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Avatar universal

Is this the MS hug?

Hello, hoping someone here can help me with this question. I have recently been experiencing a whole host of neuropathic symptoms which I have previously posted about.

I wanted to zero in on one specific issue however. I have been feeling this intense pain around my ribs and in my back. It’s not the tight girdling, corset-like pain that I’ve heard others describe the MS hug to be. For me, it sometimes feels like the cramp you can get in your side when you’ve been running too hard.

Other times it feels like I’m stuck in a perpetual sit-up. It doesn’t always present around the entire circumference of my ribcage. Sometimes it’s on the left side, other times it’s only at the front etc. Can anyone with MS relate to this kind of pain? I am still waiting to see a neurologist about all of these symptoms but I thought to try and gain a better understanding of my symptoms in the interim.

Thanks in advance!
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hi and welcome,

What you previously mentioned in the neurology community is relevant to any MS specific questions you may have......

"..I am a 24 year old female who has been experiencing some odd neurological symptoms for a few months now. Can anybody please help me figure out what might be wrong?

About 8 months ago I started experiencing this odd tingling sensation throughout my scalp; similar to goosebumps or like a crawling sensation. I would get it many times a day and it would only last 5-10 seconds at a time.

Last month, after an extremely stressful week, the tingling sensation spread from my scalp to the left side of my face and that part of my face went numb for a few minutes.

Over the course of that week, the tingling spread to my right arm and then eventually to my entire right side. In that period, I also experienced prickling, itching all over my body and burning hands, as well as a few instances where my right hand and right foot have gone completely numb.

I’ve also been experiencing pains deep within my body. It’s difficult to tell if it’s the bones or the nerves, but it’s a deep ache within my arms and legs. Besides that, I experience constant muscle twitches, all day long and everywhere.

The most recent I have that I am still dealing with currently is this strange headache that feels like a very tight band across my forehead. Alongside that, I also have this sensation of extremely cold air being blown right in the middle of my forehead.

Finally, I have become extremely heat intolerant. I feel hot when others feel cold or normal and the heat makes me feel weak and unable to function. It also triggers the tingling and numbness.

I am aware that these symptoms may look like MS but I haven’t had any signs of optic neuritis, foot drop or l’hermittes which are quite classic MS symptoms. I have seen several doctors and none of them appear to be worried. "

.....because your likely to be dealing with just the one medical condition with or without a stress exacerbation issue and not different conditions causing symptom A and another causing symptom B etc. What you are looking for are the medical conditions that commonly cause the same or similar to everything that you've been dealing with.

Did any of these dr's run any of the basic tests eg vitamin deficiencies - vit B, iron etc hormonal deficiencies - Thyroid TSH, T3/T4, or even for things like inflamation, covid 19, Lupus etc or even do a mini neuroogical exam to see if there was something neurologically abnormal showing up.....?

MS is an unlikely causation because of what you have described this as presenting with, the spreading of symptoms, as well as the moving from one location to another, in a short time frame......where you given any explanation at all?

Cheers........JJ

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Avatar universal
I think I understand what you are feeling.  I can't bend over to tie my own shoes without a sharp pain just behind, and below my left rib cage.  It feel like a muscle spasm.  I have to immediately straighten up, and even then, it takes a few painful minutes to subside.   When it first began, I was recently diagnosed with a "spastic colon", so I thought my colon was some how getting tangled up into my rib cage.   I have only just recently gotten the results of my brain scan which shows: "Numerous bilateral periventricular/centrum semiovale white matter foci. They are approximately 15-20 in number.".  My old GP has always suspected MS, but have only been diagnosed with RA, Hashimoto's, Lichen's, and Neuropathy.  I just hate that there isn't a blood test that will tell if a person has MS.  I have had many symptoms from eyes, hearing , muscle spasms, burning, numbness, tingling, and even fallen on numerous occasions because my feet don't do what they are suppose to do. Seeing a new Neurologist soon.
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987762 tn?1671273328
COMMUNITY LEADER
Unfortunately neurological conditions like MS effect the central nervous system, so around 99% of the symptoms associated with MS are more commonly caused by many other conditions, so symptom presentation, pattern and a persons clinical signs are often more significant in wether it could be something like MS or not.

IF you have already been diagnosed with multiple complex medical conditions ie "RA, Hashimoto's, Lichen's, and Neuropathy" along with "recently diagnosed with a "spastic colon" which btw would be the most likely explanation for your trunk spasms simply because it started at the same time and you don't mention having spinal cord lesions, which is what actually causes the MS Hug......it would definitely be in your best interest to keep very open minded about the causation of the numerous white matter lesions and not inadvertently get too focused on you also having something like MS as well.

Good luck with your neurology appointment....JJ
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