[Friend2U]

I know some on here have experienced the Hug. I am having pressure on both sides of my rib cage. Feels like there is a giant vice squeezing. But it is not all of the time. It will last for several hours, then go away. sometimes it hurts across my back at the level of my lower ribs.
Does this sound like the hug? I don't know because it is happening off and on each day and has been going on for several days. But getting more intense the last couple days.
Thanks in advance for the input.

[Kitty]

That's exactly how mine was. It's finally gone away but for weeks it was sporadically painful. Sort of felt like a "catch" in my ribcage and across my back.

It's hard to determine what's MS related and what's not sometimes. I hate to blame everything on it but it seems to be the culprit 9 times out of 10.

[Friend2U]

Yes, I also hate to automatically blame everything on ms. But I can't think what else this would be right now. I've had my gallbladder out, so can't blame it on that.

I've had these pains before, but seem worse this time. I'm also having some other things going on, so am wondering if I'm in a bit of a relapse.

I'm hoping it soon subsides so I don't have to call my neuro. Not sure what he could do other than steroids, which I avoid unless absolutely necessary. Not sure if there is any meds that could help or not.

Thanks for your response.

[Dejibo]

Thats the hug! I hope you feel better.

[Kitty]

I told my Neuro about it but only so my medical records would reflect it. He always offers steroids............knows I won't take them but I guess he's covering his hiney.

[SallyC]

I haven't had the hug in awhile, but I remember it well and you described it well!!

Feel better soon..

[Erin524]

Usually when I feel the Hug, it feels like an ache in my ribs...kind of similar to what your legs would feel like when you're doing a lot of walking and the muscles get sore from over use. Like something is pulling on the muscles.

Last May tho, when I had that flare with all the spasticity, it felt like a giant python was squeezing me to death while simultaneously someone was stabbing me repeatedly with knives in multiple places. It really really really really hurt. I always thought that optic nerve pain was the worst pain I ever felt, it still is, but the pain from that spasticity was the 2nd worst. It lasted a lot longer than the optic nerve pain I had when I had ON tho... Last summer's Hug lasted about a month and a half.

Only thing that helped it was using my mom's TENS unit. Put the electrodes from her TENS on my ribs and then set the thing to stun. About as high as I could get the dials to go. The pain from the TENS was a lot easier to take than the spasticity.

[clarkstar]

when i first got the hug it was constant. now it comes and goes. feel like my belly is cramped up, not fun at all

[Friend2U]

...for sharing your experiences with me. After hearing your input, I am pretty sure now that the hug is what is going on with me.

Didn't get any rest last night. But my symptoms seem to have leveled off now, so hope to get some rest today. Don't know why, but with me symptoms seem to always get worse at night.

Thanks so much. And I wish you all a pain-free day or at least as comfortable as possible.

[KajunButterfly]

Sounds like the "hug" to me. I have made 2 trips to the emergency room for this thinking I was having a heart attack. I had numerous tests and nothing shows up wrong so my doc says it must be MS related.Feel better soon!!