MS Hug is it suppose to get more severe in Winter

[socrates2k1]

Hey, I'm not posting, simply to complain, because I know we all have it rough.
I post hoping that someone else, knows, what I'm going through, because they are going through it too.
You know, you feel better, not because misery loves company, but it helps to know, someone else understands what's going on.

I have a "MS Hug", like so many of us do.
But I have to say lately, since the cold weather has set it, the "imaginary belt", sure seems to be much tighter these days.  Making it difficult to lay down, in any comfortable position, and it's affecting my sleep.  Many nights, I lay in bed for hours, hoping to fall asleep, yet not really getting there.  I can lay down, say at midnight, but lay there, tossing and turning, and glimpsing at the clock, and if I'm blessed, fall asleep around 4am.  I don't intentionally lay there, trying not to go to sleep, I want to sleep, but my body doesn't.

The rib crushing pressure, makes it difficult to breath, and it doesn't matter if you lay on your side, your back, your stomach, nothing helps.  I have even taken sleeping aides, and do fall asleep, for about 1 hour, then I still cannot sleep, for several hours.

How about you?

-- Socrates2k1

[jensequitur]

Hey, are you taking Baclofen?  I started experienced rib spasms on a daily basis, and got a prescription for Baclofen.  When I forget to take it, I start getting spasms again, so I know it's working!

The cold weather makes my back spasm.  I'm sure that the MS hug is the same way.  

When the spasms are especially bad, I take a Flexaril on top of my regular dosage of baclofen.  It helps quite a bit.

[socrates2k1]

Sound advice, and I just happen to have a Y membership, I'm certainly gonna give it a try.  
Thank you very much.

-- Socrates2k1

[jujuminx]

Hey there.  I had my first experience w the MS hug over the summer.  It was probably the most difficult sx to deal with b/c of what you describe.  Fortunately as the heat of summer went away, so did the hug.

The only thing that helped me was to wrap an ace-type bandage around my trunk (yes I know this is counterintuitive but it worked for me) fairly tightly. For some reason the external sensation of the bandage helped with the pressure of the internal sensation.

I remember how claustrophobic the MS hug was, sometimes causing me to hyperventilate. If at all possible, find a YMCA that has an indoor pool (although be careful of too much heat) and do some swimming.  Swimming also helped me with my sx.

So sorry this is going on.  Many of us can relate.
Julie