So much pain
 

I am hurting so bad and I have no clue why.

This started about a month ago with pain in my the back left side of my ribcage. Just this one spot. It felt like it was under the ribcage.

The next day it was the entire side of my ribcage. It was so painfully sore. It hurt even to touch it.

That eased up and then it was still in my back, but up just below the shoulder blade where it stayed for weeks.

It occassionally hurt when I breathed but it was more like a muscle pain.
**

Fast forward to last night.

I was just sitting here and suddenly my right side of my ribcage started to hurt. In the back. Then it was hurting there, but the front of my ribcage was hurting too.

We had gone out to eat mexican food, so I though maybe gas. Took med for that, but nothing. Though maybe constipation. Went to the bathroom enough that I don't feel it's that either.

We were trying to watch a movie and I couldn't stand to sit still. I was in major pain from this. Then my muscle in my leg keep cramping up.

Went to bed and could not lay there for the pain. I slept in the recliner.

The pain is still there today.

I have no clue what this is. It doesn't exactly feel like a band around me. Doesn't feel like a lung problem.

I could see it being muscles, but so many of them doesn't sound right either.

It's almost like my entire ribcage is inflammed or irritated.

Does anyone get this?

DAY

Can't catch your breath???? Feel like someone took a baseball bat to you?

Sounds like what I have been going through. I am attributing it to MSHug...

I started taking Soma, muscle relaxer, and it's helping. I have had a chronic sinus infection since first part of December and my MS is doing all sorts of strange things. I am experiencing symptoms I have never had before and this is just one of them.

Read my MSHug thread, it might help you Day!

Sorry you are going through this! It's the pitts!!!

I can breathe fine.

I have been keeping up with your thread. So because I was breathing ok, I wasn't sure it was the same.

It almost feels like my ribcage is bruise. Then it will get really bad pain for a little, then ease up. Almost like spasms.

I'm tempted to take one of my daughters zanaflex to see if it helps any.
She has a rx of skelaxin that she doesn't take. I haven't taken it because it didn't do anything to help her.

Flexeril we also have but it makes me highly agitated.
I'm out of baclofen and my PCP won't rx it for me. :(

I may go ahead and take a zanaflex just to see if it helps.

DAY

Goodness, Sorry your in so much pain. I would try the zanaflex to at least to see if it helps.

Day,

I'm so sorry you're in pain. I was originally thinking MS hug but another question - do you still have your gallbladder? Two of my co-workers just had their gallbladders out in December. They had gallbladder attacks and were in a lot of pain in their right side, in the back. Just a thought.

Take care and I sure hope you feel better soon.

Just my opinion.
 

pain in my the back left side of my ribcage. It felt like it was under the ribcage.
we had gone out to eat mexican food We were trying to watch a movie and I couldn't stand to sit still.



IMHO you might want to consider cardiac issues (not necessarily MI) DO Not panic...I do not mean that. I have heard this scenario quite often, especially in women. Sometimes even with tooth or jaw pain added into the description. Women tend to present with atypical sx. It may be MS, but it really is not worth blowing off. women take care of everyone around them, but blow off their own sx. What would you tell your dh if he decribed what you just did?....just asking...:confused: I may be totally wrong. S

I've had my gallbladder out. Can't be there.
I had though about adhesions, but it wouldn't explain why it's on both sides of my ribcage.

DAY

I don't know what to tell you as this was all so new to me. My massage therapist said my back muscles were spasming and maybe that's why the muscle relaxer was working ... having a massage did help. I am feeling better and the Soma is helping.

I hope you find something that helps. I know the pain was pretty intense. Norco and Vicodin didn't touch it.

Hi Day
That bruised feeling is what I experience alot. I am always checking the left side of my ribcage to see if I can see anything. Weird :confused:

It started with a huge flare in Jan '07 and gets worse with stress, and heat. Nothing really helps much. But since I've upped my Baclofen in Dec, I don't notice it as often.

