In May of this year I woke up one day to my left ear making a heartbeat sound. It was hard to even hear over it. It went away after a few hours... as the week went on it kept happening. About 1 month in it became constant. The sound in my ear would not stop. I began to see an ENT and my Family doctor. They believed it to be Minear's disease. I wasn't convinced because a big symptom with Minears disease is Vertigo which I have never had. They performed 2 hearing test in a 1 1/2 month time span which showed with each one my hearing was decreasing in that ear. They put me on a low salt diet and prescribed water pills and left it at that. Within 1-2 weeks of my last doctor appointment I started not feeling right. I was having severe pain in my head (not headaches, more like random stabbing pains throughout my head), pain, numbness, and tingling throughout my arms and shoulders. My family doctor prescribed me prednisone thinking it was something seperate. That was on a Friday, by Sunday I suddenly felt my entire face going numb. The pain in my head was unbearable, my hear was so loud I cried. Within 1 hour my entire upper body went numb including my throat making it hard to swallow. My mother called 911. By this point I was so scared I was having a panic attack. They transported me to my local hospital. The ER doctor ordered a CT Scan with contrast and blood work. Everything came back normal. I started to feel better but still had lingering pain and tingling throughout my upper body for days. I called my family doctor about a week later to let him know what had happened and find out what to do because I was still having these symptoms pop up together and seperatly now. He referred me to an ENT and neurologist. The ENT said it sounded neurological. He wanted an MRI and asked that I ask the Neurologist what he thought when I seen him the following week and to then call him to let him know. He said if the Neurologist didn't order the MRI he would but to let him know either way. So I went to the Neurologist that next week. After an hour of talking he sent me to the hospital (3rd trip by this point for the same thing) for blood work. He also scheduled an MRI with contrast. My MRI was a few weeks out. I patiently waited which during that time I was still having problems. Finally the MRI day came and gone (which I received a nasty infection through my hand where the contrast was injected up to my elbow. Not fun!). The nurse at the Neurologist's office called me to tell me they found nothing in my blood work or MRI. They asked that I keep my follow up. Otherwise to keep taking the 2 medications he prescribed for Migraines. Which I did not understand why out of all of this all he assumed was going on was migraines. My family doctor's nurse also called me that day. I cried to her telling her I didn't understand and what do we do now!? She had me come in that evening to speak with her and my doctor. He decided to order a few more blood tests and to wait to hear from the ENT before deciding to do anything else. So last week I finally hear from the ENT's office. He says he doesn't know and that he didn't see anything and asked to schedule a follow up in 6 weeks. I was losing hope. So I called my family doctor. His nurse tells me basically the same thing... he doesn't know and to schedule an appointment to reevaluate. So I did. It was yesterday. He told me they (the hospital group) have tested everything they can. He diagnosed me with Minear's disease in my ear and as for everything else he said to get a 2nd opinion if I wanted or he could send me to OSU medical center. Every doctor I have seen said it sounded like MS...yet no brain lesions were found. Also no one has looked at my spine which I have Spinal Stenosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, and Spina Bifida Occulta in. My family doctor said it would not make me numb neck up. That is neurological. So I'm lost. I feel hopeless. As I sit here my lower face, neck, and back are numb & tingling.. In the beggining they were so sure this was MS...now no one knows :(