October 7-19, 1997: Went on Mediterranean cruise, with almost daily shore excursions. Cabin aft, over one of the screws. Had been given 25 mg phenergan for seasickness; took one maybe 3 times during the 2 weeks. October 17 crossing of Agean from Turkey to Athens very rough night; 12-14 foot waves. Had some cold symptoms, no seasickness.Up at 4 a.m. day of departure, used decongestants, nose spray, missed flight, finally put on directy Athens-JFK flight, arrived with blocked ears, partially cleared during wait for last flight to Cleveland, then blocked again.
My MDD symptoms are almost continuous rocking, while seated, standing, or walking. It becomes more gentle, and often pulse-synchronized, when I lie down. I find myself quite clumsy, and take longer to do routine things. People tell me my walk looks normal, but it doesn't feel normal!An interesting variation on the rocking movement, which occurs when sitting on the toilet (and nowhere else, so far). It's a sharp side-to-side motion, so pronounced and so different from the "floating" that in the airport last week I actually jiggled the toilet to see whether it was loose.
Saw doctor Oct 21, diagnosed otitis media, presribed Bactrin/Septra for 3 weeks. Took that for 6 days, felt like a basket case, and discontinued medication. Attributed rockiness to infection and medication. Saw doctor again, was referred to ENT specialist because I was about to fly again and didn't want to aggravate any ear problem. Specialist pronounced ears free of infection; I flew to California for a week, using decongestants, nose spray - no ear blockage but considerable stress during visit. Managed to get up to Sentinel Dome in Yosemite, using cane and lots of help. Mountains wobbled. Saw doctor again for recheck; he diagnosed infection again, put me on another antibiotic which I tolerated (Bioxin).Continued MDD symptoms led me to call specialist again; without seeing me again, he ordered ENG test, which proved basically normal. When I continued to complain, he referred me to a balance specialist; "best in Northeast Ohio." That specialist diagnosed MDD on December 17 and prescribed a set of head-shaking exercises 3 times daily; come back Feb 13. He said the exercsies might initially cause nausesa; call him if I needed medication for that. Said my symptoms might also worsen "for the first week." They have gotten steadily worse, as of January 3, 1998.
This was my second lengthy stay aboard a boat; the first was 8 years ago, and I took a little over 2 weeks to get my "land legs" back. I suffered from motion sickness as a child, mainly from car travel; numerous short trips on small boats haven't bothered me, except for one cat boat trip off Cape Cod, when bailing brought on acute mal de mer. Have never been airsick except when I was pregnant. Have been to Nashville and back in the last 10 days; hard to tell whether that contributed to worsening symptoms. Another contributing factor is a one-day concentrated dose of antibiotic made necessary by trip to dentist (with a prolapsed mitral valve, it's standard preventive treatment).
I'm nearly 76; I don't fit the profile of women 40-50. My specialist is one who doesn't believe in taking Valium; at the beginning I did take 1 mg twice a day and felt it was helping some. I'm subject to eye migraines, and when I have to walk with those and MDD, I'm very afraid of falling. I also have glaucoma, need Optipranolol drop daily.
This is the second "rare" nerve syndrome I've suffered, though the other is more frequently diagnosed now than it was when I had it, in 1977. That was Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, or RSD, which occurred after a Colles fracture of my right wrist, when a G.P. splinted it too tight and long. I lost nearly a year to pain, confusion and an addiction to Valium, before that cleared up. I also have a "familial" head tremor, cataracts (drastic change of Rx in right eye 2 months before cruise), and carpal tunnel syndrome, for which I've avoided surgery because no one will promise I won't have a recurrence of RSD.
In addition to the tremor, I have cervical arthritis, which occasionally combines with a rotator cuff impingement of my right shoulder to necessitate pretty powerful painkillers. I've also used benzodiazepines fairly frequently for insomina. It's really fun, this aging process; I didn't need MDD too!
One other peculiarity I might mention: back in the 80's I had a period when there was a sensation as though someone were knocking on the base of my skull. They put me through an MRI for that one, found nothing but a very normal brain, and sent me away. I've had a very slight recurrence of that since the MDD started. My own theory is that it's connected somehow to the head tremor, but nobody's corroborated that.
I'm trying to live a normal life, but it's getting harder. I have tickets for a trip to Florida later this month, and am booked on a Danube cruise in September (made that commitment before the Vistafjord trip). Should I have my head examined for not cancelling out? (One of my friends suggested that since my vestibular system is stuck aboard a ship, I should take frequent cruises, or maybe go line on a boat.)
I can still read, thank goodness, though my concentration is down, and if I can find a really good TV show I can forget the rocking for awhile, but if I get up suddenly I am forcibly reminded. So far, I've had no trouble driving. I've had tinnitus, sometimes pulsitile, for many years, and started taking Ginkgo for it; no difference I can detect.
Some of the stuff on the Internet mentions physical therapy, but doesn't specify what kind. I live in a Continued Care Retirement Community; the therapist here has never heard of MDD. Massage is mentioned; I have a massage every other week, but if there is a special stroke for MDD my masseuse doesn't know about it. She was going to ask a Feldenkreis practitioner about it.
I go water walking 3 times a week; I enjoy it and need the exercise, but I wonder whether that could prolong MDD. Of course I have no symptoms while in the water. I try to keep up an exercise class, too. That's harder. And I used to enjoy square dancing,. but one or two tips is all I can manage now.
Yes, I'm depressed. Who wouldn't be? Some people have MDD for years. I don't have that many years left.