Is this MS Hug ? And other symptoms.
I have had this on and off pain that goes from the middle of my abdomen and through to my spine. It comes and goes and gets up to about 5 out of 10. Its a burning feeling. I have had colonoscopy and endoscopy. One Dr says I need a CT another says don't bother with the CT as its muscular. I'de prefer to avoid the CT due to the radiation hit.
I went to physio and the stretching exercises did help, to the point that it went away .. but its back again and worse now. Anything that uses that muscle seems to set it off .. even driving.
Beyond that I have been having problems for years and the Drs just keep saying stress, anxiety.
For example when I lean back in a chair the pressure on my upper back causes this feeling in my upper abdomen like being in a barrel. It's a tightness, like when you go into the water and there is pressure all around. It makes me feel short of breath. My Dr said it sounds like anxiety. I even bought a new office chair but its the same if I lean back for a while. Sometimes I get it when driving. At one point they said it was asthma and I also had a bunch of cardio tests (echo, stress, BP monitor, ETG) and nothing. It can last for hours. A hot shower helps and 2mg Valium helps (given for "anxiety"😉
I have IBD and cannot take the medications (eg sulfa) as they cause this same barrel around my chest feeling.
Other issues I am having are, burning, paining, prickly scalp, its been coming and going for over a year, now its worse than ever, terrible migraines, ringing in my ears and more recently this vision thing where it looks like its raining very lightly. I have to check with my GF sometimes ... 'it's not raining is it ?"
I also have 'brain fog' .. I have to really concentrate on a conversation and the words don't come out sometimes .. it can be embarrassing and I sometimes think its early alzheimers.
I'm a 47 year old male and really tired of years of this stuff and its all getting worse.
Does it sound like MS ?
Oh forgot to say I had a CT scan of my head about 5 years ago due to dizziness. It came out clear. I put it down to low iron / HG levels which is always a battle for me to keep up. I still get light headed .. .not all the time but just for a few seconds every few hours / days. Not vertigo though.
Also I was diagnosed with spastic colon (IBS) under colonoscopy.
Another thing comes to mind is that in the past I have had numb feet .. but that was put down to my low iron and also had HG of 8 at that time. During that period (a few years back) I was also getting this buzzing feeling through my body. It was actually a pleasant feeling, almost felt like I was floating when I was in bed ... that went away and has not returned. Again it was put down to the low iron / HG.
Is any of this familiar for those with MS ? It's either one condition causing this, or there are several different things going on.
thx
Steve
Steveo, for your safety we don't attempt to try to offer an opinion as to whether your symptoms might be MS or another condition because too many factors can influence the facts in making such a call. You have described several that could contribute to there being other causes behind your symptoms though it's also possible it could be neurological. Therefore, I recommend that you see a healthcare provider who specializes in multiple sclerosis specifically who is familiar with the complexities of the condition and can help you sift through all the nuances of your situation. In the meantime, this article on symptoms of MS might be helpful: https://multiplesclerosis.net/symptoms/. I hope you're able to find some specific answers soon. Donna Steigleder, Moderator
Hi Donna,
Thanks for the reply. I know, it is silly to expect a diagnose on a forum like this. I do see similar symptoms on that link you sent.
I just wondered if perhaps others had these same description of the way the symptoms feel. Like the light misty rain that I sometimes see, it's subtle and not always there. And like the pain in the spine around to the belly and the barrel feeling up in my chest.
Anyway I think its time for a new GP, I have been with my current one for years now and getting no where. I'll try to get a referral from a new GP to a neurological.
It's affecting my life, because I have given up my job (stressful) and now work from home in the hope that I might feel better.
I'll also say at the risk of being judged that I started to use cannabis because it helps my colitis / IBS (and I can't handle the prescription drugs). Although I only use it off and on, when I do use it the other symptoms are dramatically reduced. Haven't been using it this year and everything is flaring up again.
thanks again,
SteveSteveo, I found these past discussions from our forums that might be of interest to you.
https://multiplesclerosis.net/topic/ms-hug-abdominal-distention/
and if you do Facebook, we have a Facebook page. If you do a search on MS Hugs (I copied the address below)
https://business.facebook.com/pg/MultipleSclerosisDotNet/posts/?ref=page_internal
I think you can get to the link with this address to see comments from others who have experienced the hug. Hope it helps. Donna Steigleder, Moderator
Ah yes, I did read that link and it's very familiar. I'm a reasonably skinny guy who looks pregnant ! In fact the girl at the clinic (who I know personally) popped out a joke last time I am there .. "are you pregnant !" haha. But I do have stomach issues, as mentioned, that can cause that distention. Perhaps it's that distention that is causing the pain ... I don't know !
thanks again.
Steve
Hi
, thank you so much for reaching out. I understand it must be so frustrating to be in so much pain and discomfort and not have any clear answers. I also wanted to jump in here and share that there are many conditions that can often be confused with MS, so you might want to ensure that your doctor (or new doctor) is testing and ruling out these other conditions: https://multiplesclerosis.net/diagnosis/ruling-out-other-health-conditions/ Additionally, I want to let you know that we have a sister site for both IBD and IBS, if you'd like to check those out and reach out to their communities as well. You can visit those sites here: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/ and https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/
I hope you get some answers and relief soon. Please keep us posted on how you're doing!
Best,
Shelby
MultipleSclerosis.net Team Member
