Reply to Judy and Barb: I suspect you really have a "GORK" (God only really knows) diagnosis. Judy, if you're mid 30s or older, I'd certainly talk to a doc about a short course of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). You'd probably need a very high dose to start and then be able to taper it down over time. There are other inner ear diseases that offer the same miserable lifestyle, but diagnosing any inner ear disease is luck as much as knowledge...luck finding a doc that is an excellent diagnostician plus willing to try various things. There is no way a doc can look at your ears or MRI or anything else and know what's wrong. One disease you should mention to your neurotologist (not an ENT, please) is MAV (migraine-associated vertigo). This is a relatively new diagnosis, with the hearing, balance, and nausea issues you "enjoy." Good news is that is can be treated with standard migraine meds, even though you have no aura or actual pain.

Absolute first thing to do is to keep a diary (or large calendar). Choose three or four colors to indicate the kind of day it was in general (good, so-so, bad, godawful, for example) and color that square or entry to indicate the level of symptoms. Then, very carefully, write down even the smallest variation from whatever is normal for you: sleep, stress, exercise, diet, weather, etc. Regardless of what your actual disease may be, certain things will "trigger" worse days. Inhaled allergens like pollen, mold, mildew are more common than food allergies, but a few people have severe reactions to some certain food or food group. I know one person who was entirely miserable until he realized that dairy products were the problem; once he eliminated them from his diet, he was able to lead an ordinary, active life. You should start to see some pattern within a month or so. You can't eliminate all triggers, but you can avoid some completely. You can also consider doing a series of allergy shots with an allergist--which may or may not help. In my case, I did learn that mold and mildew were particular problems, did the two-year shot program, and found that it didn't ease Meniere's at all. It did, however, mean that I was able to quit taking anti-allergen meds (we live on the coast in a very old place that's a veritable mold factory), and I've enjoyed the freedom from sneezing, coughing, and having clogged sinuses for over 40 years, so I'm glad that I got the mold allergy dealt with.

I can relate to the bit of taking supplies with you in case you begin to vomit. I lived that way for four years, with a kit in the car, next to my bed, next to the bed in the spare room, in my desk at work. I dealt with the driving problem by hiring someone to work for me who did all the many necessary trips to run my business in those days. I have a belief that sipping water or, better, citrus-flavored soda, can actually shorten the overall hours of a crisis; it certainly does prevent dry heaves, which can leave you feeling awfully sore the next day. I learned to maximize the time right after a crisis, when I had energy and drive and could get lots of work done. I flat refused to let the disease run my life entirely, so worked a demanding job that required not only travel but, gasp, fishing and photography...lots of wading fast rivers. During the four years I was really, really sick 2-3 times every week, I never missed a single deadline. I've been sick in all sorts of awkward places: fishing lodges, on small boats, on commercial flights, at restaurants and trade shows. I found that it helped a great deal to warn those around me that I could start to have a crisis and let them know what they should do. Once, while fishing a wilderness river in Alaska, I didn't do that, and the older gentleman we'd taken with us for the week at the lodge ruined an entire day of fishing for himself and my husband by insisting that we race back to the lodge. By that time, I was in no shape to climb the steep stairs from dock to lodge, but he insisted, and it was miserable for all of us. That was my error, and I found that I perhaps avoided having some crises simply because I warned those with me of what to do if I had one. Doing that removed the stress and fear.

So, please, try the diary/calendar effort and see where it leads you. FWIW, I suspect that stress increases the likelihood of having a crisis, so do whatever you can to avoid stress. When I had to speak at a friend's memorial service, I almost couldn't handle the two small steps down afterwards to regain my seat...definitely stress!

Believe it or not, some day you may wish you still had the nausea! I got down to 92 pounds, couldn't keep my shoes on, at one point. Now, back on a good HRT program, I'm eating like a pig and weigh 140--20 pounds more than I ever weighed while pregnant. I've been trying to lose it, but it's been damned stubborn. Once the nausea goes, you may find you enjoy food all too much!

That leads to the other thing you simply must do: work on balance every day. Don't be discouraged; it will work over time.