I wish you all the best. Please know you are not alone.

:hug:

Day, so sorry to hear this. Please, please, call your doctor in the morning! Hopefully he/she will be able to give you some insight, as well as the right thing to alleviate the pain.

Hi Day, I have a similar feeling in my left rib cage (right below bra line) around to the middle of my back. That was my first symtom of MS and it has not gone away. I had my first flare last spring. Somedays it is worse than others. I occasionally use baclofen (10 mg) in the evening. I have also found that a low dose of clonozepam (.25 mg) sometimes helps. I am lucky in that the pain I experience recedes when I am laying down. Weird, huh?

Hi Day,
Just wanted to offer some :hug:
Hope the zanaflex helps til you get to the doctor

Sorry to see that you're experiencing this, Day. It does sound like nerve/muscle spazzes and/or the hug to me too. The hug does not always bother your breathing, sometimes it's in a smaller spot, or a few spots.

I also feel like I'm bruised all over sometimes. It isn't unique to when I'm having the hug, and I don't always get that with the hug. Isn't this disease a hoot?

Feel better soon.:)

I think the others are right, it sounds like The Hug.

I usually only feel the hug on the right side of my rib cage, from just below my...uummm...chest, to the bottom of the rib cage. Usually only lasts a day or two for me.

The Hug is caused by the intercostal muscles spasming (The intercostals are muscles that hold the ribcage together and helps the ribs expand and contract)

It's annoying and a bit distressing at times, but it's another one of the (I think...so far...) harmless MS symptoms that have been sent to torture us all. (who did we tick off in previous lives to get tortured with these freaky symptoms anyways? I must have been some horrible dictator or something)

Looks like it's gonna be a sleepless night tonight. I cannot lay down in the bed and this recliner is not as comfortable to night as it was last night.

lol and because I couldn't sleep I decided to see how my son's cell phone usage had been online. Imagine my surprise when my cell phone bill is over $400.:eek:

So I sat here looking at the details of the bill. Of course it's all my son's doing.
Yes, he will have to pay the $340 that is his part.

Now I'm stressed and awake. I just called my son. It's his lunch break at work. he works nights. I told him he had better not send or recieve 1 more text.

My husband is gonna hit the roof when he finds out.(so not my fault)

So now I'm awake and still hurting.

DAY

Oh Day! I was going to commiserate with the rib pain, 'cos I get that too, only I'm sure mine's not a hug, because it's there when I wake up every single morning without fail. Now I feel I should direct my sympathy to the pain in your wallet, and that "sick' feeling in the pit of your stomach.

I am so glad mobile phone's hadn't been invented when our family were teenagers....they're 29 & 31.

I do hope you get some sleep tonight.

Skelaxin is pretty wimpy. I used it and wondered if there was really any med in it?

Flexeril helps for a lot of muscle stuff (even skeletal muscle) - I take 10-20 mgs. Caution though, it may knock you out and you might want to try that at bedtime.

Zanaflex - I take 4 mgs, and I don't know if it makes me sleepy because I have only taken it at bedtime. But it does seem to hlp for most of the next day.

If muscle relaxers do not work though it could be other things.

Already mentioned to get heart and gall bladder checked, and you don't have the gall bladder. Also check lungs and look into stomach problems - could be ulcer even if you don't feel pain the way you'd think you would.

People with ms often feel pain in weird ways.

Good luck with this, hope you get some relief.

Well, I finally took a zanaflex around 2:30am last night. I couldn't lay down in any way. Was so miseralbe, I thought "take the pill or go to the ER"

I took it. Feel asleep sitting up, leaning over the recliner arm. I could not lean the recliner back.
I went to sleep around 3:30am. Woke up at 6am when DH's alarm went off.

I sat up and thought WOW!!!!!

I was stiff from sleeping like I was, but the ribcage pain was not there. I had some soreness, but nothing like it had been.
I went and got in bed and slept till 10am.

