hearing repeat sounds/songs in my head

[lagn]

I keep hearing repeat songs in my head...I do not hear voices only songs.  I suffer from extreme anxiety and depression am on Lorazepam and several homeopathic remedies.  I was put on several anti depressants for a period of one year with severe side effects.  I am now hyper sensitive to medications.

[396SS]

I have heard of auditory hallucinations - it could be that.  I also recall reading about something that had to do with auditory memory, that it can be normal to hear songs repeatedy - as it's your brain just remembering a song over and over.  I would get checked out by my doc, then letting a psychiatrist know of your symptoms.

[Carol in PA]

lagn:
Auditory hallucinations
Anxiety and depression
Hypersensitive to medications

These are symptoms that some Lyme Disease patients have.
Lyme causes neurological and psychological problems.

Examples from the medical literature:

Symptoms: Hallucinations

[Quixotic1]

When I read your post I thought of the phenomenon of "getting songs/melodies stuck in your head," and not of auditory hallucinations.  It's common and periodically happens to me - has all my life.  It also often the stupidist songs.   Sometimes it's a good song, but it's still annoying.  (My most common is the chorus from "American Pie")  I have actually had an auditory hallucination once when in an altered mental state from doing biofeedback using brainwave training and it was very different from the song thing.  Anyway, in me the songs always disappear eventually and I'm not the worse for it.  They usually disappear when I become engrossed in something else.  I've often heard other people talk about it and it is annoying, but harmless.

If you actually think you are hearing the songs and not just having the melody/song coming to mind, then you should have it checked out.  Quix

[Quixotic1]

I just googled "songs in your head" .  The first couple articles were on the very thing that I was trying to describe.  One article from a university reseacher said that 90% of people report this occurring at least once and for some people it is very common.  The articles were entertaining and might fit what you are reporting.

[lagn]

Thank you for the information.  I unfortunately have this constantly...only when I am watching tv or involved in something that occupys my mind does it seem to go away.  This is very disheartening and wearing...if only I could get some relief with something natural.

[Carol in PA]

But, did you mean an auditory hallucination, or the songs "running through your mind" without actually hearing them.

Did you get a chance to read the article about lyme and the brain.
Lyme Disease: A Neuropsychiatric Illness
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/romarkaraoke/lymeart.html

There are a number of "natural" things you can do to help your condition.
One is to supplement magnesium, which will help the enzyme processes within the cells.
Another is Omega 3's.  A pharmaceutical quality fish oil will improve the quality of cell membranes.  The red blood cells need to be flexible enough to squeeze through the capillaries, so that the cells get enough oxygen to make energy.
Brain cells use alot of energy.

Both magnesium and fish oil reduce inflammation, which is common in chronic health problems.
When the capillaries are inflamed, they swell slightly, and there is less room for the red cells to travel through.

References:
Google magnesium and depression for many articles.
Google "fish oil" and depression.  

Best,
Carol

[Quixotic1]

If you are considering magnesium supplementation - which is beneficial in many conditions - look for a magnesium salt that is well absorbed.  Magnesium oxide is by far the most common one in supplements and is the least bioavailable, meaning the body gets the least benefit from it.  (It's used because it is very cheap!)

The nutritionists that I respect all recommend one of the following salts instead of Mag oxide:

Magnesium orotate
magnesium taurate
magnesium arginate
magnesium glycinate


I usually buy mine online, because I can never find the orotate (my preferred) in stores.

Quix

[Carol in PA]

This is the magnesium I purchased:

Source Naturals, Ultra-Mag
Magnesium (as magnesium citrate, taurinate, glycinate, and succinate)

http://www.iherb.com/store/ProductDetails.aspx?c=Herbs&pid=SNS-00803

Because of my health problems, it is far easier for me to buy online, than to drive to several different stores, looking for what I need.

Carol

[lagn]

Thanks so very much for the infomation.
I have read the Lyme info and find it very interesting...many of my symptoms appear to be similiar to those of Lyme disease.  I wonder how I would get it?
Does anyone know if a spinal tap is the only way to diagnose the disease?
I do take a good form of mag. and fish oil...no relief though.  I take lots of supplements.
I really appreciate all the concern and help.

