I have a feeling all the time that I have like a tight band or girdle wrapped around my abdomen. It never eases and its not like I can relieve the pressure by loosening it or anything, I was wondering if there is any medication for this. I am currently taking Lyrica (pregabalin) for neuropathic pain and would like to hear from others who have this same sensation?

Hi David,

Ahhh... The MS Hug.. When the hug 1st presented itself to me, I tried to manage it with neurontin, then trileptal, lyrica,, etc.. Most often an anticonvulsant med (may) be helpful. I am gonna drop you some MS Hug info below. You are not alone, please remember that.

(( The MS Hug ))

The (MS Hug) is a sensation of feeling a tight band (like wearing an overly tight girdle or corset) around your trunk that is experienced by some MSers, who have a lesion (old or new) on the Spinal Cord.

This Hug is usually the first indication of a new exacerbation, when the inflammation is primarilly centered around the Spinal Cord.

Alternately, the MS Hug can also be brought on by an increase in temperature (body core or ambient); if you have a pre-existing Spinal lesion....


Multiple Sclerosis Hug or Girdle

This is the term for one of the rather strange and weird symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis which can be classed as one of the many invisible symptoms but also as a spasm-type symptom.


A physiological explanation:

There are tiny muscles between each rib, called intercostal muscles which basically hold the ribs together, but also give the ribcage some flexibility; it's when these muscles go into spasm that we get the MS hug, a friendly description of an extremely uncomfortable and often painful symptom.


How Common is the "MS Hug?"

This is hard to say. Up to 75% of people with MS will experience pain as a symptom, but statistics on the MS hug are difficult to find.


What Causes the "MS Hug?"

It is caused by a lesion on the spinal cord and is technically classified as a neuropathic pain called a “paresthesia,” which refers to any abormal sensation.

The sensation itself is the result of tiny muscles between each rib (intercostal muscles) going into spasm. These muscles have the job of holding our ribs together, as well as keeping them flexible and aiding in movement, like forced expiration.


What Does It Feel Like?

Like many MS symptoms, the “MS hug” feels different for different people – it also feels different in the same people on different days or at different times of day.


It can be:

1) As low as the waist or as high as the chest; rarely it can be felt as high as the shoulders and neck

2) Focused in one small area (usually on one side or in the back) or go all the way around the torso

3) Worse when fatigued or stressed

4) Present in “waves” lasting seconds, minutes or hours or can be steady for longer periods of time

5) Described as sharp pain, dull pain, burning pain, tickling, tingling, a crushing or constricting sensation or intense pressure


How Severe Can It Get?

Some people experience difficulty breathing or painful breathing, so severe that it is often perceived as a heart attack or panic attack.


What Medical Tests Will be Performed?

Your neurologist may want to run an MRI to see if you are having an exacerbation. Often, tests are also done to rule out other things, (not all symptoms are MS) such as heart problems, gallbladder problems, lung disease, gastrointestinal disorders or inflammation of the cartilage between the ribs.



(additional info)....

Burning, Aching, or "Girdling" around the Body

These sensations, called dysesthesias, are all neurologic in origin. These pains are sometimes treated with gabapentin (Neurontin) or with antidepressants such as amitriptyline (Elavil) because such agents modify how the central nervous system reacts to pain.

Other treatments include wearing a pressure stocking or glove, which can convert the sensation of pain to one of pressure; and warm compresses to the skin, which may convert the sensation of pain to one of warmth.