Am I Having the MS Hug?
 

Last night, I was ready to call the para meds. I thought I was
having a heart attack. My chest and stomach was all tight and
it felt like I had something stuck in my throat and wouldn't go
down.:eek: I've had this before but not quite this bad or for that long.

I finally fell asleep and when I woke, a few hours later, whatever
was stuck went down and I didn't feel the intense pressure. So.
thinking "good, I didn't have a heart attack, relaxed and went
back to sleep.

This morning, although I felt better, I still had the tightness
around the chest and stomach. Sometime later, it occurred
to me that this could be the hug? Either that, or I'm still
working on an HA.:eek: I could breath fine and didn't feel sick or
dizzy, so my brain told me that this was not a HA, so must be
the Evil Hug..:mad:

Does anyone know what triggers the "Hug" and if there is any
relief for it? ...It has been at least 15 years since I had the Hug.
I wonder if this means, that I'm getting better in reverse?:D

Sally, the HUG is a very common symptom for me. No idea what triggers it but mine usually comes on in the evening or the night; although I've also had it hit right in the middle of the day while doing something as well.

Sometimes sipping on ice cold water will get it to back off for me if I do that at the start of it.

I can sometimes get it to ease off by either laying on my back with a couple of pillows under the knees or sitting up, then pressing my fingertips up under my ribs and holding the pressure for a minute or two. Doing that makes the pain worse temporarily and sometimes will make the pain that goes around to the back feel like a knife going straight through from front to back, but when I let off the finger pressure, it is usually better for a bit. I just keep doing that every few minutes to every hour or so while it is going on. Mine can last for days and during that time only vary in intensity.

When my hands/arms aren't working I use the cap end of a water bottle (with the cap on) to apply the pressure. The water bottle gives more leverage and pressure than the fingers.

I have also bent forward on the end of my walking stick while holding the hand end below the ribs or against the belly. Sometimes I have put the ground end of the walking stick up against something like a wall or tree (the stupid thing has caught me while out walking in the woods more than a few times), and then put the hand end below the ribs and leaned into it.

When it is hanging on for more than an hour I take Baclofen too. I try anything and everything I can possibly think of to get the pain to ease off.
Sometimes it is successful and sometimes it is not. It has put me in the ER a few times when I couldn't breathe but the docs were pretty much as unsuccessful as I was in their attempts to get it to ease off. From there it is basically a waiting game while I suck back oxygen.

Your symptoms sound like it might be an esophageal spasm rather than the HUG but everyone's symptoms are different, as we have all learned. That too can come from nerve irritiation/damage.

Whatever it is I hope that it goes away completely and never comes back.
Stupid disease.

With love, Erika

Yes, that's what I thought, at first, but that usually goes away
sooner? carp..Guess I'll just have to wait it out. It's not to bad
this morning. I'm guessing that, this is triggered by, my worst
enemy, STRESS, as is all of my flares.:rolleyes:

Thanks for your incite. So sorry that, you too, are plagued by
this Carp..:hug:

You should see your doctor Sally, don't assume that it is MS. See if you can get in today. :hug:

Sally- you need an EKG and some blood tests. You need to make sure that it is Not a heart attack.

And that's an order.
ANN

Don't scare me now.:eek: I've never had a heart problem, but,
I could talk myself into it, if you encourage me.:confused:.. I feel fine
and dandy, except for the tightness around my middle. No
pain and no more indigestion. Just finished a big spaghetti
& meat ball lunch and nothing stuck.:)

In my mind, this is not a HA and I don't want to rush to the
Docs, to worry my Fam, for nothing....and I consider an MS
hug, nothing!! I told my DD, about my scare, yesterday and
she was OK with my DX.:cool:

I will deffinately call 911, if the pain or any other signs come
back.:grouphug:

Certainly don't want to scare you Sally, but denial is a frequent symptom of HAs.
It really is best to have it checked out as even reasurance that it is/was not a HA is worth the trip to the docs.

On the other hand if there are signs that it may have been a HA...even a mild one, there are medications (yes, I know you hate them as much as I do), that can both decrease the damage done to the heart muscle and also help to prevent another.

Please do us and your family all a favour and GO!
We all worry about you :hug::hug::hug:.

With love, Erika

My Mom denied an HA one night in May a few years ago. She waited until her next scheduled PMD appt in August to tell her doc (and me). We were rushed to the hospital and put in ICU (her not me).

Because of the delay, part of her heart muscle was dead and there was no option for stents. They put her on meds and optimized things as best they could.

She is doing well but gets very short of breath when she walks much or does stairs.

I have no idea what is happening w you. I just worry.:)
ANN

Thank you Peeps for watching out for me. I'll have another serious
talk with myself and call DD. :grouphug:

Oh we're going to be all over you like ugly on an ape until you go! :D

With much love, Erika

Gentle :hug::hug:'s for you Sally! My first thought was esophageal spams as well. Those are quite painful and can even hurt for a day or 2 afterward. Interestingly, they give you nitroglycerin for esophageal spasms. I have some on hand for just in case. The first time I ever had one I thought I had bronchitis. It was after hours so I went to the clinic who sent me to the ER to be evaluated to rule out cardiac problems. Other than some PVCs, which I've had for years, the heart checked out ok. But, when I got to the ER they did give me nitroglycerin. The nurse was telling me that if it was either a heart issue or esophageal spasms the nitro would work. And, it did. It increases blood flow to that area. I could see why many people would rush to the ER thinking they were having a heart attack.

