What are the Symptoms of MdDS?

Persistent sensation of oscillating motion such as:

Rocking (front to back)
Bobbing (up and down)
Swaying (side to side)
Gravitational pull

Symptoms are often accompanied by:

Cognitive impairment
Disequilibrium or imbalance
Staggering gait
Sense of unstable ground
Fatigue

Symptoms Not Typically Associated with MdDS

Rotational or spinning vertigo
Double vision
Bouncing vision
Nausea
Nystagmus
Sound sensitivity
Tinnitus
Hearing loss

See the Diagnostic Criteria consensus document of the Classification Committee of the Bárány Society (PDF)

Symptoms Less Frequently Reported

Sensitivity to light
Dizziness
Headaches
Migraine Headaches

Intolerance of busy patterns
Visual motion intolerance
Loss of self-confidence
Confusion

Memory loss
Ear pain and/or fullness
Anxiety & depression
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty multitasking

Is MdDS Remission Possible?

Yes! As a given course of MdDS progresses toward remission, symptoms lessen in severity and intervals of symptom-free periods become more frequent and prolonged. Patients with 0 perception of motion, sustained for at least six (6) months, may consider themselves in remission.

0: None
1: Negligible: barely noticeable
2: Very Mild: noticeable
3: Mild: distracting sometimes
4: Low: distracting usually
5: Intermediate: interrupting
6: Moderate: hard to ignore
7: High: can’t ignore
8: Very High: awful
9: Severe: hard to bear
10: Very Severe: as bad as it could be

None

Negligible: barely noticeable

Very Mild: noticeable

Mild: distracting sometimes

Low: distracting usually

Intermediate: interrupting

Moderate: hard to ignore

High: can’t ignore

Very High: awful

Severe: hard to bear

Very Severe: as bad as it could be

What Increases MdDS Symptoms?

Stress
Lack of sleep
Working at a computer for extended intervals
Enclosed spaces such as the shower, stairwells or long hallways especially those with busy carpet patterns
Supermarket aisles and other rapidly changing stimuli such as flipping through pages or images & screen scrolling
Changes in barometric pressure (weather)
Allergy symptoms
The end of the day, increasing as the day progresses.

What Alleviates MdDS Symptoms?

Travel (e.g., movement/motion in a car or airplane)
Establishing a vigorous exercise program

Learn about coping with MdDS

Is MdDS Episodic?

In some patients, repeated bouts of MdDS may occur and are usually associated with a precipitating event, e.g., travel or high stress. Subsequent episodes are generally more prolonged but some patients experience a quick return to baseline.

Getting a diagnosis How to cope with MdDS