Rib Banding or MS Hug
 

From pins & needles keeping me up last night... to... tonight, still getting stuck, but worse is my ribs being sqeezed so tight it is very painful. I hate this... I'm afraid it's turning into a full blown exaserbation (sp?).

Has anyone experienced this thing with the ribs? I think I read where this is lesions in the spine. Is that right? I have many lesions in the brain, but haven't had a spinal MRI done.

Thanks for listening. :o

I dont know where in the spine or brain the rib banding/Hug comes from, but I've had this symptom off and on for years.

I almost believe that my MS has been around for a couple of decades because now I know what was causing rib pain that I think I might have had in the early 90s...long before I had mononucleosis (which is what I thought triggered the MS) I'm not sure if I'm remembering that right or not tho.

I'm pretty sure the banding/Hug is caused by spasticity. It's your intercostal muscles (the muscles that hold the ribs together) spasming. It can mild to really really painful. (been there, done that on the really painful...years ago when I had no idea what it was)

Has your doctor prescribed a muscle relaxer or antispasmodic for you? My doctor gave me Baclofen. (an antispasmodic) It works pretty good, but mine never totally takes away the pain for me because I cant stand the way I feel when I take it full strength. Knocks me out, and makes me feel like my brain doesnt work correctly. I always break the pills in half, and then break the halves in half. Then, if I feel like I need more, I can take another 1/4 pill instead of popping a whole Baclofen.

One reason why I do that, other than feeling weird when taking it full strength, is because sometimes I'm taking something else, like a Midrin for a migraine, or something else. The whole doubling up on meds that make you sleepy is how Heath Ledger died, so I usually try not to take another type of med if I'm taking something for another problem.

If your doctor hasnt offered you a Rx for an antispasmodic, ask him for one. It's not fun to be in pain.


I totally understand the whole insomnia thing...stupid insomnia has really been making me angry lately. I've had problems with insomnia for years...at least since my uncle died in 1995. At least now I have some explanation for it. If it's the MS causing it, it's probably one of my more troubling symptoms.

Ok, gotta go, I think my Trazodone (sleep med, I only took 1/4 of a pill) just started to kick in, because I'm yawning nonstop now and my eyes are telling me to close them now.

laters......*thunk!* (head bangs into keyboard)

let's hope I fall asleep for real and stay asleep till sometime about 7hrs from now

Erin,
 

I have no meds for sx. I was trying to get by... but when I go back to see him in a week, I plan on telling him about the sx that are worsening, like the ribs. Thank you for the Rx info and for sharing.:hug:

I hope you sleep well. :Zzzz:

We talked about the hug a couple of times earlier, so I'll just attach the information here:


Friend, have you been checked for any kind of infection; UTI, sinuses, tooth problems, etc. If you do not have infection, it is becoming abundantly clear that you are in a spinal lesion attack.

The type of attack you describe is one of the harder and longer one's we can go through. I am not meaning to scare you (I hope I am not), but if you are like me in that way, I prefer to know what I'm headed for as it eases my mind a little.

The numbness from these attacks spreads, and depending on where the spinal lesion is, will effect us up to a certain point. If it is a T-spine lesion, it often stops just about the breast level, and if it is a C-spine lesion, it may go higher and include your hands.

There may be some odd things occur, including bowel and bladder issues, so please feel free to contact me by PM if you would be more comfortable doing that.

It is my experience that this type of attack escalates over a 6 week period, and then improvements occur mostly over the next 6 weeks. I just don't want you to get discouraged because of how much time it takes to heal . . .

From all the people I've talked to, steroids do not improve the length of time it takes to get through this, and I have not observed any difference in the extent of the attack (severity) with or without steroids. It may take some heavy duty symptom management meds to get through the worst of it, although I do not ever take anything (I have an extremely high tolerance to pain though).

I'm sorry you are going through this so soon again. I hope the "B" starts to "do it's thing" while you are recovering. :hug:

Cherie

Cherie,
 

Thank you for your response. I am very much a person who feels that knowledge is power. I do much better knowing all the possibilities. I am a realist. I don't always assume the worst will happen, but I do like to know the possibilities so I can be prepared.

I, too, have a very high tolerance for pain. My neuro knows that I want to stay away from meds as much as possible. I must say, though, last night I would have taken something if I had it. It was much worse than it had ever been before. Usually it is just a tight squeezing feeling, which to me isn't exactly pain, more like intense discomfort. But this time is is just down right painful. I was in tears most of the night. I am much better now. More like pressure and squeezing now.

I do have a call into my neuro office, waiting to hear back. I have a regular appt for next Monday. I'm hoping I can wait until then. I agree with you about it probably being a spinal lesion. I had suspected that I probably have those, but don't know a whole lot about them. I had read one time that the ms hug is due to a spinal lesion. I had only a brain scan when I was dx, which was fine. So I won't be surprised if he wants to do a spinal scan. Not sure, if there is a purpose is doing that, or if we just deal with the sx that occur. What do you think?

I'm 99% sure I don't have any type of infection. But that is a good thought. I have listened to the dr when saying to not just automatically blame everything on the MS.

I have had some bowel/bladder issues that have come and gone in the past... you know I'm still piecing things together that have occurred. I have had this issue return her recently. I didn't realize that it might stem from the spine lesions. I guess, as I go along, I will get more educated and figure out what goes with what. I am trying to pay attention to even the small things that are returning... not to be a worry wort, but to become more aware of knowing what is coming up and what to expect.

As far a steroids go, my neuro will stay away from those anyway unless it becomes a last resort. I had hystoplasmosis in one of my eyes as a teen. So I lost my center vision in that eye. He says the steroids could possibly reactivate that, which of course we want to avoid.

This is kinda along the same lines, but something weird happened when I got up in the night and you know how you look out into the dark, but of course you can see just a little bit? Well I saw things going across my line of vision. I reached because I thought I left my reading glasses on and I was seeing the frames of those. But that wasn't the case. I have seen things like this before at night, but not as bad as it was this time. The images just stayed there all night. I had been noticing over time that things are somewhat blurry, even after I had gotten my new glasses. Years ago , I was told that I might have macular degeneration in my good eye, which typically if an older person thing. But now I'm starting to wonder if its just the ms.

In an earlier thread you had given me a lot to think about with possibly retiring. My school district is working with me on that. I am so close to being able to retire legitimately. But they are trying to help me have the option of doing it at the end of this school year if I need to or possibly come back part-time. They are being great. So really it is just me being able to make that decision. If they can help me draw my retirement and still work part time in addition, that might be great for me now. I could probably swing it financially, and I would have to quit cold turkey. I'll probably know for sure in a few days. Your statements did help guide me and give me the bravery I need to do what is right for me.

Well this is probably too much info. I have never sent a PM, so not sure how to do that. But I really appreciate your responses. You think a lot like me, and have been through so much of it already. I appreciate your sharing with me. :hug:

Thank you!