hug

[fdmh]

I too am a limbolander.  Haven't been on here in a while.  Friday out of nowhere I started devloping this pain again.  It's about the 4th time in my life that I have had it.  Always in the exact same spot.  I am at the healthiest I think I have been in a long time.  In March I had a spine MRI that was "totally normal" and I was told not to worry so much.  The pain is down my left side, from the middle of my rib cage down to my left hip/buttock.  Sometimes sharp and almost makes me fall down, but otherwise constant, dull, SQUEEZING.  Makes me hold my breath.  Haven't had a brain MRI since there were 2 abnormal ones.  The last one was in June 09.  My MS specialist/nurse says he doesn't need to repeat it since I haven't had new sx, which is a crock.  I know it could be muscular but I just can't get that out of my head that it could be a hug.  I am establishing care with my new family doc tomorrow, and see my MS doctor on Nov 15th.  Just need some reassurance.  Ibuprofen, heat, ice do nothing.  Chiropractor good idea?

[jensequitur]

I should say that I just got a 3T MRI done of the spine, which showed several lesions.

[jensequitur]

An MS Hug is either - as Bob says - a spastic condition of the intercostal muscles between the ribs - or a paresthesia of banding in the torso.  It's caused by a lesion in the spine.

I've heard too many 'totally normal' reports that weren't, including mine, which was done on a .7T machine.  What strength was your thoracic MRI done on?

My experience with the hug is I can have spasms of the muscles around any of the lesions in my back.  Sometimes they're right next to the spine, sometimes they go all the way around.  Sometimes it's a spasm of the esophagus, which is relieved a little with drinking warm water.

My neuro initially prescribed Flexaril, which didn't do a thing.  I got him to give me a scrip for Baclofen, which helps.  It usually takes around 6 a day to keep the spasms down.  (I had to titrate up.)

[COBOB]

As I understand it, MS hug is a spastic condition of the costal muscles between the ribs.  Any of the any spasmodic medications should be able to help with this, but they need to be carefully titrated to the correct dose.  Most people depend  on a certain degree of tension in their musculature to stand up and perform other day-to-day functions.  Ask you GP about the pain and if he thinks this is MS Hug about trying Baclofen or another one of the antispastic agents.

Bob

[lydia231]

I'm glad your going to see a family doctor. Those symptoms can be signs of things other than ms.  Does the pain last for more than a few minutes? I am not diagnosed with ms, but it seems that the ms hug isn't typically something that lasts for long ( I know I will be corrected if I am wrong).  It could be your gallbladder, but that is only a guess. If the pain is getting worse and lasts for a longer period of time maybe asking your doctor if it could be related to your pancreas would be a good idea.