Kadi - Yes, it's a banding feeling that wraps around an area of your body. Mine is mostly in my left rib cage. Not only do the muscle spasm but I get nerve pain as well. Some compare the pain to having shingles. When it acts up it can even make breathing difficult and painful. It's my worst and most frustrating symptom.

Debbie - I have been very lucky with gabapentin. I normally don't do well with most meds but I have not had any side effects from the gabapentin. The only times I have had trouble is when trying to increase it. I did go to the dr the other day and there is some talk about weaning me off it and putting me on something else. I am on such a low low dose of it. But, I have heard of people who have mood disturbances and such while taking gabapentin as well as some of the other anticonvulsants.

Erin - I wish there was a med or something to take care of this pain. While gabapentin has been such a blessing to me, I still get breakthrough pain. I do find that massage therapy helps by relaxing the muscles. My muscles get in a tight mess in my ribs. But the massage therapy doesn't help with nerve pain. Advil has been helping with the inflammation and some of the pain I have going on so I am thankful for that.

Something is going on with me right now. In the couple of hours it's been since I posted, I've got one heck of a nerve pain running thru my hip. Feels like sciatic pain, but a little different. It's kind of making my back hurt and that weird pain wraps around my right buttcheek and goes into the front part of my upper leg.

I've gotten more numb as this day has gone on. I feel like *swearwords*. I'm tired as heck, and just do not feel good, and I've got a mom (who lacks an empathy gene) upstairs who is mad because both me and my dad (who has asthma and a heart condition) dont feel good this weekend and dont want to go anywhere. I'd love to have the energy to go somewhere because then maybe she'd stop *swearwording* at me.

Dont think I have a cold or any other infections that I know of. But geeze, the MS is picking a really inconvenient time to have keep mugging me for my spoons.

It's really tiring being so tired and icky feeling all the time. I really wish my MS wasnt so freaking active.