Hi everyone Can anyone tell me if they wake with the hug? I wake in agony every day around my ribs and it’s getting worse. I have to muster up the courage to move as that hurts more, once I’m up it eases, I eat my cereal straight away as that seems to help too. Just not sure if it is the hug, cos wouldn’t get it at other times too? Thanks for reading xx
Hi Becki,
People’s description of “the hug” varies, so it’s difficult to be sure two people are talking about the same thing, when they describe it.
The pain I get, that I think is probably “the hug” is almost always at night, in bed, and I rarely or never get it at other times.
However, I don’t get it every day (maybe once or twice a month, if that), and I don’t usually wake with it in the mornings, although I am sometimes woken by it in the night, when it’s not yet time to get up.
I do find being up and about tends to ease it. I don’t find eating relevant one way or the other, though. The fact you find eating seems to help makes me question whether it’s the hug, or some kind of acid indigestion - if it was acid pain, then eating something to soak up the acid and give the stomach a lining should help, but I can’t really work out how it would help if it was “the hug”, as it’s a type of muscle spasm, so eating shouldn’t make any difference.
Have you tried taking an antacid, such as Gaviscon? If that eased it, it would be a fairly strong indication it’s a digestive issue, not muscular.
Tina
Thanks Tina that’s a good point, and worth a try☺
I have only had one hug a few weeks ago was just after went to bed so painful had to get up. Now seem to be getting pain down my spine and sternum but not sure if related.
Hi Beckie…you described my symptom exactly…I call it the ms hug
hi becki,
yes, i had the same problem for years, i always woke in horrible sickening pain and it was excruciating, just to get out of bed. it’s possible that your pain symptoms are just lessening because you’re up and about, as mine did. i did have ms hug at other times, constantly in fact, but nothing like what it built up to through the night. the way that i finally took back control was by gradually and GENTLY building up a series of stretches, to stretch out the muscles, not just in my rib cage, but all over my torso. i did this set a couple of times through the day, sitting cross legged on the floor. i ALWAYS did them immediately before sleeping. when i first began, i couldn’t sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time, eventually i built the time up and if i woke after too little time, i went to the loo, did the stretches again, and went back to sleep. i got really good at doing this whilst barely being awake. my ms hug has resurfaced, so i’m off doing them all the time again. ho-hum!
and baclofen helps too, . i hope you find what helps you soon
wendy x
i hate the way that baclofen turns me into a zombie but i wouldn’t be without them in case i got the hug.
becki i hope you get some relief soon.
carole x