Would this be considered an Episodic Migraine, TMJ disorder or Mal de Debarqement?

[skydixon]

So, here goes:
My entire life has been a very healthy one. No ear infections, no known
allergies and certainly no balance issues. I grew up with a father who was
career military, so I was always on planes, trains, trucks, boats, etc. Nary
a balance or motion sickness issue, ever.  I spent my entire life in high
altitudes in Germany and in the U.S. with the exception of Texas and Daytona
Beach Florida. It wasn't until I moved to Southwest Florida (considered
below sea level) that I developed something curious. My ears have popped, as
if I were on a plane, most of the time since I moved down here. It is
particularly pronounced during the hot summer season and even more when the
humidity is high. It begins to clear when I hit the higher altitudes in
Daytona or even higher when I leave the state altogether. I also had trouble
with motion sickness on boats down here. Another first. The only times I
have been in hospitals is to deliver three different children and have a
tubaligation. Aside from having had a mildly underactive thyroid and
systemic yeast (Candidiasis) in the past, and these two bouts of "vertigo",
I am a healthy individual.

  When the 'vertigo' adventure began:
In Feb. 2005  I was at work just standing at the counter ringing up a
customer when suddenly the whole store spun out from under me. That is the
first and only time that has ever happened to me, ever. The next day I had
the feeling of constant motion in my head 24/7. It lasted until June 17,
2005. I had blood work done (for thyroid, diabetes, etc.), had my eyes and
hearing checked and was checked for BPPV. It was all negative. My ENT had no
clue what to tell me. He didn't even know that there was a balance clinic
here in town. I found it on the internet. They charged me hundreds of
dollars for therapy to retrain my balance mechanisms. 6-8 weeks later
everything went away.  I had had no symptoms again, whatsoever, after that
until this past November '07.

I have had the same symptoms again since the day after Christmas '07. This
time, however, it came on gradually beginning in late Nov. '07.  I felt it
when I was reading on my computer. The bright light from the monitor coupled
with reading made me feel it, but after I'd turn it off the symptoms, gradually, went
away. I went and had my eyes checked. They are perfect except that I needed
non-prescription reading glasses. I'm in my mid-40's. The monitor light no longer
bothers me, however. It stopped a month into this condition.

Antiverts I've tried have made me worse, so I haven't bothered with those,
this time. I can still turn about, jump up and down, spin and run with no
trouble balancing...except when the syptoms become pronounced: then I feel
like I'm leaning to one side or another, though I am not, so I find myself walking
carefully and my eyes look droopy. TMJ?? I just have this constant sense of motion
in my head. When I read, do artwork, stay up too late or I am in a room
crowded with talking people, the stimulation makes my symptoms worse, paying
attention becomes difficult and I start feeling somnolence coming on. I can
even drive myself around as long as I don't feel those latter two things. If
I go to a movie at the theater, more often than not the symptoms become
minimal after I leave.

In both cases I had not been on a boat nor plane to trigger these symptoms.
I can think of no common causes between the two bouts of "vertigo". What I
am feeling is a side-to-side rocking sensation, like being on a small boat
in pitchy, deep-sea-water and the horizon is not moving. LOL.  When I drive I
feel more normal, and when I stop I feel it more. It has been suggested that
I go live on a rental boat until it clears up...LOL.

I've had my wisdom teeth checked but they are healthy and not impacted, so
they are not causing this either. The only thing that comes to mind is the elevation
at which I live could be the culprit. I'm grasping at ideas. I've been told it's stress
(but that came 'after' the symptoms started) or that it could be a virus, but cold
laser therapy ruled out inner ear issues when it made no difference. What
with all the weather fronts coming through Florida this time of year, the
constant changes in barometric pressure magnify my symptoms to the point
where I struggle to pay attention. The other night a family member asked me
a question and all I could say was, "I know you asked me a question, but
what was it again?"  It was the feeling like when you "have something on the
tip of your tongue", but it won't occur to you, so you can't say it.

I would appreciate any input you might have, as to what direction I should
look to solve this medical mystery.  Thanks.

[kiml236]

I have your exact same symtoms and have been told I have tmj. Wondering how your progress is, I cant find anyone to truly treat me..been a solid year like this. Thanks :(

[skydixon]

Hi...

Most of what you've said I've already been aware of. I'm already journaling and I've spoken to a well-known doctor, whose name I will leave un-stated. He is a doctor to the NASA astronauts. It was he who suggested the Episodic Migraines, MDD, or TMJ. He's in Texas and I am in Florida, so he can't actually diagnose me, but he pointed me in a few directions. My posts are simply "feelers" I'm putting out there for other doctors to comment on. My dilemma is that I don't have any symptom-free days. This rocking sensation in my head has been CONSTANT all these months...just like last time. So, there is no making comparisons because it never clears up. As with many chronic conditions, when there are barometric changes the symptoms worsen
until it lifts again. But it's not the cause.

