I take 2 gabapentins at night before bed. They pretty much knock me out for the night. I normally wake up partially with a spasm or some other pain but go right back to sleep. Well not tonight, or this morning I should say.

I woke up at 1:16 this morning to the hug. It's been really mellow for a while now, just the normal squeezing I have on a daily basis. It's been great since it lightened up. Even my massage therapist has commented how good my muscles feel. Well, tonight the hug is full on - that squeezing and nerve pain. UGH! Unfortunately, I don't have any strong meds to help with this. I only have Advil, which I can't take right now due to some other issues non MS related.

I was wondering how many of you wake up in pain like that and what are things that you do to help you through? I laid in bed for a while trying to ignore it and get back to sleep but that didn't work. So I got on the computer.

The other night I woke in Discomfort from my version I get of the hug. Most nights I have no problems, some I do. Can't figure out why. Oxybutin and fluid intake may be why.

I have stopped an arm pain, I used to get, definitely linked to mouse use on computer. Carpal tunnel small muscle thing overuse in my joints and no pain until I lay down. Many Sleep Doctor and people feel the lights, etc. of computer monitors at night can effect Circadian rhythms. I avoid all computer use after 7 and feel I sleep, etc. better. Finding triggers can be tough and sometimes nothing can be found.

I'm up early too. A little muscle pain, but mostly, had to potty. I don't seem to get the hug anymore, thank heavens.

Feel better, Trishy..

Kicker - I generally stay off the computer in the evenings and just watch mindless TV. I fall asleep well and was out by a little before 10 and would have slept fine if the hug didn't jolt me awake at 1 in the morning. And, I've been up ever since. After so much time passes, I have no clue what to do and how to occupy myself as I try to ignore the pain.

I hope you feel better too, Sally!

Wow...there isn't much you can do for the hug, is there? It's not like a voluntary muscle like an arm or leg that you can stretch out...the only thing I could suggest is gentle stretching of the upper back muscles to see if that releases some of the tightness feeding into the Intercostal area & diaphragm.

Try rolling into a ball and rocking gently... Stretching out the large muscles of the back. Then stretch out on your back and reach to the left without lifting your back off of the surface & hold for a few seconds. Repeat to the right.

Hope you can get relief soon...are you on zanaflex or baclofen?

@Trish. Call your local pharmacist. I believe that Gabapentin is not for "as needed" use but rather it is a medication that is slowly introduced into your system and conversely, must also be reduced in the same manner or else it has an increased chance of bringing on a seizure.

Check what I am saying by calling your pharmacist but for pain, Gabapentin may work. I just worry that you are using it wrong.

Thanks, Cyn! I've been on gabapentin for 8 years for nerve pain and what we now know is the hug. I take one 300 mg in the a.m. and 600 mg in the pm. I take it at the same time everyday. It is one med you don't want to mess around with. I can't increase it as the few times the neuro had me increase it I reacted poorly - one time I cried at everything and the last time they increased it I ended up with severe tremors and in the ER where they gave me something to stop them.

I do get breakthrough pain and to be honest, I did a bad thing the other night. I fell asleep on my brother's couch (I was watching his kids) and slept there all night with my bra on, a bra I don't normally wear but hadn't done laundry yet. BAD for nerve pain and damage in that area. I have trouble with bras due to the hug. It's a little better this afternoon so I'm hoping to get a good nights rest tonight.

That's interesting. Sometimes wearing a bra is the only thing that helps my Hug. I've had it go the other way too, where the bra irritates the hug so much that I cant wear one. Depends on how tight I have it.

Erin - That's funny. Bras are not always my friend. I have to wear gentle ones so those nerves don't get irritated. I have heard of some MSers say that the bra helps their hug. Such a crazy disease.

Trish,
My neuro just put me on Gralise- its gabapentin that is delivered differently to the body...I'm on it for RLS because Requip has been losing effectiveness.

Google it and see if it might be something that would help you more than traditional gabby...