Bookysue: People diagnosed after 40 are likely to actually have Meniere's. It can range from occasional dizzy spells to half days lying wherever you went down with projectile vomiting coupled with loss of bladder and bowel control. Definitely not a pretty sight, nor something to look forward to. At that point, crises are generally 12-15 hours each and can occur as often as three times a week--which means 36-45 hours ripped out of every week!!!

Lots of older people actually have another inner ear disease, BPPV, characterized by brief but violet flashes of vertigo when you move your head suddenly. A doc in Portland, Oregon perfected a maneuver named after him, the Epley Maneuver, that often, at least temporarily, fixes BPPV. I only know of one person with such a severe case that they were prevented from living a normal life.

When I was awfully ill with Meniere's during my mid 40s, it was unilateral, i.e., only affected one ear, and I was able to be super productive following a crisis, worked an average of 60 hours a week managing a publishing company (production, marketing, distribution) and was active outdoors. However, now that it's bilateral (both ears), I'm finding it extremely difficult to function, either in terms of hearing or balance. Further, I KNOW how to get it in remission and am royally frustrated that I haven't yet found a way to get adequate HRT. I do have an appt. with an OB/Gyn next Tuesday, fingers and toes crossed.