When I woke up, I felt fine. Then decided to get some stuff done around here. Didn't take me long to realize I have to take it easy. I'm hurting again and I really didn't do too much. Just unloaded and loaded the dishwasher. Started a load of clothes and took the trash out to the barrells.

I'm going to call the doctors office when they get back from lunch. See if she will call me in some zanaflex. Can't use to many of my daughters.
Some how I have the feeling the PCP will want to see me. I honestly cannot afford to go to the doctor right now.

It will cost me $84 just to go in. Then if she wants to make sure it's not major and orders an xray, I'd have to pay for that too. I know I wont get out of there without paying $200. Then have to buy the zanaflex.
(house payment week, can't do it)

At least I do know it's a muscle thing. lol Doesn't help the pain, but at least I know. :Sigh:

Thank you all so much for the help. This was really starting to scare me.

DAY

Oh Day,
I've had those nights in a recliner from my back pain. See how quick the zanaflex worked? I've found myself in situations where DD and I share a script (prozac, Adderall) because of financial issues. As soon as I have the cash, I buy more, and ultimately, share more. As long as we have what we need at all times, I feel less guilt. If we are low, I always let her have it. So I say, if you have enough, get yourself through this time, and see a doc on payday.

Relax and take a nap...I hope you get back to your normal self soon!

So sorry you are having so much pain, Day. This is weird, but my DD just had an Ultrasound for left side bottom rib pain. We don't have the results back yet. But, it felt better yest, so she ate some nacho's (against my advice) and the pain was back.

I feel so bad for you both. She has been miserable too. Altho, I don't think her pain is as bad as yours. Hers hurt to lie flat also. take care ~

Keep us posted OK??

:hug:

Day: What you are describing is what I have been dealing with for
three years. Went to different drs. each had a different dx.

Finally my Rheumotologist said he was sure it was part MS and
Fibro. I take Ultram ( tramadol generic ) for it. It has helped but the pain
never is gone. Don't know what to say if this is your problem or if it is
something else.

Jappy :hug:

The doctors office finally called back. They were swamped today and didn't call back till almost 6pm. Pharmacy closes at 6pm.

The nurse listened. Then told me that the doctor was not going to RX anything until she saw me. I talked some more. She was insistant that I would have to come in.

After about the 5th time I asked her to PLEASE ask the doctor. She said she would and call me back.

Thanks goodness I Insisted.

Doctor said to call in zanaflex 2mg, 3 times a day. If that doesnt help, she wants to see me.

Too late to get to the pharmacy, but I can get one of my daughters and pay her back tomorrow.

I am miserable, but I'm trying to hold off till at least 7pm, so I will be able to sleep tonight.(in an actual bed)

Thank you all so much for your advice and experiences. I'm really scared this is a flare. With no neuro right now and no dx, it worries me.

I'm tingling bad, ears ringing bad. Eyes pulling. Even my hearing is down again.
I honestly have not felt this bad in a long time.

DAY

The first time my left kidney acted up I felt it in the back of my ribs and not my flank. Are you able to urinate okay? I do realize this isn't a normal site for kidney pain but it happened that way for me,(three kidney surgeries later.)
Sorry to hear you fell bad.:hug:

ooops typos* I meant to say sorry you are feeling bad.:o

I did think about a kidney infection today. I have no signs of an infection. My entire ribcage is hurting. I could see it being kidney pain if it was more localized on one side.

There have been times when my symptoms flared. No sign of a kidney infection or UTI, but eventually it showed up. So I haven't completely dismissed that idea. Could be what is flaring my symptoms.

DAY

I'm glad to hear that today's been a better day for you. I'm hoping you get a decent night's sleep tonight, and from what you've already said, I'm sure your DD won't mind loaning you one more night's medication.

Sleep tight Day, and a big :hug: from me.

Well, everyone said pretty much what I would have said, so I'll just pass on a hug. :hug: I hope tonight is better for you.