[Carol in PA]

lagn:
For information on methods of transmission and locating a doctor who will test you for tick borne diseases, visit LymeNet.org.
See the information on the 'newbie help links' on the medical forum.
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=029917

A spinal tap is not considered a good way to test for Lyme, as the bacteria reside mostly in the muscles, organs, and nerves.

The experienced people at LymeNet are very helpful to newbies who need information.
http://flash.lymenet.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php

Best,
Carol

[graham513]

I too have had this problem for about a year and a half.  It practically drives me insane.  I don't actually hear the music but any song I hear will play back in my head until I hear or think of a different one.  It's been giving me trouble when trying to sleep lately.  There is no information on the internet about it and it makes me feel better to see I'm not the only one experiencing it.  Have you had any luck with it?

[joyous6802]

I suffer from bipolar II with hypomania. I am also under quite a bit of stress due to family issues (terminal illnesses of two immediate family members). When I am in a depressed state (as I am now) I hear repetitive rhythmic sounds, especially when I am trying to sleep or am alone. It isn't music or any sounds I'm familiar with just banging sounds in the same rhythm over and over. I suffered from this a few years ago but after several months it went away. My psychiatrist put me on a new medication, although I don't remember what. He really didn't offer any reason for this and I'm not even certain if it was the medication that stopped it. I plan to call him on Monday (it is now Saturday) but I was wondering what the cause of this is. I could really use some advice.

[jukehead]

I am fascinated and relieved to come across this information.  My wife, who is a  musician,  and I have had constantly recurring "songs in our head" as long as we can remember (we're in our late fifties).  Periodically just to test and out of curiosity, we will suddenly ask the other, "okay what song is in your head?"  It's usually a surprise to both of us since the music is so constant it's like neural wallpaper.  As I type I've just checked my internal jukebox and "I Only Have Eyes for You, is playing (I heard a Sinatra version last night).  Like one person above mentioned, the only way to get rid of it is to replace it with something else.  If I don't choose, there will be some "default" song.  I'd love to know more on this subject including is it distracting?   Since I  can't remember a time when it didn't occur,  I don't know what life would be like without it.  Also, how common is the "constant" version and is it more common in musicians?  Thanks for the info, fellow inner musicians.

[NYbirder]

I;m sure it is more common in anyone who hears music often!  I often have some song playing in my head, but find it is more constant if I am hearing music a lot.  Recently I started to listen to songs in the car and that has triggered a persistent run with no relief that I don't deliberately work on.  I hear specific versions as sung.  It always stops when I am listening to music by the way.  Today it's Danny's song, which I hate.  I'm sure it is related to the ability to "hear" music in your head, which is wonderful and we wouldn't want to lose that!  I used to be able to remember most of Beethoven's 5th and ALL the pieces from the movie Fantasia!  As Monk would say, it's a blessing and a curse

[headfullofsnow]

I found this site because I was searching for an answer to my "songs in my head problem." It's always there lately, but went away for a number of years. It first happened to me years ago, I had just gotten stoned and ran into my dad who really yelled at me and fraked me out quite a bit. It started after that and I had never heard of anything like that before. It took maybe two years but it went away. I had problems with other substances before the original incident and after, and afetr it went away too. Then, three months ago the same exact situation happened, and boom, "hear we go again." My doctor says it is neurology and anxiety, and probably I have a scar on my brain from a lot of stimulant use in my past. I live a happy clean life but this thing is distracting. Is time the only answer, like with so many other things. And Lyme disease, are you kidding? Klonopin, neurontin and sometimes Clonodine if there is a lot of stress. Here is a question--- IF ONE WERE TO RESTIMULATE A PART OF THE BRAIN THAT HAD BEEN STIMULATED BEFORE, COULD THAT MAKE THIS STOP. THERE SEEMS TO BE A BIPLOAR CONNECTION DEFINETELY.

[panbimbo25]

Your mind is not at peace, this is why you repeat stuff in your head. Your over stimulated. TV has a lot of overstimulation with the flashes and the noise and the colors, etc... This is why when you watch it it quiets down. What you need to do is calm your mind. I have been practicing meditation for 8 years and its an excellent way to ease your mind. However, it take practice and with time you can quiet down these repetetive thoughts in your mind.