I have checked to see if there was anything I am allergic to and so far there is nothing presenting itself. It is one of the common factors I was looking for as to why I'd not had any symptoms in three and half years since the first time I had this condition. I, too, once had reactions to strawberries, in the form of a red rash as a little kid, but not since I was in my late teens. Chocolate used to always give me heartburn, until I was in my early thirties. Now, I can eat them both, joyfully. As for the TMJ...I have all the symptoms you mentioned and then some. I have researched TMJD online and found that I have most of the common symptoms of it including dizziness in the form of movement in my head; which also mimmicks symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth, which was ruled out by a dentist.

I appreciate what you've had to suggest, however, I have already been going in those directions. Thanks for caring enough to comment.

[JerzeeJava]

I have TMJ as well as multiple neck and back injuries, multiple concussions, 5 herniated discs, nerve damage, a chiari malformation and asthma...all acquired within the least ten years. I was thought to possible have Lyme's Disease when I had no feeling or function one day from the waste down. This was also after I returned from working with horse and living in a wooded area in Connecticut during that time.  Besides the symptoms I also had the typical bull's eye marking. Lyme's test was negative but that is not uncommon as up to 50% of tests give a false negative. When I was treated with antibiotics those immediate symptoms got better...but it could have been a coincidence and with all my other things, I will never know for sure unless were to have definitive positive on testing.

In the last four years. I have been misdiagnosed as having had a stroke and having MS. The point is symptoms can present themselves in so many ways and mimic so many diseases that you can't really know without testing. Even when you have test done, it may not be known for sure because often one disease will share the same symptomology as another disease.

TMJ is caused by grinding of the teeth and of course and injury to the jaw. It does not have to be a direct impact injury. My TMJ was from an accident and the impact of the accident through my head and neck and misaligned my jaw.  TMJ does cause many symptoms and can be quite painful but it would not cause the majority of symptoms you have. TMJ causes clicking in jaw, locking of jaw, 'rice crispies' sound when chewing or talking, altered speech (not lack of speech, but change in pronunciation/annunciation) ear aches and headaches that would most likely occur on the side you have the TMJ.

You could have what I heard referred to as 'silent migraines' where you may not even know you have one but suffer the other effects of having a migraine. It might be low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) a virus, an allergic reaction to something. My sister-in-law experienced vertigo, ear problems and difficulty walking because her balance was off. She had all sort of testing and everything came out negative. She became so ill she took a leave of absence. After a week she started to feel better after two weeks of not being at work, she was back to normal. She went back to work and after a few days the symptoms began to return. Turned out she was allergic to the fibers in the new carpet. There was nothing that could be done about it short of having the company tear out the new carpets-and we all know that was going to happen. She had to leave her job all together.

As far as motion sickness, just because you never had it before and now you do does not necessarily mean you have a medical problem. Our bodies change. Tomatoes use to make me throw up when I was younger...now they don't. I can't eat eggs, tuna or peanut butter when I am pregnant and gag on coffee and toothpaste and I craved things I normally disliked.

Another example of symptoms not being cut and dry as to the cause: I get heart burn but that does not mean I have reflux...it is common problem with asthma as the lung inflammation puts pressure on the diaphragm. I had heart burn for a while before I ever had an asthma attack. I had all the GI test and the cause of the heartburn was unknown.  

I have problems on and off for years with my skin burning, red raw patches, itching and tingling sensation you get when you have swelling, though nothing was ever visibly apparent.

After writing things down and then doing a process of elimination and re-introducing certain things, I discovered that I am allergic to glycerin. Imagine that. Glycerin is in almost every lotion, soap, makeup and even food. So now I have to read labels to everything. As long as glycerin is not within the first five ingredients of soap or food, I am fine. However I cannot use any lotion as well that has any glycerin (Because it remains where as soap containing glycerin is wash away) So you see, having a symptom doesn’t always mean there is an actual medical problem, and if there is one, it isn’t always one that is easy to figure out.


Your symptoms may be caused by something serious or may be something as simple as a response to a thing that your body is treating as foreign or toxic.

A good start might be for you to have a journal to log all of your symptoms, time of day duration of symptoms, where you are or have been and what you are doing when experiencing the symptoms.

Opposite page: list any and all things you eat, use, (soap, lotion, shampoo, hairspray, house cleaners, etc) along with types of things you are exposed to (carpets, fabrics, animals, smoke, flowers, herbs, candles) each day.

After two weeks try to see if you can make a connection by cross referencing. You might start to see patterns and make a connection along the way. You would also be able to take better notice of your symptom free days and take notice of what was different.  
This might be one of the best things you can do for yourself. It will give you knowledge of your body and a sense of being useful in your own diagnosis and believe it or not, your journal could prove to be a useful diagnostic tool for your doctor as well.