Please help me. I am in agony with my back. It feels like someone has me right around my waist gripping into my ribs. Then I get a pain the strength I have never had before. It is a stabbing pain in my sides and in my back. I have aches in my lower back as well, but I am used to them. But this is totally different. The pain is so bad it makes me cry out. And anything can make it happen - moving my head, breathing deeper than usual, moving AT ALL. I have had relapsing remitting MS since December 2004 - Oh, it’s my Anniversary!!! - and am used to my normal MS symptoms. But this is horrid. I was crying in bed last night, it was hurting so bad. And now it is back again today.
Please, if you can help me I would be SOOO grateful. If you have had anything like this and it is part of your MS then just let me know. It is really getting me down and it is making walking very difficult.
Hi Jo sorry your going through this I had the same a few weeks ago but because it was lower part of my back and stomach and not the chest wasnt sure if it was the Hug or something else. Yes it is very uncomfortable and difficult to breath. It lasted a couple of days and just disapeared as quickly as it came. The last few months have been difficult with lots of new and old symptoms.
Sorry not much help but sending Huggs (excuse the pun)
I have no diazepam or amitriptyline. I take Lyrica (pregabalin?) 1 twice a day. I can cope with the tightness around my middle, when it is not too bad. It is worse when it affects my breathing. But it is these stabbing pains which hurt the most. They take my breath away and make me shout out. it is really really painful. Hubby put ibuprofen cream on me last night and that helped me sleep. Maybe I will have him do that again tonight. I hope this stops soon as it hurts so bad. Thanks for the help both of you xxx
So sorry to hear you are having the ‘hug’, we all seem to deal with it in different ways, myself I stand erect and try and breathe from my stomach, something I’ve learnt how to do and it does ease the pain. Others say try using heat as a way of helping. I hope that it goes quickly for you in the mean time sending proper (((((HUGS)))))
Hi Jo, I’m copy and pasting some tips for hug… below… but honestly by the sounds of it these are hardly going to help.
You obviously have an extremely painful and bad one. Are you able to see GP today??? I’m thinking you need something stronger than what you’re taking to help with pain.
I don’t think these will help hon (and you’ve probably tried them all anyway)… but for people with milder hug they’re helpful.
It’s a spasm of the small muscles between the ribs. Here are some tips that might help:
· Much worse in heat
· Much worse when fatigued or stressed
· Don’t wear a bra (it irritates the muscles)
· Don’t wear tight clothing… the looser the better
· Avoid large meals… little and often is better
· Lie down in/on bed if you can… and lying completely flat often helps
· Take 2 Paracetamol… if you are not on other pain med’s
· Try controlling your breathing… deep in through the nose and slowly blow out of mouth… and try and relax whole body while doing it
· Stay as cool as you can but don’t have cold shower… luke warm is better
· Rest, rest, rest and then get some more rest (if at all possible)
· Gently rub the affected area. It might feel like it’s bruised… don’t worry, that’s normal
See your GP, a home visit if you can’t manage going there. or maybe your neuro.
I thought I was suffering with the ‘hug’ once & it turned out to be something else & I have to say my Neuro was spot on. It became so bad at one point my GP had to come out to me, she was fantastic.
Just want to make sure you cover all bases, in case something is missed because of a natural assumption.
Hi, have you tried gabapentin? I found that these helped with the " hug" but not the spasms in my arm which only amitriptyline helped with. I also had sharp stabbing pains with the hug and a horrible itch feeling which I could never relieve even with scratching, it was as if it was deep inside my skin… GP thought I had shingles!!! er…no. The gabapentin actually helped with the pain but I did have to build up the dosage over a few days to get suitable relief. I also found very gentle massage helped with the twisting and pulling feeling which was leaving me very sore. I do hope you’re GP can prescribe something very soon for you. Take care x
My Neurologist has prescribed me Clonazepam for this, apparently it takes around an hour to work and as the really bad hug (through the back to the front nerve pain), goes off after an hour (with the help of Amitriptyline and bed rest). I have decided to try and do without. I do take Amitriptyline; this helps with the milder muscle pain ‘hug’, (which I get most of the time), I was also told that Diazepam should help. My GP and I wern’t keen on me taking it as it is very addictive.
Whatever you do, try not to panic as this increases the pain, try and stay calm and lie down if you possibly can.
I had this last year and I agree it was agony. What I found worked best in bed was a hot water bottle placed against the bit where you are getting the sharp pain. I also went for a couple of private physio sessions and I think this helped get rid of the worse of it