Mal de Debarquement Syndrome – What You Need to Know

When you spend time on a boat or cruise ship, your body and brain are forced to adjust to the constant movement. If they didn’t, you would fall over and crash into walls each time the ship bobbed to and fro. Some call this experience “getting your sea legs.” Fortunately, when you step back onto solid ground, you will usually feel normal again within a few minutes or hours. For some people, however, that feeling of rocking, bobbing, and swaying never goes away. The condition is known as Mal de Debarquement, which is French for “sickness of disembarking.”

Mal de Debarquement Syndrome

Mal de Debarquement Syndrome (MdDS) is a neurological disorder that causes a person to feel as if they are rocking or swaying. The feeling begins as an aftereffect of particular motions, including traveling on a boat, riding on a train, sleeping on a waterbed, or using virtual reality technology, and it continues after the motion is no longer present. In some cases, this feeling of movement becomes chronic.

What are the symptoms?

If you suffer from Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, you will feel a persistent sensation of motion and imbalance. This sometimes causes symptoms like the following:

• Rocking
• Bobbing
• Swaying
• Walking unsteadily
• Fatigue
• Anxiety
• Confusion
• Depression
• Difficulty focusing

Sometimes these symptoms disappear when the person is traveling (in a car, train, airplane, etc.) and then return when they are still again. They may be amplified by certain circumstances, such as when the person is trying to remain motionless, attempting to fall asleep, feeling stressed or tired, or viewing flickering lights.

If you’re suffering from symptoms like vertigo, double vision, vomiting, tinnitus, hearing loss, ear pressure, or sound sensitivity, you may actually have a vestibular disorder. These symptoms are not commonly associated with MdDS.

What are the causes?

Almost any type of prolonged motion can cause Mal de Debarquemnt Syndrome. It typically occurs after you’ve been traveling in a boat, but it can also occur after riding on a plane, train, car, etc. In addition, it may be caused by movements like the following: sleeping in a waterbed, riding on an elevator, using virtual reality technology, walking on docks, etc. There appears to be no connection between the length of the motion and the length and severity of the resulting symptoms.

Although MdDS is not fully understood, researchers believe that the syndrome occurs within the areas of the brain associated with balance – not the inner ear. This theory suggests that the brain, after adapting to a particular motion (such as a ship bobbing in waves), is unable to readapt to its previous state after the motion stops. Another theory proposes that MdDS is related to migraines (source).

How is Mal de Debarquement Syndrome diagnosed and treated?

MdDS is a very rare condition, so your diagnosis will likely require several tests to rule out other conditions. Your doctor may request a blood test, a hearing exam, a brain imaging scan, a nervous system exam, and a vestibular system exam. If these tests don’t point to any other condition and your symptoms persist for more than a month, your doctor may diagnose MdDS.

Unfortunately, there is not a specific treatment for this syndrome.  Standard drugs prescribed for motion sickness are not effective. Additionally, no one treatment works for every patient. Your doctor may recommend one or more of the following:

• Brain stimulation therapy
• Medications (typically medications used to treat conditions like depression, anxiety, or insomnia)
• Vestibular rehabilitation
• Physical therapy
• Exercise
• Stress management techniques
• Rest and relaxation

Sometimes people who suffer from MdDS find certain coping tools that work for them. For example, they may mitigate their symptoms with the following tricks and techniques:

• When driving, sit in the front of the car.
• During long road-trips, take a break every two hours for a brief walk.
• Try to sit in the front or mid-section of an airplane, which is the most stable section.
• Avoid looking down (at a phone, table, book, game, etc.) while traveling.
• Don’t quickly scroll through your phone or computer screen.
• Use table-top lamps instead of fluorescent overhead lights if possible.
• Use a walking stick, hiking pole, or cane when walking or hiking.

In some cases, MdDS disappears on its own. This is more common with younger patients.

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Are you suffering from Mal de Debarquement Syndrome? Contact National Dizzy and Balance Center. We specialize in diagnosing and treating medical conditions like vertigo, dizziness, balance disorders, concussions, and MdDS. Our talented team members can evaluate your health and design a personalized plan to relieve your symptoms. To learn more, please contact us online or by phone. Or if you’re ready to get started, schedule your free medical consultation today.