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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 23 to 47 of 87. Go back in thread:
Posted by Anonymous on January 23, 1999, at 18:07:20
In reply to Nothing helps , posted by Danielle on January 23, 1999, at 17:19:06
> Isn't what's on the other side of the door always worse?Yes, until you go through the door to see what's *really* there!
Hold tight.
Posted by Stuuvert on February 15, 1999, at 16:37:45
In reply to Nothing helps , posted by Danielle on January 23, 1999, at 17:19:06
> What's the point anyway?
Danielle, please don't give up. I've given up before, too, but if we don't let up on the doctors, I am sure we can be successful.
I've just gone through a MAJOR depressive stage that has really beaten me down. Now I am just trying to recover. So I'm taking 600 mg. Serzone and 300 mg. Wellbutrin. Been on it a month, and I'm just now to the point of only feeling bad 23 hours a day!
Hang on. I wish we could talk to each other more in depth. It might be good for both of us to know more details (?)
Stuuvert
Posted by Danielle on February 17, 1999, at 14:51:10
In reply to Re: Nothing helps , posted by Stuuvert on February 15, 1999, at 16:37:45
If this thing eats my post again...over an hour last night - gone.
Firstly, I'm sorry to hear you have been so down the last month. I was afraid that something like that was the case. Actually, I was a little afraid you'd gone ahead and had your brain messed around with. Not that I don't understand the temptation.
Yes, I know I haven't given many details and I will do so now. I copied your postings and am taking them to my doc Thurs. He is a good guy and good doc but he doesn't have a clue to what's going on either. So, so you can have something to take to your doc, too, here you are:
1. Music has been around at least 3 years...that's in the forefront of my head. I remember periods of torture where things got stuck in my head before that. If not music, then counting...in eights or fours usually. If I do manage to repress both for minute or two, then I hear sounds as words...squish, plunk, pop...potentially more deadly than the other two phenomena. It goes on all day and all night, unrelenting. There are some pieces of music that show up regularly. I can change the piece usually, not always, but I can never turn it off. It's thinking, it's not 'hearing'.
2. Dreams: sometimes a word or scene replays itself in my thoughts all night.
3. Migraines: 30+ years, since HS. They're nasty things.
4. Insomnia: since childhood, also a nasty thing to cope with
5. Depression: seems like forever but just got to the point I had to ask for help 3 years ago
6. OCD: mild tendencies - contamination fears,counting, repeating words, since childhood...enough to drive my family crazy growing up and my husband now
7.Currently: Wellbutrin 150, Paxil 60, Carbotrol 300 (x2), Estratest HS, Synthroid .1, Nadolol 20, Estrace 2, Parlodel 2.5, Seroquel 25
Don't know if you're girl or guy but if you're a girl you'll recognize some of those as girl meds. Your doc will in any case.
8. I have recently become aware of a tendency for it to get worse at the same time as migraines start coming on in threes and fours. I think maybe when headaches subside for a while, the noise is quieter again. (still more, much more, than irritation)
9. Did Bob's Sub-C checklist - scored real high
I haven't given up. I just do that when I'm tired or when it quiets a little bit. When it gets bad, instinct takes over and I fight. I hope the same is for you. Wellbutrin was a great help for me, I hope so for you.
I'll keep you informed.Hope this helps, it's wierd the characteristics we share. Is this my brother or sister? Hmmm.
Best Wishes,
Danielle
Posted by lee on February 25, 1999, at 23:10:14
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by Danielle on December 20, 1998, at 10:00:50
Well, its clear that others experience music in 'mind.' too often. This has arisen as the tinnitus associated with Meniere's has become extreme, just over the last 2 weeks. I just want to offer that, indeed, those who 'hear songs' are not alone, 'cept we cannot com. in person, which is the best "therapy." Alot of the difficulties we seem to experience could be alleviated if we could live is a truly supportive community in which help is natural, no further away than an arm's reach, not defined by an institutional system that only offers occasional appointments, usually requiring horrendous traffic situations that are enuf to drive anyone who is awake, "bananas...." If one hurts alot, and has difficulty concentrating, as I do with ear-ringing, the appointment system is a drag.
I offer, here, my respect and remaining energies to all so afflicted. Please contact me any time for support and mutual understanding often unavailable in the medical system. Keep faith....
Posted by Noa on September 5, 1999, at 9:34:37
In reply to can't stop the music, posted by Stuuvert on November 18, 1998, at 13:32:13
Just reading through old posts from before I found this site. Most intrigued by the music in the head phenomenon, and wondering how you guys are doing now??? Any luck with meds?
