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 – auditory, visual, olfactory

"Lyme disease appears to be capable of causing syndromes which manifest as... hallucinations (auditory, visual, and olfactory)"
The underdiagnosis of neuropsychiatric Lyme disease in children and adults.
Fallon BA; Kochevar JM; Gaito A; Nields J.
Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 21(3):693-703. 1998.

"We report the first cases of musical hallucinations in two patients with neurologic Lyme disease.
Musical hallucinations had a sudden onset and took the form of patriotic or operatic music."
Musical hallucinations in patients with Lyme disease.
Stricker RB; Winger EE.
Southern Medical Journal, 96(7):711-715. 2003.


Regarding anxiety and depression, here is another article.
Lyme Disease: A Neuropsychiatric Illness
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/romarkaraoke/lymeart.html

At the discussion group at LymeNet.org there are several Lyme patients who have auditory hallucinations.
Here are two older threads about this:

Topic: Hearing things that aren't there
http://flash.lymenet.org/scripts/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=030267

Topic: Weird brain stuff and hearing
http://flash.lymenet.org/scripts/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=021978


I know there may be other reasons for why a person gets auditory hallucinations, but Lyme is the topic that I've seen them related to.

Wishing you the best,
Carol

[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.

[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.