Mal de Debarquement Syndrome

What is it?

  Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) is a type of vertigo and imbalance that occurs
  after getting off a boat, a long airplane ride or other prolonged motion experience.
  Most individuals with this diagnosis are women between the ages of 40 and 50 who go
  on a seven-day cruise. Most people after exposure to an ocean trip or long airplane
  ride will experience "motion" after the event is over and for a short period of time.
  But for persons with MdDS, these sensations may last for six months or a year or even
  many years. Symptoms may diminish in time or periodically disappear and reappear after
  days, months, or even years. This may occur after another motion experience or
  spontaneously.

What are the symptoms?

Most frequently reported:

Persistent sensation of motion (rocking, swaying and/or bobbing)
Imbalance
Staggering or unsteady gait
Fatigue
Difficulty concentrating

Less frequently reported:

Sensitivity to light (florescent, strobe, flashing)
Dizziness
Headaches
Migraine headaches
Intolerance of busy patterns
Nausea
Confusion
Memory loss
Ear pain and/or fullness
Anxiety
Depression

Symptoms not typically associated with MdDS include:

Rotational vertigo (spinning)
Double vision
"Bouncing" vision or objects jumping

What is the treatment?

  While there is no known cure for Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS), some success
  in managing symptoms has been realized with medications and vestibular rehabilitation.
  Most anticholinergeric medications that work for other forms of dizziness and
  motion sickness, such as meclizine or scopolamine, are usually not effective in either
  treatment or prevention of MdDS. There is evidence that benzodiazepines and
  amitriptyline have had positive effects in treatment of MdDS. Many patients have
  reported a benefit from vestibular rehabilitation which is a specialized form of
  physical therapy offered by Balance Therapy of Texas.

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