terrie2008]

Thank you Rena

I get that hug but it does not pain its just a weird feeling feels like warm blood is moving from the back of my rib cage round to the front rib cage then gives a squeeze could this be a Ms hug.

While I am here Iv just had a thought at the beginning of this year I started to get this heavy feeling on my chest as the evening went on it got worse it was if someone had put bricks on my chest no pain just heavy bricks.

My Husband took me to to the hospital they were very good gave me an e.c.g but that was fine they gave me an asprin and sprayed something under my tongue  this did not help the bricks where just getting heavier they gave me some morphine, which did.help.

They took me up to the ward and kept me in over night.

Earlier that day I had a banana and they thought it was due to that,in the end they said it was a spasm now Im just wondering if this could be one of the symptoms of Ms

What do you all think.

I have not eaten a banana since.ha ha  



help.  

[Lulu54]

Here is the post I told you about -  I hope it helps.

Come back often, Ok?
Lulu

[rendean]

Thank you for the post. I was indeed helpful!

I will be back. This is a warm and caring "community" that instantly makes one feel welcome. Quite unlike the info  disseminated by the majority of neuros who unfortunalely think one size fits all.

Thank you for the warm welcome! If I can be of help to anyone please give me a heads up. With my general medical background perhaps I can help in  some way.

Rendean

[Lulu54]

this is a wonderful community and everyone just jumps in wherever they feel they can contribute knowledge, experience or a laugh.  I hope you'll do the same - Lu