Posted by she on September 5, 1999, at 16:53:41
In reply to Re: can't stop the music-wondering how ya doin?, posted by Noa on September 5, 1999, at 9:34:37
I would say not so good, at this point
but thank you
Posted by Stuuvert on September 7, 1999, at 7:47:36
In reply to Re: can't stop the music-wondering how ya doin?, posted by Noa on September 5, 1999, at 9:34:37
No luck so far with meds. I am now trying acupuncture for depression and hoping it may possibly have some beneficial effect on the music. There are meridian points that are stimulated to reduce "over-thinking," which may also reduce the music.
Posted by Ian on September 8, 1999, at 5:55:09
In reply to Re: can't stop the music-wondering how ya doin?, posted by Stuuvert on September 7, 1999, at 7:47:36
I haven't got any answers for you but I think you'd find Oliver Sacks book "The man who mistook his wife for a hat" realy ineresting. One case in his book is an old lady who starts hearing Irish folk music. After unsuccessfully looking for a source:radio etc she concludes it must be in her head. She later remembers that she had heard the tunes early in her childhood when she was about five.A CAT scan showed she had had a small temporal lobe stroke.After a few weeks the musisc which she found pleasasnt faded away again. Also in the book Dr Sacks showed experiments in which people who'd had different parts of there temporal lobes stimulated had al sorts of specific musical and auditory hallucinations.
Perhaps your temporal lobe is a bit hyper at the moment-not realy surprising an SSRI wouldn't cure things as its stimulatory. Anyway the books realy interesting,Ian
Posted by Ian (afterthought) on September 8, 1999, at 6:01:15
In reply to Re: can't stop the music-wondering how ya doin?, posted by Ian on September 8, 1999, at 5:55:09
Have you ever been tried on antiepileptic medication? The problem I suppose is that if you were depressed for reasons other than the music these drugs could make your depression worse
Ian again
Posted by Ian (another one) on September 8, 1999, at 6:22:14
In reply to can't stop the music, posted by Stuuvert on November 18, 1998, at 13:32:13
It may seem a lame suggestion but if we go along the overactive temporal lobe line of things then cutting out all dietatry stimulants may help i.e. coffee, tea,caffeinated drinks, things with MSG in them. Also the things your meant to avoid if your on a MAOI may not help like cheese and redwine as they contain the precusor (tyramine) of several flight or fright neurotransmitters.
Sorry if you've been down this alley already,Ian
Posted by she on September 8, 1999, at 16:42:23
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by Ian (another one) on September 8, 1999, at 6:22:14
Thank you, Ian. I haven't tried this, but it does sound like something I should try. I like your reasoning.
Posted by Amy on September 10, 1999, at 12:38:26
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by lee on February 25, 1999, at 23:10:14
> Well, its clear that others experience music in 'mind.' too often. This has arisen as the tinnitus associated with Meniere's has become extreme, just over the last 2 weeks. I just want to offer that, indeed, those who 'hear songs' are not alone, 'cept we cannot com. in person, which is the best "therapy." Alot of the difficulties we seem to experience could be alleviated if we could live is a truly supportive community in which help is natural, no further away than an arm's reach, not defined by an institutional system that only offers occasional appointments, usually requiring horrendous traffic situations that are enuf to drive anyone who is awake, "bananas...." If one hurts alot, and has difficulty concentrating, as I do with ear-ringing, the appointment system is a drag.
> I offer, here, my respect and remaining energies to all so afflicted. Please contact me any time for support and mutual understanding often unavailable in the medical system. Keep faith....please dont be mad but i am writing on this page because i cant find the one i am looking for I am loking ofr the thread on celexa and ativan and anxiety and things. please help i dont know how to get from one thread to the other?
amy
Posted by she on September 10, 1999, at 14:17:11
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by Amy on September 10, 1999, at 12:38:26
poor Amy, how long have you been locked up in here? I'll try to help. I'm guessing you're using a single window version of this site. If so, then go back up to the top of this message and click on Psycho-babble again.
If you're using a two-window version and the original window where you found this site is visible, then you just click back on that window. If that's not the case then look for the bars around the perimeter of your screen. Click on the one that says Psycho-babble.
If I misunderstood your question,stick around. Someone will be around shortly to let you out.