I also suggest prayer which is also a form of meditation, pray so your mind is still and focus on just the prayer. This is a form I believe of cognitive behavioral therapy.

[Angel19386]

Yo tenia estos sintomas y gracias  Dios en su misericordia todo ha mejorado significativamente, la ansiedad es un factor importante en la medida en que me tranquilice, y confie en Dios todo mejoro

[Angel19386]

Yo tenia estos sintomas en la medida que deje la ansiedad y confie en Dios todo mejoro significativamente

[hummer2006]

I have had music in my head for six years.  Not only that, but I feel the muscles under my tongue and throat sub-vocalizing the words which leads to great pain in my throat and neck and sometimes I feel like I'm choking!  It's terrible.

[ash_361]

I recently have not been able to stop repeating music/lyrics in my head. Whenever I wake up, I'll notice I am still repeating certain songs/lyrics before I even get my first thought in. I have also realized that at the same time that this has happened, I have developed symptoms of OCD. Is it possible that this inability for us to stop repeating music OCD? Because it certainly isn't getting a song stuck in your head, I used to have that and be normal, this is something much more severe. I mean, waking up in the middle of the night and still repeating music? Come on, thats strange...any info much appreciated.

[ggreg]

Dear Ash,
I'll just jump in real quick here and give some general thoughts.  I think this post and the other one in this forum suggest that lyme disease, which comes from little deer ticks in wooded areas, can cause this auditory hallucination.  Medications can do this too, some gaba drugs will stimulate the music part of the brain.  This suggests, too, another idea posted that said could be toxic chemicals have somehow gotten in the body.  And I suppose could be something in the brain isn't working right, could be a neurologist could do a brain scan and see if that's the case.

Apparently there's a lot of people that have this, and I have auditory hallucinations from some gaba drugs I take, but it's not constant.  But it suggests that there is a biochemical thing that happens (like lyme disease, medications, toxic chemicals, even something wrong with a particular part of the brain).  I'm just restating what all I've just read here in the two posts, to sort of direct you to where to look for answers.
GG

[stace16]

hi guys i am exactly like ash waking up and a random song i may have heard yesterday or a week ago is replaying chorus over and over has anyone had luck with meds yet?? its been constant for 9 months i suffer anxiety too and unreality everyday like disociative disorder

help??

[ggreg]

Dear Stace,
Other than the main serious problems, to reiterate what some others have said it could be you are very tired, too.  People who are anxious and feel that disassociative disorder, sometimes lack of deep sleep or REM sleep will do this.  You should visit a mental health clinic and they should give you tranquilizers or something to help with your sleep, and hopefully your annoying problems will ease up.  They can also get to the bottom of how come you feel anxious and help you control that better.  
GG

[Rooftopguitar]

This is actually a pretty common occurance and there are a lot of possible causes. Most people that experience it are older and typically losing their hearing. It's also more common in women for some reason. I first heard of this when reading a book by Oliver sacks. He's written on the subject quite a bit, but I strongly recommen his book "Musicophelia" for more information about musical hallucinations or Musical Ear Syndrome and other strange music related maladies. I'm researching the topic and below are several sources that you may find interesting:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Neurology/Musical-Hallucinations/show/293692

https://nursing.advanceweb.com/Article/Musical-Ear-Syndrome.aspx

http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/mes.htm

[Joaovelez17]

Im not sure if this is a problem but i hear sequences of notes in my head and if i transform that into accords in my guitar it sounds very good. I dont know if this is a problem or a gift can you help me?

[sam_india]

Im having this problem which started two weeks back.I was hearing a song at night and when i went to sleep,that song was repeating in my head.I thought that it will go and with some difficulty i slept.When i woke up, some other song came in my head and was repeating.i got tensed and confused.Sometimes it would go away when i do something withis intresting,then when i finish,it would start again.Usually in morning i dont have this problem  so much ,but when comes to night, it gets worse . This is the second week in which this problem started and its still there.Is there any solution for this problem?, and How is this caused?

[sam_india]

plz help me in my problem