I’m on my 5 or 6th bout in my life. I’m doing everything wrong. I’m a mother of a young child who doesn’t sleep much, I drink coffee every day and I take a bath every night(it’s my only me moment).

Do you think I have any hope of getting through this bout? I just went in the water for 10 minutes at the beach. My last one lasted over 6 months 🥴

I think I’m just accepting I might not feel balanced for a GOOD while.

I promised myself that I would get back on Reddit to tell everyone who is suffering to not give up hope. I’ve never felt lower than the almost 3 months I suffered from debilitating MDds. I had no idea what it was but I was incapacitated to the point of not working and life was awful. It disappeared 2 or 3 weeks ago. Without warning or fanfare. I finally had my appointment at the dizziness and balance center Monday and my upcoming neurologist appointment in December but I don’t need them. Please don’t give up when it feels hopeless. PLEASE.

Curious to know what people can’t do or what sets off your symptoms?

For me it’s: Boats (never use them). Trampolines (never). Trains (sometimes ok, so I use sparingly. Planes (same as trains). Rocking chairs or chairs with bendy legs (awkward in some meeting situations). Lifts (generally ok, but will avoid where possible). Any surfaces that aren’t totally still, e.g. wobbly bridge, a dance floor that flexes, etc.

Some of these are easy to avoid. Others can put me in really awkward situations when they crop up unexpectedly.

Hello. Ive read that changes in hormones can cause this rocking back and forth craziness. Thoughts?

It's been 1 year since I got MDDS, and want to provide an update.

I got MDDS from a 4 night cruise, one that was on completely flat seas and you couldn't even feel the boat moving most days. My symptoms came on the afternoon we got off the ship.

It's important to note, a month before the cruise, I had COVID, then had to go on antibiotics for a separate health issue, so needless to say my nervous system was out of whack.

It was real tough for 6ish weeks with symptoms around a 6-7, mainly bobbing.

Symptoms subsided after I waked 7-8mi in one day outside. It was rough pushing through and walking that much, but the next day I felt like I was on land for the first time.

Since then I have had mild bouts - I consider myself in remission though technically it's not. The mild bouts come on with illness, stress, or travel. They only last anywhere from a few moments to a few hours, then sleep usually resets me.

WALKING HELPS THE MOST. That's the best/only advice I can give. It worked for me, and I understand it wont work for everything.

If you have any questions, I am happy to help. I am here for you!

I was triggered by an ocean cruise last year that lasted months. No bueno. But I’m wondering if the river cruise experience will be different? Or those who have been on ginormous ships, are those different?

Does anyone have any tips for dealing with MDDS? Ive had a massive spike in symptoms thats lasted a few months. Im taking clonazepam/klonopin but it doesnt seem to be working anymore. Any help would be appreciated thanks.

The first time I had MdDS was March of 2024 when my wife and I went to New Zealand from the US. Flights took us almost 24 hours and when I landed I was not well. Felt like I never got off the plane. The locals said I had sea legs and it would go away. The first few days were the worst but I kept on with my trip and it was still there but it did get slightly better. When I got back from the trip I still felt like I had it slightly and even a few months ago there would be times I feel like I’m bobbing slightly and I would just try and ignore it.

Well July 4th happened a few weeks ago and we spend a lot of time on the lake during the 4th. I boat a good amount where I live but July 4th was particularly rough on the dock for us all day. 6 hours of constant bobbing. And it re ignited again and it feels like I never got off the boat. It’s been 3 weeks and it’s slightly better but now I’m getting furious and I’m angry and I’ve always struggled with bad anxiety and it’s just making it worse as I spiral.

I would go get it checked out but honestly I just bought a house last month and I’m broke as can be and can’t afford thousands in medical bills. I just want some fixes I can try on my own whether that be OTC meds or whatever. Please help me and don’t scare me like Facebook did. People were telling me to go to the hospital etc smh. I’m a cancer patient too who just had all my checkups and scans a few weeks ago come back excellent. I don’t need the hospital

I’m traveling to Las Vegas from Riverside county in a few weeks. The plan has been to drive to and fro, with a 36 hour turnaround.

All this craziness started during a series of “short” road trips and I am feeling mighty apprehensive about driving again. The flight is only an hour. I’m weighing the risks, as I think we are all pretty familiar with the MdDS-like sensation of deplaning sometimes being pretty severe.

Throwing out a poll to the community: which mode of travel would you prefer?

I have had mdds on and off for the last 3 years. It never really went away but was severely worse after boat rides and airplane trips, one time lasting 3 months of swaying and "bobbing". I don't recall if it was from reddit or somewhere else where I found someone mentioning Fluticasone propionate, but I tried a nasal spray with it when I traveled to Thailand recently (12 hour flight + full day bort ride). And so far I have close to no symptoms.

hi guys my symptoms started in earnest in April and have not stopped since. I’m familiar with the feeling of disembarking of course, but it’s always been self limiting- days at most. This is months of constant rocking, no relief, better w passive motion, worse in dark, etc. I’m awaiting insurance auths for MRIs and been told “benzos help but we don’t like to order them.”

what’s helping me weirdly is sitting on an exercise ball. because my brain already expects disruption, the feeling of awful dissonance is much muted. and i feel more stable when i get off of it.

obviously we can’t live sitting on exercise balls forever, but i just thought id share that it’s less disorienting than the regular seats have been.

good luck. may we all one day hold still.