I agree with the others that you need to get it checked out. The classical signs of a heart attack that they list really don't pertain to women so much. A lot of women do not experience the crushing severe chest pain etc. that you may hear about. So never assume it's not a heart attack. I recently read a thing by a nurse who had a heart attack. Her description was very different that the chest clutching pain you see on TV or hear about. It was a really good article and I wish I bookmarked it. She didn't think she was having a heart attack at first. I think hers started with GI upset and she was thinking it was GERD. So, please, check it out.

For me, the hug is always there every day. Some days are worse than others. I also get the horrible nerve pain too. Ice helps me as does the Epsom Salt baths and, of course, Neurotin. The hug is not a friendly companion and as I have posted many times before, I call it the MS Vise Grip. There is nothing warm and fuzzy about it as you would expect with a hug.

Take care of yourself and let us know how you are doing!:hug:

I can't believe, you used my line on me!!!:eek:

Ugly ape face here :D.
Soooo...when is your appointment to see your PCP????

Hope that you are doing OK Sally. Worried about you :hug::hug:.

With love, Erika

(also concerned and piling on...)

Hey Sal - what did the MD say / when is your appointment at the doctor's to get checked out??? :confused:

we wouldn't comment if we didn't care :grouphug:

From the Amer Heart Assn.

Heart Attack Signs in Women

1. Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
5. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.

I should have gone to the hospital immediately, but didn't!!!

I did not have any of the above symptoms and, according to them,
am already too late to see the Doc. I am sure that, I did not have
an HA. I had an esophageal spasm, I'm sure of it, and have already
taken steps and precautions to avoid having another.

Thank you all for being here for me. I will always love you.

OK Sally...I'll put the ugly ape face away, but if it comes on again, please DO call and go in to make sure that it is just an esophageal spasm.

So glad that you are feeling better and that you are having perfect weather days. :) :hug:

With love, Erika

Again last night, till 5:30 AM. Ouch, ugh.:eek:
So, since I was up anyway:mad:, I went to a gerd/esophigeal spasm
forum, to see what the experts, like us, are thinking/doing about it.

I learned, that nothing short of an operation will help. The Docs are
ready with the usual drugs, but, according to these peeps, none of
them work.:rolleyes: The only thing that helps the pain is a nitroG, under
the tongue.

They all say what you all said, "1st rush to the hospital, it could be
an HA. The pain & tightness in the middle, are very similar.:)The best
way to treat it is, to go after the triggers, such as chocolate, caffeine,
acidy foods, like oranges..etc.

Erika, looks like I may be a candidate for your special smoothie.
What's that recipe again?...Crapola!!!!:( I hope I will be able to eat
most foods, though, except the acidy ones.:eek:

The bad news is that, I'll have to stop those Green coffee caps,
since they no longer work on my losing weight, anyway. I'll think
a little longer on vitamin-chocolate,(as ANN calls it! NOOOOO.:eek:

Sheesh, I've always had an iron stomach, no more, I guess, now
that I'm older, delicate-r and have rotten MS.:rolleyes:

Anyone know of any secret cure for this?:grouphug:

Really, really wish you'd have it checked out...

Thanks Blessings, I will deffinately have this checked out. I HATE IT!!!:mad:

If it had been a heart attack you could still eat chocolate.:(

ANN

True..LOL!!!:D

Is it still suggested to take an aspirin or the old baby aspirin per day etc, if HA is possible??
As long as it doesn't have any interaction with current meds.. ?

Not a HA, and too much Aspirin's not stomach friendly.:D

Aw, Sally! :hug::hug: Maybe a call to your doctor would be a good idea so you can get a prescription for nitroglycerin. It really helps with esophageal spasms. It's great to have on hand for those times when the esophagus just wants to remind you that it's there and is a muscle. :D I have not had the bad ones in a while, thank goodness. I have some minor spasms but not the full on spasms that I had about a couple of years ago.

I hope you feel better soon.:hug:

((((( Sally )))))

AFTER you have everything checked out you might try some pressure just below the rib cage and sternum. Sometimes the abdominal wall is also in spasm and that sets off the esophagus as well as the stomach. It sounds like that may be the case if it happens when you are laying down.

This technique works for me to get the HUG to back off if I get it early...but please get it checked out first.

With love, Erika

Sally-:Soapbox:

not to scare you, but...

my grandmother had esophageal spasms off&on for years and had nitro tabs for attacks (it helped her quite a bit). One weeknight she/we assumed it was another of her esoph spasms, like usual.

Fast forward two weeks later during a routine appointment. All of a sudden I am getting called back and told she is to go to cardio doctor X and 'they are expecting her'. Next thing I know she is having a cardiac cath at hospital. Turns out the doctor (cardio) said "Tell me what you are feeling right now" She said another of her awful heartburn or esophageal spasms. He sternly tells her "No Fran, what you are feeling is a heart attack. Just because it walks like a duck & quacks like a duck does not always mean it's a duck."

In women, the symptoms are often interchangeable and go unrecognized as a HA until after damage has been done. She was extremely lucky and we learned a big lesson that day!

Go get thoroughly checked out - either way you can find out get treatment and hopefully stop it from happening (or at least as often)

taking off the borrowed "Ugly ape face" mask ;)
love-jane