Posted by Amy on September 10, 1999, at 18:05:22
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by she on September 10, 1999, at 14:17:11
> poor Amy, how long have you been locked up in here? I'll try to help. I'm guessing you're using a single window version of this site. If so, then go back up to the top of this message and click on Psycho-babble again.
>
> If you're using a two-window version and the original window where you found this site is visible, then you just click back on that window. If that's not the case then look for the bars around the perimeter of your screen. Click on the one that says Psycho-babble.
>
> If I misunderstood your question,stick around. Someone will be around shortly to let you out.thanks for helping, i am new to this site and computers in general really. I know i have typed in alot of what has ben going on with me and i want to find the thread where i did it. You helped me out thanks much. \
Amy
Posted by Scott P. on September 12, 1999, at 1:47:09
In reply to can't stop the music, posted by Stuuvert on November 18, 1998, at 13:32:13
> The problem that has been disturbing my life since childhood is that there is always a song or music of some kind playing in my head. Sometimes I am tormented by the same tune or snip of song for days on end. Can you imagine listening to Connie Francis sing "Lipstick on your collar" for two weeks, 24 hrs. a day? Needless to say, I stay away from handguns.
I feel for you, brother. You're not alone. I have always had the same problem. Imagine occasionally being IMPOTENT because I sometimes just can't get a sad, mushy, erection-killing song OUT OF MY F***ING HEAD!!!!!!! I finally learned how to deal with it when I came across this article from "Project Galactic Guide", a funny website based on Douglas Adams' book _The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy_ (located at http://anubis.science.unitn.it/services/sf/DA/adams.html ) Here is the full article.
**********
Entry in The Project by Roel van der Meulen (vdmeulen@strw.Leidenuniv.nl)There is a phenomenon known to everyone which has never been exploited to its full use. You all know that sometimes, when you hear a song on the
radio in the morning, it keeps going round your head all day long. This is the Internal Walkman functioning, yet without direction or aim. It is too wonderful a treat of evolution not to make full use of it, so I will give some tips on how it works and what you should remember about it.How to make good use of it? Well, we know that only one or two tunes are in our heads at any one time, mostly silly tunes that have a high potential for settling in our memories. Unfortunately, the sillier the tune, the more
settling potential it has. This can not be avoided, so choose your tunes well. To record the songs you want to listen to, you have to play them on your CD or tape recorder several times in the morning. Be careful, though; your memory does not have a large capacity for readily available tunes, so don't try to store too much. The last song heard is often the one best
remembered.This storing process has some aspects to it that make it different from ordinary (hardware) ways of recording. The quality of the recording varies
from song to song, and from time to time. Bits of music get lost and only a rough idea of the song remains. Fortunately, that does not matter, because our brains make us believe that we *do* hear every detail of it, and mostly of the bits we like best! Parts of the song we don't like at all are easily filtered out [1]. In short, although we forget whole parts of the song, we
believe it is reproduced perfectly. That gives a feeling of satisfaction every time we use the Internal Walkman. When we get home again, however, and we listen to the original, we notice that we forgot lots of interesting details. Again we are happy, this time because we hear those parts again and appreciate them, because they make the song sound fuller. Twice
satisfied for the price of one!There are a few things you have to think of if you want the Internal Walkman to work according to your wishes. You have to take care that the song doesn't get polluted, or replaced altogether, by a song with much more
potential for settling and annoying you. Just make sure that you don't hear any other music anywhere, and especially no annoying whistling people. They are capable of whistling a nursery rhyme that will stick with you for weeks.Another thing you need to practise is to shut the Walkman off. It happens a lot that during exams a song gets stuck on a single word, which keeps
repeating over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, keeping you from your concentration and making you fail the test completely. Little does mankind realize that black-outs during
exams are *always* due to failing Internal Walkmans. I'm afraid I haven't found a cure for that yet, so guess you'll just have to practise.You may think that this Internal Walkman is far outperformed by a real Walkman, because with it you can listen to the original music, and so much
of it too! That may be so, but there are numerous situations where the fact that the Internal Walkman doesn't take up space, doesn't use batteries, is not annoying to everyone because they hear nothing (unless you sing along
with your thoughts), and can be used everywhere [2] make it a far superiour apparatus.So start using the Internal Walkman [3] sensibly from now on. It is far too wonderful not to.
[1] Unless, of course, the storage potential of the annoying bit is very high, which it usually is.
[2] Except of course where other music plays; in that case the original track is lost immediately, and can only be regained in complete silence.
