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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 23 of 23. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by mike wells on May 20, 2003, at 4:39:59
For me years I have had music going through my head. I t can be but mostly classical with Mozart the most frequent. When I am seriously depressed it dissapears and when I am recovering it comes back with the tunes of my childhood first amd classical music last. Anyone else experience this? Mike Wells
Posted by Ritch on May 20, 2003, at 11:39:53
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by mike wells on May 20, 2003, at 4:39:59
> For me years I have had music going through my head. I t can be but mostly classical with Mozart the most frequent. When I am seriously depressed it dissapears and when I am recovering it comes back with the tunes of my childhood first amd classical music last. Anyone else experience this? Mike Wells
That happens to me all of the time-when I'm high it gets worse-when I'm depressed it tends to diminish. Do a search using "intrusive music" or "musical OCD" or something similar and you will find all kinds of posts about it. Some people experience it as a "right-brained" OCD of sorts (the intrusiveness aspect), others (like myself) find anticonvulsants diminish it greatly (especially Neurontin).
Posted by jrbecker on May 20, 2003, at 12:16:25
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ? » mike wells, posted by Ritch on May 20, 2003, at 11:39:53
my music "soundtracks" come and go as well. I chalk it up to a subsyndromal OCD trait. It usually arises when I'm either initiating a new drug, a dosage increase, or experiencing withdrawal from one. For the most part, it's transient. I'd agree with Mitch in that the best meds to diminish the "music effect" are GABA-modulating drugs and possibly APs, however, I would also argue that some antipderessants are exacerbating the effect. I found this the case on some of the SSRIs.
Posted by fanni on May 20, 2003, at 16:45:45
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by mike wells on May 20, 2003, at 4:39:59
yes.and i dont have to be on drugs to.i heard a choir when i was really little it was so sweet. now often its dnb or techno,i can hear every beat perfectly.and then dreams where i make up these amazing songs and when ive woken up they gone back to the world of dreams. a shrink would probably say this is some sort of psychosis, but i dont agree. all of us have this in us,a 6th sense,clairaudience,whatever people like to call it. to be tapped into it is natural,but through years of conditioning many people have been tuned out.
Posted by Janelle on May 20, 2003, at 22:06:39
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by fanni on May 20, 2003, at 16:45:45
I have told pdoc after pdoc about the music in my head (gets worse when depressed) and they all kind of shrug and get an empty look in their eyes and basically blow it off. Amazing to see a post here with some responses to at least *assure* me that I'm not alone!
Posted by Janelle on May 20, 2003, at 22:11:20
In reply to OMG, I thought I was the ONLY one ...! » fanni, posted by Janelle on May 20, 2003, at 22:06:39
Posted by Snoozy on May 20, 2003, at 23:20:53
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by mike wells on May 20, 2003, at 4:39:59
I assume you guys aren't talking about when a song gets stuck in your head? Is the music you hear something you know, or is it something you make up?
Before I saw this post today, I had been having this "song" going in my mind. Anyone remember "Hooked on Classics"? They would play the most familiar refrain from popular classical pieces in a medley to a disco beat. Classy, eh? I haven't heard this since I was about 12 years old and I don't know why on earth I would have it going on now! It's sort of amusing, but it won't be if it keeps going :)
Posted by Ritch on May 21, 2003, at 10:03:38
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by Snoozy on May 20, 2003, at 23:20:53
> I assume you guys aren't talking about when a song gets stuck in your head? Is the music you hear something you know, or is it something you make up?
>
> Before I saw this post today, I had been having this "song" going in my mind. Anyone remember "Hooked on Classics"? They would play the most familiar refrain from popular classical pieces in a medley to a disco beat. Classy, eh? I haven't heard this since I was about 12 years old and I don't know why on earth I would have it going on now! It's sort of amusing, but it won't be if it keeps going :)
It seems to be several kinds of phenomena from what I can tell reading about this stuff here for awhile. Some folks feel it is definitely *intrusive* and unwanted, making them upset. That's the OCD-flavor I guess. I find it mildly annoying at most. In my own case it is mood-dependent/sleep-dependent which makes me think it is some kind of seizure-like phenomena related to my bipolar. Meds influence it greatly as well. SSRI's break it up into tight repetitions (closely spaced in time). Sleep-deprivation seems to just increase it generally. When I was unmedicated I could take an existing song and "tweak" it and change it, but I prefer things to be relatively quiet.
Posted by fallsfall on May 21, 2003, at 12:20:35
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ? » Snoozy, posted by Ritch on May 21, 2003, at 10:03:38
For me it sounds like there is a radio on in the next room. Sometimes I can clearly hear the song (usually oldies), other times it is just background static, like the station isn't tuned in right. The frustrating part is that I can't turn it off! I think that I am taking background noise in my house and trying to make sense of it. I've even gone into the next room to prove that there isn't a radio on.
