What Is Mal De Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS)?
Main Category: Neurology / NeuroscienceAlso Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry; Mental Health
Article Date: 12 Mar 2006 - 0:00 PDT
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Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) is an imbalance or rocking sensation that occurs after exposure to motion (most commonly after a sea cruise or a flight).
Although other forms of travel have been known to trigger it. After alighting or "debarking" (debarquement) the traveller continues to feel "all at sea", unable to get their land legs back.
Although most travellers can identify with this feeling and do actually experience it temporarily after disembarking, unfortunately in the case of MdDS sufferers it can persist for many weeks, months, even years afterwards.
The symptoms are with you constantly, they never leave, nor can they be alleviated by any anti-motion sickness drugs (eg Stemetil,Serc etc) "Like trying to constantly walk on a mattress or trampoline" is a good description of the main symptom, which is usually most pronounced when the patient is sitting still; in fact, the sensations are usually minimized by actual motion such as walking or driving.
For a sufferer of MdDS to have a chance of it not becoming the "persistent" form of the condition, it is crucial that they diagnosed quickly. Sadly because of the ignorance surrounding it, this is not happening.
Awareness of MdDS needs to be raised so that people do not have to endure the anxiety and frustration of not knowing what is wrong with them, and often being dismissed as mad, because "it is all in their head".
More information on MdDS can be found at mdds.org.uk
Visit our neurology / neuroscience section for the latest news on this subject.
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15 Feb. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/39348.php>
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Comment on MdDs
posted by Viv on 26 Mar 2006 at 1:31 pmI am a member of the same group as the person who posted this article and have suffered with this condition for 11 years 24 hours a day 7days a week. It is really important people understand this condition is not as rare as people wish to believe, it often can be misdiagnosed as Labyrhinthytus and Menieres disease,it is vital health Care professionals are made aware of this condition as to date so little is known and many Doctors have never even heard of MdDs.
Insurance Companies are NOT helpful
posted by Betty on 12 Apr 2011 at 3:27 amI have had MDDS since November 2002 and was under care of a very good doctor locally but because of insurance restrictions was NOT able to go to Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore since they said it was "Out of Network". I finally got to go in October 2008 to see Dr. David Zee, one of the few major neurologists in the U.S. who has the most knowledge in this area. He asked me why it took so long for me to come to see him, I told him "Insurance", he said that he has heard that a lot.
Yes, I was definately diagnosed & he made some recommedations to my local Neurologist, but since the condition has persisted so long there isn't much improvement.
I hope that insurance companies wake-up & permit patients to get to the proper doctors early, when it can really benefit them.
Thank God for computers & search engines
posted by Terry Deal on 19 Sep 2011 at 12:04 amMy first encounter with this problem was in 1947. I was riding my bicycle down a hill and the horizon tilted 90 degrees slowly and I hit the ground and got knocked out. A schoolmate of mine saw me lying on the street car tracks and came to my aid. Three or four years later I got very nauseated riding on a childs ride that consisted of swing seats that were on a rotating structure. I was sick for hours.
In 1975 I had a stroke and was in a coma for four days. With the best equipment of the times they didn't
recognise it as a true stroke. In about 1989 I had three bouts of the room spinning and falling down, out like a light. The local doctors and neurologists sent me to Mayo Clinic. They gave me every test and exam you could imagine for a week. They said I must have had a spasm in a blood vessel in my brain. Four or five years later I had a breif spell in the back yard where I didn't pass out.
Several years later I had a severe vertigo attack. I spent days in the hospital. Along with the vertigo I developed what I called "sea legs". Since then I have fallen several times. I have been to IU at Indianapolis and Clevleand Clinic. The Cleveland Clinic sent me to a clinc in Goshen, IN for vestibular therapy. No help after five weeks. On October 21, 2010 I fell backwards in my living room and broke my right hip. I had to get therapy for this problem but, no one could help me with balance problems.
I went to my family doctor about my balance problem and he sent me to a clinic to work on this. Six weeks later, no help.
People see me wobbling when I talk to them and sometimes reach out to me to keep me from falling. It is frustrating and humilitating.
I have researched "vertigo" and gone to many sites. A site that offered me a glint of hope talked about a machine called the NeuroCon. Nasa uses this machine to test and train astronauts. I found a place in Mishawaka, IN that has one of these machines.
It is like an oversized phone booth painted with a brightly colored scene. It is three sided and has a plate on the floor equiped with senors that measure pressure generated by your feet and ankles. It is computerized and does six balance tests on you.
I tested at about 90% on the first three tests. I only got about 75% on the fourth. Tests five and six I failed dramaticaly. I scored 50% on five and only 25% on six.
After one month of therapy I was tested again. My results were nearly identical! I stopped my therapy.
Last Friday I typed "sea legs" in the search engine and EUREKA!!! I found MdDS! It is such a releif to know what my problem is. Just knowng I'm not crazy or deranged is so nice. I am going to get brouchers on MdDS and send them to all who have tried to help me.
Thank God for computers & search engines.
At last an explanation that makes sense
posted by Carol Bisset Young on 18 Jan 2012 at 7:57 amI have suffered these symptoms since I went on a white knuckle ride in a Disney Park. over a year later, and several test including MRI later I was no nearer knowing what was going on with me,at last "EUREKA" as Terry Deal says in previous post. Even though no one can give remedies for permenent relief, at last I know Im not crazy.I do find lying down, if only for 10 mins gives me relief for a short while, just sometimes differcult to find a place when one is out and about.Qouting Terry Deal again. "Thank god for search engines" finding sites like these.
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