[3] [Editors Note:]
It is of course noted that "Walkman" is a trademark of the Sony corporation. No breach of trademark is intended. Of course we don't mean to say that someone has actually built a miniature personal stereo and inserted it into your skull. If you think that then you just may
have missed the point.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by Stuuvert on September 12, 1999, at 7:14:27
In reply to Re: Internal Walkman, posted by Scott P. on September 12, 1999, at 1:47:09
Thanks Scott. I'm a fan of Adams, and so appreciate that sense of humor. Unfortunately I've tried this and it didn't work well for me. Besides, I want the music gone for good. I want to choose when and if I want musical accompaniment in my life. I'll give acupunture another month or two, then check back in if I have found any relief. Thanks for the tip about the Hitchhiker site. What fun!
Stuuvert
Posted by Fred Davis on January 22, 2000, at 0:32:20
In reply to can't stop the music, posted by Stuuvert on November 18, 1998, at 13:32:13
> The problem that has been disturbing my life since childhood is that there is always a song or music of some kind playing in my head. Sometimes I am tormented by the same tune or snip of song for days on end. Can you imagine listening to Connie Francis sing "Lipstick on your collar" for two weeks, 24 hrs. a day? Needless to say, I stay away from handguns.
> Every doctor I see tells me something different. The neurologist said it's OCD. Eight psychiatrists had never heard of it. Eleven psychologists had never heard of it. I've been told it doesn't exist, it's really not as bad as I think it is. There's nothing they can do for me, etc. I have tried every SSRI. They help alleviate depression, but have no effect on the music. I have never had a day of quiet peace in my life. Has anyone ever heard of this?
> StuuvertOh my God, Stuuvert!!! I just read this, and it shocked the hell out of me. Not only have I heard of it, but "Lipstick on Your Collar" is *the song* I'd been hearing in the morning before a neurological consultation at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in October of 1996. I reported the symptom to the neurologist there because it was *very* disturbing and was occurring during every waking moment. He then asked me what was the last song I heard, and I told him it was "Lipstick...". This is so *unreal*; I can hardly believe my eyes!! My songs started following lithium and valium discontinuation -- after taking them for over 20 years continuously. In fact, it was a different neurologist (who is listed in _Best Doctors in America_) who first suggested that I had OCD. II Also, it's the primary sym perssted after high-dose Prozac, thenZoloft took care of the others. I hear anything that happens to come into my head from the moment I awaken in the morning -- from nursery rhymes to disco to "big band", to the last commercial jingle I may have heard on the radio. Sometimes I change the station just to hear something less bothersome. If I were you, I'd see a psychiatrist who specializes in OCD or a neurologist who could possibly determine the area of the brain that is causing the songs (e.g., a PET scan). I empathize with what you're going through and wish you the best of luck. Feel free to e~mail me if you want to exchange ideas about possible treatments. Take care.... Fred
Posted by Stuuvert on January 23, 2000, at 19:18:12
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by Fred Davis on January 22, 2000, at 0:32:20
Fred,
I'm glad to hear from you. I thought this thread was long dead. I have been having some small success with acupuncture. There are several points on the body that reduce what the Chinese call "over thinking." The only problem I have is that I have to be treated at least twice a week and my insurance doesn't cover the acupuncture treatments, so I can't afford to go as often as I should. Maybe this will help you. I'm tired of taking drugs for everything! Western medicine tries to treat the symptoms, while Eastern medicine attempts to treat the cause of the symptoms. I'm still hanging in there.
Posted by lou pilder on February 8, 2000, at 16:53:59
In reply to can't stop the music, posted by Stuuvert on November 18, 1998, at 13:32:13
I hear music 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is off key and lousy. It started after I was given Desipramine. I have tried anticonvulsants, clonazapam, I'm on Lithium. I have not had one moments peace since this started 21/2 years ago. Has anyone done anything to get just a moments relief? My song will change with any suggestion. For instance: If I see a sign that says "Mack Rd. Exit" then "Mack the Knife" will play. If you say,"South Pacific" I will hear "Some Enchanted Evening".
Posted by Cindy W on February 8, 2000, at 21:48:14
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by lou pilder on February 8, 2000, at 16:53:59
> I hear music 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is off key and lousy. It started after I was given Desipramine. I have tried anticonvulsants, clonazapam, I'm on Lithium. I have not had one moments peace since this started 21/2 years ago. Has anyone done anything to get just a moments relief? My song will change with any suggestion. For instance: If I see a sign that says "Mack Rd. Exit" then "Mack the Knife" will play. If you say,"South Pacific" I will hear "Some Enchanted Evening".
