Obviously this is for womne unless there are some guys who wear them too!
Since having these symptoms of numbness, pins and needles etc and this awful ‘hug’! I have found that I can’t wear my usual underwired bras because it seems to make the hug thing feel much worse. It feels like all the straps are really tight and the wire is digging into me. At times it has felt too much to bear so I bought myself some soft non-wired bras and it feels a bit better. My symptoms are all fading now, thankfully, but still have strange sensation in hand, like it is tightly bound and sensitive finger pads. Also slight double vision in right eye but so much better and now don’t need to keep it patched. But the tightness around my ribcage is still quite bad. It is worse as the day draws on and gets very umcomfortable and tighter at night and when in bed. By morning it is almost gone again but same happens as the day goes on I get the tightness back. Last night, every time I bent forward it felt as though my stomache/ribcage muscles were about to go into spasm and cramp up so I had to straighten up quickly to stretch the muscles out again.Same when crunching side muscles and bending over sideways, muscle cramps. Also muscles cramping in my shoulder blades when just sat down watching TV. All my other symptoms are so much better but not this part 
Anyone else have trouble wearing bras and tight fitting garments?
I actually discussed this with my neuro at ,y last appointment! I feel like my bra is too tight! Even bought bigger siza, but still felt the same. You described it brilliantly, I thought I wa just being funny! Strange old thing isn’t it! Chis
What did your neuro say Chris? I wonder if it actually does make the restricting/constricting feeling worse or if it only feels like it does? I don’t like the term ‘MS hug’. It aint no hug!..unless it’s from a boa constrictor!
Hi
I found exactly the same with underwired bras, but that was yonks ago now.
I wear the sports bras and even buy them in a bigger size, which are better,
but some days I cant even cope with them!
I do agree with not calling it the ms “hug” cos there is nothing nice about it! but
I cant think of a more appropriate name.
Take care
Pam.
I am looking at sports type bras that have a wider but softer band around the rib cage and no hook & eye fastenings. Just like a short vest top really. Luckily (or unluckily) I am not very big chested. I don’t need much support but just like the underwire and the padding. I hate to wear a bra with no padding. I feel too …exposed?
Hmm, yeah, not exactly a hug is it, maybe a bear hug?
Snap, I have constant problems with bras and often don’t wear one at all.
I have been advised by my MS nurse to buy sports bras from Asda. Must say they are pretty good but some days I can’t even wear them.
The hug is one of my worst symtoms and sometimes it causes nerve pain around the ribs to the back. Very painful. The pain is pretty bad this evening and when it gets this bad I take Amitriptyline and go to bed. Good night and good luck, it’s a very uncomfortable symptom.
Wendyxx
I have been taking Amitriptyline (50mg) for years now as a migraine preventitive. I knew it was also used as an anti-depressant but didn’t know it as also used for pain management in MS.
I have just taken a couple of Ibuprofen as ‘hug’ is quite bad tonight and also have abdominal pain too.
Hope you sleep well Wendy.
I’ve had this same feeling! It happened for the first time on the worst possible day. My husband and I had our first “date night” in YEARS. I was all jazzed up to go have dinner and see a movie and enjoy some couple time without the kids, but the evening was near ruined by the awful pain in my ribs. It felt like a vice squeezing my ribs, and radiated right down to my lower back. It started in the afternoon and got worse as the night went on. Halfway through the movie, I took my bra off completely as I felt like it was just strangling me (didn’t really help for long, to be honest).
I now pretty much only wear the “AhhhBra” – there are no wires and no uncomfortable seams. It’s all one piece, so you don’t have the straps digging into your shoulders either. I layer them for sports activities and find that there is plenty of support. They’re very comfortable and worth the money you’ll spend to get one. I suggest having two for larger busted women, for added support. I haven’t experienced that chest tightness since switching to the ahhhbra, but I’m willing to bet it won’t be quite as bad as with underwires.
Hi, I`ve had lots of problems, trying to find a bra which is comfortable. I stopped wearing underwired ones, as yes, they do dig in around the sternum area.
I spent a lot of money on those natrue bras on tv shopping channel. i paid about £43 for 4. They looked great on tv and on larger busted women.
They advised to buy a size down from your normal dress size. So I got the biggest…18/20. Did my boobs look pert and level? Nah, not at all. i might as well have not been wearing a bra!.
I did persevere for a while, but didn`t return them. i gave them away.
And to think…i had a wonderful uplift operation after i`d lost 7stones in weight, almost 20 years ago!
Swing low, sweet chariot comes to mind!!!
luv Pollx
I’ve never heard of an ‘AhhhBra’ but I am going to google that next.
Kittykat87. The ‘MS Hug’ is a tight, gripping and squeezing sensation around the ribcage or chest. Mine is around my ribcage under the bust and goes down to sternum/stomach area. It is only on my left side, all my symptoms are on my left side apart from the double vision in right eye. It feels to me like I am wearing a corset that has been pulled as tight as possible but only on left side. Like wearing half a corset or, as HeatherFeather30 said, like being in a vice-like grip!
You would know if you had it.
It’s difficult for me to say if it affects breathing. It doesn’t affect my lungs and I can breathe but it is difficult to breathe in fully as the tightening gets worse as my lungs and ribcage expand and it lessens as I exhale. It’s a bit like the intercostal muscles between each rib are fixed and don’t like it when I breathe in and expand because the muscles don’t want to move with me, if that makes sense? It is much less severe for me in the morning but as the day wears on the feeling gets worse and by evening/night time it is at it’s worst again. Most of my symptoms are lessening and almost gone now but the ‘hug’ remains along with slight pins and needles in my left hand. The damn hug won’t let go!
While reading reviews about the AHH Bra I came across another type called the Genie Bra. It’s much like the AHH Bra or sport bra type. There is one more I have seen the name of so am about to have a read about that one too before I spend my money…
The Aire bra - is pretty much the same as the other two I’ve mentioned above. Which one? Hmmm…