Question: I am so unhappy and frightened. I am a 55 year old female who started to feel unwell in August 2010. The start I am sure was a sharp pain just above my right ear more or less in my temple. From then I started to have the most strange symtoms. All I can describe it is as though I am not in my body - I am somewhere else. I didn't have dizziness but I feeling that my centre of gravity has migrated and that I was being pulled. I had headpains rather than a 'headache', slight pins and needles in my left foot, pins and needles in my hands and in my head and a general feeling of being unwell and panicky. I had a full eye check with an opthalmic optician & after many visits to my doctor who was convinced after doing bloods and checks that I was just depressed. However, all my physical conditions remained even after taking various anti-depressants and although he was convinced I didn't need an MRI the doc decided to order one just to reassure me. The MRI was done in Dec 2010 and came back clear (I also saw a neurologist).

I still didn't feel myself but the headaches cleared up and I felt reletively normal for 2 months - then symptoms came back albeit not so strongly. From April 2011 until beginning of December 2011 I had no more symptoms although I never felt back to my previous fitness. I am now desperate and unhappy because at beginning of December I awoke one night with a tapping sound coming from my right ear or right side of my head. Since then my previous symptoms have returned with vengence only difference is that I have this 'tapping' or 'knocking' inside my head or ear sometimes during the day but especially at night. I feel off balance and have head pains which worry me and sometimes I have a slight fulness in my left ear as well. I feel I can't enjoy anything, feel too poorly to partake in any of my previous joys like gardening and riding my bike and I sometimes get what I imagine are panic attacks which are horrid. My doc says I have seen neurologist and had MRI and he is at a loss as to what is ailing me. I think he believes I am just depressed. I am so scared. Even though I have had an MRI scan little more than a year ago I am scared it might be a brain tumour