Posted by Ritch on May 21, 2003, at 13:05:18
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by fallsfall on May 21, 2003, at 12:20:35
> For me it sounds like there is a radio on in the next room. Sometimes I can clearly hear the song (usually oldies), other times it is just background static, like the station isn't tuned in right. The frustrating part is that I can't turn it off! I think that I am taking background noise in my house and trying to make sense of it. I've even gone into the next room to prove that there isn't a radio on.
When I was taking Prozac fairly regularly at a higher dose than I do any AD's I've taken recently-I would hear "other" music playing at times that for sure did seem to be coming from a distinct source other than "inside my head"-while I was listening to music. However, I listen to music a lot and for the most part it is the run-of-the-mill "tune in your head" thing most people talk about most of the time-where you are hearing music you have recently been playing. I've had some experiences with Wellbutrin where music is playing in my head (while I am sleeping), and I wake up to something I haven't heard in quite some time-and it is rather continuous-not broken up.
Posted by kalyb on May 21, 2003, at 14:16:05
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ? » Snoozy, posted by Ritch on May 21, 2003, at 10:03:38
I always thought it was relatively normal to have a tune in your mind..... I know I've heard other people say things like: "I've had this song going round in my head for days!"
I frequently have a tune or song in mine, usually something I've heard on the radio or something I like. I've not noticed it to be intrusive, though. And not noticed any correlation between moods really, except maybe more so when I'm happy.
Thought: when people who are working hum, sing or whistle a tune, are they externalising the music that's in their head at the time?
Posted by kara lynne on May 21, 2003, at 15:31:49
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by mike wells on May 20, 2003, at 4:39:59
For me it is definitely an obsessive compulsive thing and it can really get to me-- certain refrains from songs going through my head for days or weeks on end. I call them
O-CD's.
Posted by Okpolosi on May 21, 2003, at 19:20:39
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by kara lynne on May 21, 2003, at 15:31:49
> For me it is definitely an obsessive compulsive thing and it can really get to me-- certain refrains from songs going through my head for days or weeks on end. I call them
> O-CD's.LOL LOL O-CD's......I'm still laughing and it feels GOOD!!!
I really don't have any answers but I too have had the music in the head thing.....mine is usually just a stanza or refrain, and frequently from something I do NOT particularly care for. Repeats OVER AND OVER AND OVER....and it won't stop. Usually occurs if I'm upset or have not been sleeping well.
Only other thing I can add is that the problem has lessened quite a bit since I started taking meds.
Posted by Ritch on May 21, 2003, at 22:22:16
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by kalyb on May 21, 2003, at 14:16:05
> I always thought it was relatively normal to have a tune in your mind..... I know I've heard other people say things like: "I've had this song going round in my head for days!"
>
> I frequently have a tune or song in mine, usually something I've heard on the radio or something I like. I've not noticed it to be intrusive, though. And not noticed any correlation between moods really, except maybe more so when I'm happy.
>
> Thought: when people who are working hum, sing or whistle a tune, are they externalising the music that's in their head at the time?I agree with you-it is always music that I have listened to before and I have generally liked. I just find it interesting that meds/sleep/etc seems to dramatically change what I hear and how I "hear it". My Mom has epilepsy (nocturnal seizures) and does hum a LOT-much more than anyone else I know. Wow-this is weird, but I now remember my Mom's Mom (grandma) humming a LOT too. She was hospitalized for mania and given ECT in the '60's. She used to wander around cleaning her house humming a lot, and also "ticking" somewhat by touching her fingers one at a time to her thumb over and over. I don't know anything about that tic.
Posted by fanni on May 22, 2003, at 15:15:18
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ? » kalyb, posted by Ritch on May 21, 2003, at 22:22:16
maybe its to help sooth us when we're really depressed.yknow like from our higher selves.
Posted by Ritch on May 22, 2003, at 22:12:33
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by fanni on May 22, 2003, at 15:15:18
> maybe its to help sooth us when we're really depressed.yknow like from our higher selves.
I guess that depends on what type of music is getting "played" ;) There are times when Fleetwood Mac would be soothing, but my head might choose to play NIN or Monster Magnet instead. Sometimes that is good-sometimes not so good. I remember when I was taking Elavil I heard a lot of light classical or folk music. Lithium and Prozac seemed to bring up Talking Heads stuff for some reason.
Posted by Eggy on May 22, 2003, at 23:06:06
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by fallsfall on May 21, 2003, at 12:20:35
> For me it sounds like there is a radio on in the next room. Sometimes I can clearly hear the song (usually oldies), other times it is just background static, like the station isn't tuned in right. The frustrating part is that I can't turn it off! I think that I am taking background noise in my house and trying to make sense of it. I've even gone into the next room to prove that there isn't a radio on.
NO WAY!! I do the exact same thing. The static almost there radio station. Just turn the knob a little to the left or right please. You can almost hear the music but can't quite make it out. OMG I so thought I was the only one. But then again I do have a kids voice saying BOINKY BOINKY BOINKY occasionally also. But the radio static thing is so weird. I am so glad I am not completely totally off the rocker alone. Thank you for mentioning this!! Blows my mind.
