From the article: Tips for Managing the "MS Hug"
Now it's your turn to share your strategies for feeling better when you are experiencing the dreaded "MS hug." Don't worry if the way that you find relief seems silly, ineffective or downright bizarre - you may know just the thing to help out someone else that is suffering and at the end of their rope with this symptom. After all, when the doctors shrug and well-meaning friends tell us that we "just need to relax" when we describe the pain and annoyance of the "MS hug," it is from one another that we can really get support, understanding, and maybe even a little help. Share Your Tip
MS Hug
- To BxMS: I too have found that I experience the hug more often when hungry. I wondered if there was a connection too. Mine last a couple of minutes. The intensity is brutal.
- —Guest Guest
MS "Hug"
- OMG-I can't believe I just found all of your stories. I took my daughter to the ER multiple times for what she called a "pain attack". She was 14 and the pain was intense,searing,crushing pain and she could not breathe. We had the usual rounds of tests done, dealt with doctors who had the God-complex and told us it was everything from panic attacks to being overweight to being all in her head. We even had her gallbladder out, which made things worse for a while. In desperation, I went to a doctor who treats muscular dystrophy, and they of course blew her off. Today, my daughter is 19 yo and I am waiting to get results from her brain and neck scans. I started doing research and I am convinced they will be positive for MS. Every strange symptom from over the years are explained now. Things have recently gotten worse with numbness, weakness, etc, especially on the right side of her body. I can't believe we will finally get a diagnosis. At least we can finally name it and deal with it!
- —Guest Tmredmann
Ugh if anything else could go wrong?
- I have had MS for about a year now. I thought it was the flu I got to where I could not even walk! I was taken to the ER and they did test and found this in a MRI the ER doctor said it was MS. I went to my new doctor for this they did a spinal tap to make sure of the outcome sure enough I have it. He put me on Rebif which I have been on for the same about of time now! So now I am getting this pain in my chest and ribs I was thinking it was just bronchitits coming I get this easy but after looking at what others have wrote "MS" hug is what I am having. Don't get me wrong I love hugs but Geesh this is lil much! I need to call my doctor for my MS now and see what to do for the pain at night Advil works but when it wears off I am down again
- —Guest Jennie
Ms hugs
- On Tuesday, I cut my finger on a metal drawer at work. That night my feet we numb, only on the bottom. Wednesday, the tips of my fingers were numb. I saw my neuro on Friday and he thought I was having a relapse and told me to continue with Lyrical. Saturday I wake up to extreme tingling in my hands an feet. Sunday, I have a tingling band around my middle and sharp pains to my right breast. The breast pain started Friday. I mentioned this to Dr but he said it didn't have anything to so with it. The breast pain is my only pain. The tingling and the numbness makes me crazy. Love my Dr, but my research is better than his and that worries me. Since reading this site, I feel better knowing there are others and that I'm not losing my mind. I don't think the doctors are insensitive, they just don't know. He said if I'm not better in two weeks we will do iv steroids. I don't think I can live like this for the next two weeks. I hate this disease!
- —Guest Nessa
My hug goes into FULL BODY SPASMS
- I have Stiff Person Syndrome-SPS/MS has been ruled out twice yet I have a hemangioma lesion on T-10/11/12 IN middle of spinal cord. Genetic. SPS makes your muscles go rigid/stiff then results in complete body spasms. I have this so-called hug 24/7. MOST PAINFUL thing in the world. CAN'T wear a bra. Also affects esophagus. W/O Baclofen & Valium + pain meds I cannot STAY OUT OF BED! I am on extremely HIGH doses & it still does NOT help. Stretching does NOT help-makes it WORSE. It curls me up into a ball-barely able to breathe-I moan thru them, NOT of my own free-will. They turn into full body spasms which work their way down into the low back/butt/legs/into my toes. NO AMOUNT OF VALIUM STOPS THEM unless I'm been hospitalized with a Valium drip and nurses call me a DRUG ADDICT. I/V drip ONLY thing that helps/need . Dr tries to keep me with enough meds to keep me OUT of hospital. Helps but not always. I can tell it's coming bad when I get nauseaus. NOTHING helps except NOT to do a thing.
- —IWILLmakeitthru
New to Hug
- Wow, I was diagnosed in March 2011, I just now experienced the hug a few days ago, didn't know what was going on, all I knew was that it felt strange; it has always been said that there's nothing new under the sun, thank you all for posting your comments; for me it's not painful just annoying and different, now at least I know what it is.
- —Guest Dee
newly diagnosed
- ive been having this squeezing under my breasts,didnt know what it was.but can it also cause nausea and vomiting
- —Guest trouble3906
Does this happen with any other illness?