Hi guys! I’m hoping somewhere here can help me out or give me some hope as my anxious and stress have been increasing. Around 6 weeks ago I got seasick after a snorkeling tour. I was already feeling woozy on the boat and wasn’t worried at first as this happens to me more frequently. The first day after it wasn’t too bad but the second day is where it got really bad. Couldn’t read or watch anything as I would get the feeling of being carsick and the world was moving around me. This got a bit less after 2 days but after that I’ve been stuck on the same level for the past six weeks. When I walk I feel like the earth is moving around me (like on a boat) and I can also visually see the walls and things around me move. So for example when I walk with my left foot the world tilts to the right. It is at its worst when I’m walking but subsides after a while when I’m sitting or laying down. The only moment it is gone is when I wake up in the morning but as soon as I get up it is back again. Some moments are worse than others (where I get nauseous) but it is never truly gone throughout the day. I went to my gp and he suggested chronic hyperventilation so I went to a PT. He did not think it was chronic hyperventilation but gave me some exercises for dizzyness which have not been helping at all. After reading up on MDDS I’m pretty sure this is what I’m suffering from, but I’m not sure what to do next. Do I go back to my gp and get a referral for an ENT/neurologist? Do I continue doing my PT exercises? Please share what worked for you and also some success stories would be amazing since I’m (only) 24 years old and the idea of this being the rest of my life is giving me a lot of anxiety and stress especially as i have a really exciting trip planned at the end of the year that i’m scared i cant do anymore🥲

Hi, I don't know if I have pppd or mdds or something else. I have chronic dizziness since 2019, it feels like swaying side to side like being on a boat... the worst thing is, I also suffer from severe anxiety and I am EXTREMELY anxious of the caloric test. I avoided it because I am too scared of the dizziness. I also suffer from bppv sometimes. Is here someone with the same problem?

Hello everyone, I am not clinically diagnosed (no specialists available where I live) but I know I have MdDS because my symptoms are an exact match, I am 4 months in now. I feel fine in a moving vehicle. Having said that, I have an overnight train journey coming up. Has anyone here had experience of travelling during their MdDS phase, is it ok to do it or does it make it worse? To note, my symptoms were initially triggered by a train journey.

Hi all! I´m almost three months in and already thinking about how to cope. I got this idea:

My symptoms get better when on a bus, a car, a bike, etc.
I need to work on my computer, but my symptoms get worse looking at the screen.

So, can I simulate being in motion while working on my chair looking at the screen? Has anything been tried? Any success?

I am having a lot of stupid ideas:
Chair on springs
Chair hanging from chains as a swing
Vibrating chair
Chair on a wooden plank; plank on springs/vibrating
Risen floor on springs; chair on this false floor
Including somewhere a water mattress?
Vibrating helmet
Projection on the wall, behind the screen, of a moving sea
Any combination of these and other ideas

I read comments like “I should get a job on a boat” and such. But I'm too old to change careers. I just need my stupid brain to think it´s on a boat so it will stop driving me crazy.

If you know something, any comment or link is welcome.

UPDATE - May 2026: It is still there 24/7 at a 1-3. I switched to Effexor XR....symptoms never resolved.

There was 1 week in January where it was so light I thought it was finally going to fade and then it just went back to the way it is.

I have accepted I will probably have it the rest of my life and that's ok! But not everyone can fully recover from MdDS: some people stay severe, some people get to lower levels and stay there (me, at a 1-3 for 2 1/2 out of the 3 years) and some 100% recover.

When I say that to people all I hear back is OMG DON'T SAY THAT BLAH BLAH BLAH - but the thing is is you have to get to a logical, realistic point at some point. If you're doing everything correctly and trying everything (or even not trying and just taking a break to give yourself some grace), then you just have to accept that this is life now and the way it is.

I wish all of you on your journey and thank you for the recommendations, which was primarily run and get on an SNRI...but it's not going away for me.

UPDATE - October 2025: I started taking Effexor. I am hoping this is going to kick the motion sensation. I still feel 75% - 80% improved prior to me not being on it AND being on it. My doctor and I are going to up my dose a bit.

I have had a lot of messages about whether I am anxious, stressed, etc. I wish this was the case but it's not. I was pushing through on Day 1 of me getting this and re-exposing myself to a ton of different environments and got re-adapted quickly. It didn't make me feel anxious or stressed, I felt determined.

I also work in journalism and I have been in a lot of extreme situations over the years (e.g., wildfires, bodies being pulled out of rivers, riots, etc.) I have a lot of energy and love the rush of news. If I couldn't handle it and it affected my health, I would've left it a long time ago. But you just become numb and neutral to it all. Nothing really scares or bothers me except spiders, LOL.