Lou, I hear music, but not as often fortunately, as part of OCD. Effexor-XR has helped with this. Also, I don't hear it when I listen to music (at least, I just hear what I'm supposed to be hearing!) so I've tried to spend more time listening to music (I didn't have a car radio or home radio or tv, so got a personal stereo like a Walkman and some cassettes). Have you asked your doctor about possible causes (OCD? seizures? ???). When it happens to me, I will hear the same song for three, four, or even six hours, and when I try to stop it, it stops, then I'll start hearing it again and kind of "hum" it in my head without realizing it. Good luck to you!--Cindy W
Posted by jimwlms on July 17, 2000, at 8:11:23
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by Cindy W on February 8, 2000, at 21:48:14
> > I hear music 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is off key and lousy.
I happened upon this discussion by accident while doing a search for augmentation strategies. The song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" has been playing in my head for about a year now. I don't even like the song. I've tried everything...including a mental "big finish". But the big finish keeps repeating. Has anyone tried actually listening to the song to see if that breaks the pattern?
I sincerely hope some previous contributor to this thread is still around...it would really be helpful to talk about this.
Posted by Cindy W on July 17, 2000, at 8:29:06
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by jimwlms on July 17, 2000, at 8:11:23
> > > I hear music 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is off key and lousy.
>
> I happened upon this discussion by accident while doing a search for augmentation strategies. The song, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" has been playing in my head for about a year now. I don't even like the song. I've tried everything...including a mental "big finish". But the big finish keeps repeating. Has anyone tried actually listening to the song to see if that breaks the pattern?
>
> I sincerely hope some previous contributor to this thread is still around...it would really be helpful to talk about this.jimwlms, the song going through my head was "Crystal Ship" by the Doors...and it is pretty much gone. I listen to the first Doors album (side one) over and over and over, now, and have found that the more I listen to real music (and take my meds, of course!) that when I listen to this and lots of other CD's (on the computer or on a tape, since I can't afford a stereo or whatever), my musical repertoire of songs in my head has diversified, I feel less depressed, and I'm not haunted by "The Crystal Ship." Hope this helps!--Cindy W
Posted by jimwlms on July 17, 2000, at 11:01:22
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by Cindy W on July 17, 2000, at 8:29:06
> jimwlms, the song going through my head was "Crystal Ship" by the Doors...and it is pretty much gone.
I've never had this problem before...like I said it began about a year ago. The song that won't quit, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," came out in '62 when I was 9 years old. It wasn't exactly the kind of stuff I was listening to the radio to hear. So the significance of this particular song is baffling. Something off the first Doors album would make more sense since I literally wore it out when I was 14 or 15. I'm afraid if I actually listen to the Tony Bennett song I'll have some kind of emotional breakdown and they'll find me on the ledge of a 40th floor office window sucking my thumb. But then, maybe Tony Bennett has that effect on everyone.
Posted by PattyG on July 17, 2000, at 15:06:34
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by jimwlms on July 17, 2000, at 11:01:22
This may be WAY off the wall, but has anyone thought about some type of autism? A thought, anyway.
Posted by Cindy W on July 17, 2000, at 20:59:14
In reply to Re: can't stop the music, posted by jimwlms on July 17, 2000, at 11:01:22
> > jimwlms, the song going through my head was "Crystal Ship" by the Doors...and it is pretty much gone.
>
> I've never had this problem before...like I said it began about a year ago. The song that won't quit, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," came out in '62 when I was 9 years old. It wasn't exactly the kind of stuff I was listening to the radio to hear. So the significance of this particular song is baffling. Something off the first Doors album would make more sense since I literally wore it out when I was 14 or 15. I'm afraid if I actually listen to the Tony Bennett song I'll have some kind of emotional breakdown and they'll find me on the ledge of a 40th floor office window sucking my thumb. But then, maybe Tony Bennett has that effect on everyone.jimwlms, I'm LOL at your description of listening to Tony Bennett! Don't know if liking for a song determines whether the brain selects it for frequent "replay." I love the Doors too, and am glad it's "Crystal Ship." However, I'd recommend you try listening to various songs incl. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and see what happens! (Stay away from windows and ledges when you do!). Have heard that hearing frequent music can be l) normal, 2) OCD, 3) neurological. The only thing I'm familiar with is OCD.
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