- Hello, I don't know if I have MS but my Dr has diagnosed an autoimmune condition based on the pain and fatigue I have been experiencing. Is the "MS Hug" only found with MS or other illnesses such as RA and Lupus? I have been experiencing what other posters have described for the past 6 months; worst of all in the mornings and easing up as I move and work during the day - provided I am not sitting or in one position for a significant amount of time. For me it is like wearing a corset 3 sizes too small; outwardly it doesn't look taut or firm and it feels as if my internal organs - liver in particular are pushing outwards. I have raised ESR and they are sending me to a rheumatologist.
- —Guest Ka'El
exacerbation happening NOW
- I was diagnosed with RRMS in 2009, after two flare-ups that included all kinds of weird lower body sensations. I've been on Copaxone since diagnosis, but haven't been consistently taking it since the end of the first year. Immediately following the diagnosis, I changed to a much healthier diet, including supplements. After moving out of my parents' house in 2009 (at age 23), I backslid into not-so-good eating habits and yada yada now I'm having the worst exacerbation to date. It started with increased numbness and odd feelings in my lower body that eventually translated into that hilariously named 'MS Hug.' At its worst I had difficulty breathing, feeling as if I was wearing a terrible corset that somehow extended to my thighs. After a visit to the ER ending in the mixed blessing of Percocet, I was scheduled for a 3-day round of 'roids a few weeks ago and put back on gabapentin. I saw a lot of improvement at first that has since leveled out. Symptoms are better but still here.
- —Guest Patrice
Crushing Chest Pains
- I am so glad to hear of other stories about the MS Hug. I had my 1st attack, it felt like a big snake was just squeezing my upper chest area, and the pain would radiate to my back, neck and jaw. I went to the ER and was admitted, had all kinds of heart tests and all of them came back perfect, they said my heart was extremely healthy and had no idea why it happened. Then about 2 months later it happened again, this time I was IN the hospital as a visitor, I walked myself over to the ER , said I had chest pains, and they swooped me away, gave me a EKG and said my heart was normal... took my blood, all was normal there too. Sent me home. Now that I am reading about this MS Hug, and reading all the descriptions, I now know that I have the MS Hug too. It is just a awful feeling. Mine would stay for 3 or 4 minutes and then subside, only to come back again, whole thing would last about 20 minutes or so. But you really do think you are having a heart attack.
- —Guest Lori
Reflux and ms hug
- I have been having a terrible time with reflux and trying to explain to the Gastro drs about MS hug. Does Anyone have both problems and how do you know which pain is from what.
- —Guest Juju
MS Hug - Noting else found but MS
- I have had symptoms of MS for 17 years, since 1994, diagnosed for 14 years, 1997. During this time I have had stomach problems, chest pain, shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, panic attacks, vertigo, blurred vision, extreme fatigue, weakness in legs and arms, tingling, numbness, pins and needles and all the other ms symptoms. I have had tests done to check out my gall bladder, appendix, for ovarian cancer, heart problems, ekgs, colonscopy, ct scans, camera down my throught to check my stomach lining, and more, all come back negative. I wanted to make sure there was nothing else going on. I have come to the conclusion everything is related to MS.
- —Guest naneus
My experience with MS hug "Eagle Claw"
- We are sittimg in hospital, waiting to be dismissed. Wanted to share my story, in hopes it will help someone else. It was difficult to put together what was going on. It took 5 doctors to get MS diagnoses. It took 4 this time in hospital. I started having a sharp pain that started in my back, radiated around to my groin. I figured kidney stone and prepared for the worst Took a toradol shot, went to doc gave me antiboitic. Took that for 5 days "nothing". after weekend from hell went to the hospital to check out for anything. CT Scans, Mri and final diagnosis is MS Flare. I would go urinate and have severe pain in my back. Felt like UA infection or stones. Symptoms broke after a two days in hospital. This was rough one of the most painful flares of my MS life. Hope this never happens again. Dilauden and muscle relaxers along with anti nausea medications got me through it. Hope this helps but my symptoms went away. Lasting conditions numbness for urge to urinate feel pressureonl
- —Guest Leah
MS hug
- Diagnosed with PPMS 7 years ago at age 60. To counter arm/hand numbness and feeling tight around chest I eventually increased my Vitamin D dosage to 12 capsules per day = 24,000 I.U. This dosage helped within one week after onset and I experienced reduced numbness and tickling on the skin of my arms and hands and NO tightness or MS hug around my chest. I am happy with results.
- —Austrian43
The "HUG"
- It's almost always there for me! I am lucky there is not much pain but a constant pressure around my midsection.
- —Guest Marc
1-15 of 174Next