Posted by Tony P on May 23, 2003, at 1:49:10
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by fallsfall on May 21, 2003, at 12:20:35
Years ago when I was working late at night, stressed out, by myself in a noisy lab (lots of white sound), I kept hearing a radio playing music in another part of the lab. Not unexpected, several of us had radios or cassette players. But I would go searching for it, and never be able to find it - it was always in *another* room.
The lab was supposed to be haunted ;-) but I was more inclined to supect I had gone off the deep end! Then one day, I tried to mentally change the song the radio was playing - and it worked! My hyperactive brain was simply trying to extract some sense from all the noise around it.
Here's an experiment anyone can try: Plug headphones into an FM radio (an older one is better) and tune it to the hiss between stations (if you can find a place between stations these days!). Relax, close your eyes, and try to listen for the words that are hidden in the noise. After a few minutes, if you try hard enough, you will begin to distinguish words and even sentences, or maybe voices speaking some foreign language. Is it space aliens speaking to you? No, your mind is applying that most useful faculty that allows you to fill in the blanks in a half-heard conversation at a party - except in this case it's filling in all the blanks!
(See also a thread in Nov 2001)
> For me it sounds like there is a radio on in the next room. Sometimes I can clearly hear the song (usually oldies), other times it is just background static, like the station isn't tuned in right. The frustrating part is that I can't turn it off! I think that I am taking background noise in my house and trying to make sense of it. I've even gone into the next room to prove that there isn't a radio on.
Posted by Tony P on May 23, 2003, at 2:03:46
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ? » Snoozy, posted by Ritch on May 21, 2003, at 10:03:38
There do seem to be two or three different experiences being talked about here. I'm glad I'm not alone in having "O-CD" intrusive music! I hadn't related it directly to meds - I will have to keep track of that. Definitely worse with high stress/insomnia.
Sometimes the tune itself is REALLY annoying - with luck I can force a switch to something pleasanter, but the O/C nature persists, and often the original annoying tune cuts back in when I stop attending to the music.
I have also sometimes found an unexpected insight from a song stuck in my head or that I'm humming or whistling. When I pay attention and think about the words, often they are surprisingly relevant to my current emotional state and situation. My personal classic example was after a visit to my pdoc shortly after my girlfriend had dropped me, while I was consciously still mourning and feeling sorry for myself, I found I was whistling "I got along without you before I ever met you, I can get along without you now"!
>
> It seems to be several kinds of phenomena from what I can tell reading about this stuff here for awhile. Some folks feel it is definitely *intrusive* and unwanted, making them upset. That's the OCD-flavor I guess. I find it mildly annoying at most. In my own case it is mood-dependent/sleep-dependent which makes me think it is some kind of seizure-like phenomena related to my bipolar. Meds influence it greatly as well. SSRI's break it up into tight repetitions (closely spaced in time). Sleep-deprivation seems to just increase it generally. When I was unmedicated I could take an existing song and "tweak" it and change it, but I prefer things to be relatively quiet.
Posted by bookgurl99 on May 24, 2003, at 11:35:52
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by mike wells on May 20, 2003, at 4:39:59
The latest issue of Psychology Today says that people who hear songs running through their mind are more likely to be 'neurotic.'
WHAT? Who cares? I think everyone is neurotic; I don't know anyone who doesn't have a song stuck in their head from time to time.
Sometimes for me, it helps if I _actually_ hear the song in real life. Like it's an itch in my brain. This happens a lot with songs that I really like, though, and I hear them more when I'm in a good mood.
Years ago, at my first job, I worked at a dying greasy spoon where very loud country music was played constantly. The music was somewhat uncomfortable for me to listen to. By the end of the night, physically exhausted from work, I would 'hear' cacaphonic country music as I filled the bath tub. I would shut off the spigot to check if someone was playing country music in the house, even though I knew it was unlikely. As soon as I turned it on again, the combination of the light high-pitched metallic vibration from the water spout and 'white noise' of water again created country music.
Posted by HenryO on May 26, 2003, at 0:02:45
In reply to Re: Anyone else hear music in their head all the ?, posted by Tony P on May 23, 2003, at 2:03:46
Isn't this all just different forms of tinnitus. I experienced it while on Welbutrin. I found it unsettling.
Posted by Snoozy on May 26, 2003, at 0:31:29
In reply to tinnitus?, posted by HenryO on May 26, 2003, at 0:02:45
Could you describe what it was like in more detail? I've been on Wellbutrin for several years and sometimes I wonder about my senses. Thanks.
> Isn't this all just different forms of tinnitus. I experienced it while on Welbutrin. I found it unsettling.
Posted by HenryO on May 27, 2003, at 2:19:17
In reply to Re: tinnitus? » HenryO, posted by Snoozy on May 26, 2003, at 0:31:29
I heard music sometimes or other times just white noise, as people have described here. The other experience I got to have while on Welbutrin was night terrors. I would just bolt awake in a panic ready to fight, but the room was quiet and empty. I wasn't that fond of Welbutrin.
This is the end of the thread.
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