Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 17508

Shown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Significance of continuous music in your head?

Posted by Sam on December 26, 1999, at 5:21:40

Does anybody know the significance of hearing music in your head almost non-stop the same thing over and over?

 

Re: Significance of continuous music in your head?

Posted by Phil on December 26, 1999, at 8:37:50

In reply to Significance of continuous music in your head?, posted by Sam on December 26, 1999, at 5:21:40

Sam, Probably just good songwriting.
This morning I have the 'classic',Counting Flowers on the Wall on a loop in my head.

Phil

 

Re: Significance of continuous music in your head?

Posted by peterh on December 26, 1999, at 10:20:27

In reply to Re: Significance of continuous music in your head?, posted by Phil on December 26, 1999, at 8:37:50

this may be a manifestation of ocd, and if so, may respond to ssri therapy. peace to all who suffer. peterh

 

Sam -- Continuous music, mild epilepsy & Tegretol

Posted by Zeke on December 26, 1999, at 15:09:31

In reply to Significance of continuous music in your head?, posted by Sam on December 26, 1999, at 5:21:40

It could likely be from a mild seizure discharge in your temporal lobe(s). If so, Tegretol (an anticonvulsant/antimanic med) seems to work well.

The fact that you alway hear the same tune strongly alludes to a seizure discharge. Do you experience a peculiar smell repeatedly -- without a source -- especially a smell of something rotten or burning? (another common symptom of epilepsy -- regardless of whether clinical seizures present.) Also, if you have taken antidepressants or neuroleptics, did these make the music worse? Those meds (some of them) lower the seizure threshold and might suggest a temporal lobe seizure discharge. And an obvious question is, do you have or have you had seizures? ...any kind of head injury?

You should probably be evaluated by a neurologist and have an EEG done. Yet if you have no other symptoms of "subclinical epilepsy" your doc could give Tegretol a try now.

Take a look at this item from Dr. Bob's Psychopharmacology Tips: Its a questionaire entitled, "Indicators Suggestive of Subsyndromal Epilepsy"

http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/isse.html


Here are several PubMed items re 'Musical Hallucinations,' & Tegretol:
(Note: carbamazepine = Tegretol)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=9672737&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=7893249&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=9005347&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b

(BTW -- what song is it???)

 

Re: Sam -- Continuous music, mild epilepsy & Tegretol

Posted by Sam on December 26, 1999, at 16:21:32

In reply to Sam -- Continuous music, mild epilepsy & Tegretol, posted by Zeke on December 26, 1999, at 15:09:31

I can't take Tegretol I'm on Clozaril. I am sensitive to and alarmed by burning smells, but I'm pretty sure they are real, cigarettes, gas stoves, etc.. I have moderately bad OCD. I have tried most of the SSRI's and tolerate them very poorly. I have had no seizures that I know of and no head injury, I may have had petit mal seizures but they have never been diagnosed. I took the questionaire and I scored high on one or two items, smell sensitivity I think. Its Beethovens 7th right now. I am also a amateur musician, could that have anything to do with it?

 

Re: Sam -- Continuous music, mild epilepsy & Tegretol

Posted by Noa on December 26, 1999, at 19:05:29

In reply to Re: Sam -- Continuous music, mild epilepsy & Tegretol, posted by Sam on December 26, 1999, at 16:21:32

Hi, Sam. There was a thread about this back in the summer. Sorry, I don't remember exactly when, but you might find it interesting to search and read the posts. Good Luck.

 

Re: Sam -- Continuous music, mild epilepsy & Tegretol

Posted by Cindy W on December 27, 1999, at 9:05:37

In reply to Re: Sam -- Continuous music, mild epilepsy & Tegretol, posted by Noa on December 26, 1999, at 19:05:29

> Hi, Sam. There was a thread about this back in the summer. Sorry, I don't remember exactly when, but you might find it interesting to search and read the posts. Good Luck.

Sam, I agree with peter that continuous music may be OCD. I've been replaying Christmas carols in my head for weeks now (for hours and hours at a time), and I have OCD.--Cindy W

 

Re: Sam -- Continuous music, mild epilepsy & Tegretol

Posted by Zeke on December 30, 1999, at 3:01:37

In reply to Re: Sam -- Continuous music, mild epilepsy & Tegretol, posted by Cindy W on December 27, 1999, at 9:05:37

> Sam, I agree with peter that continuous music may be OCD. I've been replaying Christmas carols in my head for weeks now (for hours and hours at a time), and I have OCD.--Cindy W

It could be OCD but what strikes me is that you had said it is THE SAME SONG. Now I hear you perhaps saying otherwise. With OCD this song would tend to vary, at least a bit. But in epilepsy, it tends to be the same.

But since subclinical epilepsy is a real possibility -- look at the literature -- get an EEG which could at least confirm it. (Though a negative EEG would not rule it out necessarily.)

I can understand the clozaril in as much as that seems to help with auditory hallucinations (such as in schizophrenia). However note that Clozaril can precipitate dose-related seizure disorders*. (Indeed Depakote is often prescribed to offset this risk.)

So consider an EEG. If you have a seizure disorder then Clozaril should be reconsidered, or at least a temporal lobe anticonvulsant other than Tegretol added.

Personally, I'm freightened by the side effect profiles of the neuroleptics, even the newer ones (though this may be acceptable relative to severe OCD). And I appreciate what you mean about SSRIs too. As an alternative consider the reported antiOCD effects of stimulants also (Do a PubMed search on amphetamine and OCD).

Lastly, consider the EEG because this isn't simply an OCD vs. epilepsy debate -- obsessional disorders can be a consequence of limbic seizure activity and this can occur without clinical seizures.

see:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=6481348&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=9339883&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=1756197&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=3346692&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=3779297&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b

Also be aware of the contraversy about Clozaril (clozapine) and OCD: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?uid=1487472&form=6&db=m&Dopt=b


* see: http://library.medscape.com/jobson/MedTrib/interncard/1998/v39.n17/Primary-CareDocsNeedtoBeFa.html


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