In July of 1994 approximately 12 hours after the end of a flight to Switzerland I began to rock. I chalked it up to jet lag at first, but it continued for the entire two weeks we were there. Oddly, the rocking disappeared within three or four days after we returned home. Neither flight to or from was particularly rough.
Seven months later, in February of 1995 the rocking began again for no apparent reason, since I had not been on a plane or boat. During the first episode of rocking I felt as if I were on a small boat in very large waves. The second time I began to rock I felt as if the waves had become smaller but choppy. I have been rocking continuously since February 1995. I would like to add that I was under a great deal of stress at the time the second rocking began. My Husband had been diagnosed with a terminal illness some years before this and I could see that he was beginning to fail around this time.
I began seeing doctors as soon as the rocking returned in February 1995, starting with my General Practitioner. After a complete physical, CAT scan & MRI he suggested I see an ENT. The first thing this ENT did, of course, was an ENG which showed nothing unusual. Then I tried an Ophthalmologist who found nothing that would cause vertigo. (Vertigo is what I was calling it at this point in time.) The next stop was a Neurologist who ordered an EEG, another MRI and an Evoked Response Audiometry - all normal. I tried a different ENT who did all the same things the first one did, including another ENG, except this one gave me a prescription for Diazepam (1mg. two times a day). The Diazepam seemed to help somewhat for a few days, but this was during the same time my Husband died and I think the stress way overpowered the Diazepam. Shortly after that I went back to the same ENT and was shown some vestibular exercises to do which were supposed to habituate my inner ear to my vertigo. I did the exercises for a couple of days and my vertigo became immediately worse, and has been that way ever since.
A couple of months later I found my way to the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles. They had all my X-rays and records from previous Dr.'s and after discussing my symptoms with me pronounced that I had "Floating Woman Syndrome". They suggested that I avoid Caffeine, take Niacin and Florical and do the vestibular habituation exercises. They also suggested that I see an Otoneurologist, Dr. James Nelson, in LaJolla, Ca.
Dr. Nelson ordered another ENG which was normal just like the other two, and after a conversation with him about my rocking he said I had Mal De Debarquement. After this new pronouncement I felt sure no doctors knew anything except how to make up some interesting names, that is, until I found this website. After reading all of the case histories and the MDD Support forum there is no doubt in my mind that MDD is the correct diagnosis for me. Not only do my symptoms mirror those of others on this website, but I have symptoms that I was not aware were part of MDD until now (like memory and concentration problems and stiff neck and shoulders).
So far I have only monitored the support forum and the mailing list on this website, but I hope to have more time to contribute and ask questions in the near future.
Thank you a thousandfold to Evan Torrie for this website and all of you MDD sufferers out there. As you all know, the world is a lonely place when you have something like this and no one understands what you are going through. Finding this website was such a relief. I feel validated.
Please feel free to E-Mail me, either through the website mailing list or directly. That's what friends are for, and we need each other.