I have not been officially diagnosed with MS, but I have had symptoms off and on for years. Most recently extreme fatigue, numbness & tingling in feet and legs as well as right arm. My family has been kind enough to mention that I am acting loopy - repeating things I have already said earlier in the day, hearing what someone said totally different than what they actually said. My husband even asked me if I was having a stroke because I seemed confused.

My question is about the MS Hug. I believe I am having those symptoms currently, but I also think I had an extreme bout 5 months ago. Can the MS Hug mimic gall bladder or pancreas issues? When I went in with extreme pain in that area my doctor ran the blood tests necessary to dx possible gall bladder & pancreas issues and they all came back normal. He gave me prilosec (which I didn't take). It resolved itself after about 2 weeks. The pain was under my rib cage and it got worse when I would lay down for bed at night.

That sounds like some of the sx of the hug. Whenever I have the hug it becomes difficult to get a good, deep breath. I have to hold my arms over my head in order to breathe sometimes. I've had pain from the rib cage area all the way down to my lower abdomen. At first I thought it was indigestion or heartburn but when antacids didn't help I realized it was the hug.

How did you leave it with your doctor? Take prilosec and I will see you in 6 months?

Did you mention MS to the doctor? Are you going to have the tingles checked?

So many questions. You see, you may find someone with every sx that you have. MS is a sx embracing disease. No two of us are alike yet we can share sx's.

But other diseases have the same sx's.

I would be proactive and take it to the next step with the doc.

At the time I didn't relate anything to possible MS so I didn't think to ask. I just recently started piecing stuff together. About 2 1/2 years ago I had tingling in my fingers of my right hand. Doctor said carpal tunnel. Gave me wrist splints and sent me on my way. It sort of got better over the next 6 months or so. Then one day after walking my dog it felt like my arm wasn't my own. It was heavy and I couldn't bring it up to my nose to scratch my face. Thought I over did it. The feeling went away after a few weeks back to the normal tingling. Then a few months after that my neck started getting stiff and then I could not move it without having extreme pain. Back to the doctor. He took a neck x-ray and said that I had arthritis ordered some blood test to rule out rheumatoid arthritis. It wasn't RA. Gave me some muscle relaxers and off I went to physical therapy. That got better after about 3-4 months - ibuprophen was my friend! Then in December 2008 I had the wickedest pain in my upper abdomen, right under the ribs and a bit to the right. Figured it was gas, but when it got worse and it couldn't take a breath without it hurting and my sleep was disrupted I went back to the doctor. He ran the tests for gall bladder and pancreas issues. All came back normal. He said it must be a bad case of indigestion and gave me prilosec and told me to come back if it didn't get better. It eventually cleared up about 2 weeks later. Now about mid-March my arms go tingly again, but this time it is all fingers and half way up my arm. My lower back is in pain and my legs go between tingly, pain, stiffness and feeling like they are on fire. I feel ansy and I cannot get the pain and stiffness to stop. I have gotten some other things off and on since mid-March too. I have pain behind my left eye. No vision loss, but I have floaters. Anyway have been extremely tired the last 4 weeks and even naps in the day aren't helping. I am a mother of two active boys and my family thinks I am going crazy.

I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow.

Sorry for going on so long...

I have only had a couple of "hugs", however mine was a super tight band around the rib cage, under the "mammories" and only lasted about 15-20 minutes each time..... I cannot imagine having to deal with it for two weeks! I thought I was having a heart attack. I hope you find some answers soon ilocate!

Killed off enough brain cells in my youth so MS doesn`t seem to be affecting my dome much. Just guessing the MS hug can affect us all a little differently? My dealings with it have been in the lower ribcage area, mostly on the right side, making it hard to stand straight or get a deep breath, also a weird electric shock feeling? Didn`t last too long for me anytime 15 minutes to 2 hours?

Double dose of Baclofen seemed to help, of course me taking it regularly and as prescribed(3 times a day) might have also helped? If you don`t have a pretty good idea what to expect and are older it`s probably better not to guess what is going on and see a doctor.

Back in the day, before I knew I had MS and didnt know what an MS hug was, my gall bladder area HURT! it was like someone grabbed that muscle where my diaphram is, and flipped it over. it was a tugging, and yanking sensation. it got painful. Just on the right side. My MD did many blood tests, and we couldnt figure it out. After scans, and exams, we decided to go look. He did key hole surgery to go look, and saw nothing wrong, but since my family has such a severe gallbladder history, he removed it, and hoped that would fix my problem. it didnt.

Long story short, and many years later, I still get that tugging, muscle flipped over sensation right where my gallbladder/liver would be. Learning about MS has taught me that its the MS hug, and wont kill me. I have learned to stretch, and massage the area to help it.

Mine still happens when I lay down at night, or sometimes when I have overdone my day with active stuff. it comes and it goes. Some days nothing, and then for 3 days running, i get that tugging. then a week of nothing. bizarre. Im glad I finally got it figure out, i used to worry that I was sick, and my liver was gonna rip open or explode or bleed, and no one was gonna figure it out in time. (ok, anxiety is a sx for me too.)

As long as your blood work remains clean, its probably not an organ messing up, its probably that diaphram muscle not being happy. Suggest that to your MD.

I hope you feel better.

I have read a lot of posts on this forum and I just hope that it won't take years for a dx. I am 45 but I think that I have had symptoms for several years.

We shall see what the doctor does/says today.

Daily hug sufferer here. It is constant for me just not always painful. During a flare it is not fun.

Like Dejibo, I suffered with this long before being diagnosed. However, for me it is my left side and it will feel as though something is ripping, burning, electric shocks, squeezing, and can't get a deep breath. I can only lay down during these painful times which can last up to a week or 2. I have permanent severed nerves due to a spinal lesion and it also effects my stomach. I have no upper abdominal reflexes on my left side.

On a daily basis it is just uncomfortable. I do take Neurontin and that has been a wonder drug for me. It really helps with all the nerve pain and sensitivity not only in the rib cage but all over as well.

I really wish you well in finding a dx, whether it be MS or not. Hang in there and know we are all here to support you on this journey.

Saw my internist today. Told him of all my symptoms but since he diagnosed me with arthritis in my neck a while back he believes it is a pinched nerve and gave me some muscle relaxers for the spasms in my legs and a few pamphlets about how to combat lower back pain. He also ordered some blood work. So far one test that is for inflammation (sed rate I think) came back normal. With Kaiser blood work results can be accessed through my account on the internet - pretty cool! He wants me to go back to my optometrist and get my eyes checked. I called them today and they wanted to know if I was having any problems because it has only been 1 1/2 years since my last exam. Told them I was having eye pain and they said I should see an opthamologist and that would be covered under my medical. So I will be calling my internist tomorrow and asking for a referral to an opthomologist (I have Kaiser).

I still have a horrible feeling about all of this. Something just 'aint right.