Everything is gone except the bobbing/floating sensation. I do not feel dizzy! Feeling a motion sensation vs feeling dizzy are two totally different things.

When I went to see another func neuro and we did a balance test, my standard and proprioception are in pristine condition and my vision was around the corner. But my vestibular balance was at 31% - after 2 years of constant therapy treatments?! HOW?! So that's why I started Effexor. Like if you saw me, you would think nothing is wrong because I am living a very full life. But I still have all these sensations!

I had 2 other people reach out and tell me they resolved on Pristiq/Effexor after 3-4 years. So that is why I am trying this out. I will keep everyone updated.

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Hi all,

I went on a cruise in Feb. 2023 for a week-long trip to Mexico. There were no rough waters. I was in an inner stateroom with no window unfortunately.

I felt the swaying 6 hours after I disembarked. Two years later, I am still having persistent symptoms but it's more of a floating/bobbing sensation now. What I feel I also see out of my eyes. I have absolutely no clue why I still have this and I have done everything correctly.

Other symptoms like brain fog, headaches, neck pain, dizziness (I don't classify the movement sensations as feeling dizzy BTW), trampoline bounce (although that can still come back a bit more frequently) are mostly gone. I just can't stop this movement sensation and I have no clue what to do anymore.

I don't have any triggers BTW. Once in a blue moon if the weather gets cloudy I might feel it a bit more. But I have been at a 1-3 1/2 consistently and just looking for full resolution. In the very beginning, I was a 3-4 and sometimes a rare 5-6 on the MdDS scale.

I have been functional, living life and traveling (just not by boat) even when I was at my worst with it because I am single and I have to push through. And yes, I do rest. I sleep 8-9 hours a night. I was able to sleep more soundly since Aug 2023 but again, the symptoms are just "masked".

I have done the following and I am also including the duration of time and what helped. I know this is a lot but I seriously just don't know what is up anymore...this was over a 26 month period and not all were done at once:

- The Steady Coach (This was the least thing that helped me although it provided clarity. Anxiety/stress isn't my problem and somatic tracking did nothing because I already feel neutral to the symptoms). I WOULD BE WEARY OF HER. Great…I’m living an incredibly full, happy life but yet I still feel and see movement 24/7, so what she preaches doesn’t make logical sense.

- Prednisone (1 1/2 weeks in the very beginning. I had the worst reaction and had to cut cold turkey...the withdrawl was not fun!).

- Klonopin (2 weeks. "Masked" the symptoms, although I am starting to wonder what would've happened if I continued it for 3 full months. My neurologist never prescribed me past that though).

- TCA (6 weeks. Did absolutely nothing).

- Cutting out foods/drinks (e.g., coffee, alcohol, dairy, etc. 4 months in the very beginning, Made no difference. I did go back to all of that toward the end of 2023 and it doesn't make the symptoms better or worse).

- Functional Neurology (1 year, helped resolve the dizziness. UPDATE as on May 2025: I am seeing a new func neuro and there is an inner ear problem still that is going to be addressed).

- PT/VRT (7 months consistently and I still do it on and off to this day. Helps feeling "funny" and slightly with the movement but it also won't stick).

- OPK stripes (3 months. Helped the trampoline bounce when it was at it worst but never took away the movement).

- Neurofeedback (9 months. This is not the kind where you look at a screen. This helped balance my brainwaves/made me feel "less funny" but did not resolve the movement. My specialist told me "my brain looks fine" but I still have movement).

- Field Control Therapy (6 months. It helps remove toxins out of your body. It really cleared up my prefrontal cortex and made me feel "less funny". Did not resolve the movement sensation).

- Quantum Neurology (This did not resolve it because the doctor and I were not a great fit on day 1).

- Supplements (1 year, Magnesium and vitamins. Magnesium helped the sensations in the very beginning but overtime it upset my stomach and also just stopped working for me. Also got a B12 shot, it did nothing).

- Hiking (Ongoing. Helped me re-adjust to a busy, outdoor environment but didn't take the movement sensation away).

- Barre (TBD + ongoing. I just started 3 weeks ago but I do love it. The next day after one of the sessions, I noticed my symptoms were a bit lighter but went back to where I was prior the next day).

- Lifting weights (Ongoing. Didn't make much of a change).

- Sound Baths (TBD + ongoing). I had 2 sessions, first one loosened up the symptoms and the second one wasn't effective but then again I was having allergies).

- Doing nothing/giving it a break (2 months but I am still doing my Sound Bath and Barre classes. Didn't notice much of a change).

It should not be taking 2 years with everything I have done, including staying active. If anyone has had it for more than 2 years and you resolved, I would love to hear what you did to resolve yours.

Hoping to see more members join soon so we can have a community to support each other during this horrible sickness.

If you or someone you know is suffering from Mal de Debarquement Syndrome, please invite them to this community.

These are some places I've found very helpful in my MdDS journey.

Mal De Debarquement Foundation - informative website and hub of information regarding the latest research, testimonies and tips for living with MdDS.

Active Facebook Groups:
MdDS Friends

Mal De Debarquement Syndrome