earworm torment (a.k.a. auditory imagery loop)

[canan]

Hi Canan

I'm so sorry to read you've had this problem for so long. I had it for a week and it was hell. However it was transitory for me. I cannot imagine having it for 5 years - it would be like having a migraine or a very bad toothache for 5 years.

I think I agree with Cheesus and Googsta in this thread, that it has something to do with sympathetic nervous system activation and is perhaps a kind of OCD. I've noticed a general tendency these days to find it difficult to stop activities once I've started them (even though I may not even be enjoying them anymore!) and although I am not an anxious person now, I think I was as a child and young adult. So for me those two explanations have some precedence.

You don't say what you have already tried - I imagine after 5 years you might have tried a lot of different treatments. Have you tried strategies that calm the sympathetic nervous system and/or enhance the parasympathetic nervous system? Some of these may help in the short term.

Also, I would suggest (perhaps when you have gained some respite) you might like to look into Methylation and B12 Therapy, also known as Freddd's Protocol on this site. I am only at the beginning of implementing Freddd's protocol, so can't speak much from personal experience but if you read up about it on this site, there is a lot of evidence that supplementing with the right kind of active B12s can be a powerful tool for improving all kinds of brain and body symptoms of CFS.

Good luck and good health to you,

coomacats

Hello, I think my disease is related to pure OCD, because intrusive music comes from inside of my head. I repeat the music I heard. I keep fixating on music I dont like. As you said, I have tried many SSRIs, but they make me worse. I dont know why they dont work for me.

If you hear anything, please let me know.

 

[coomacats]

Hello, I think my disease is related to pure OCD, because intrusive music comes from inside of my head. I repeat the music I heard. I keep fixating on music I dont like. As you said, I have tried many SSRIs, but they make me worse. I dont know why they dont work for me.

If you hear anything, please let me know.

Will do, Canan. At least when we can't fix a problem in our bodies directly, we always have the option to work on our general health and nutrition, level of inflammation etc and hope that this will influence the offending symptom. Good luck!

 

[canan]

if you learn sth, please let me know. Thanks

 

[canan]

I HEAR YA - LOL

I was diagnosed with ME/CFS 11 years ago.
But this problem began 5 years ago during a severe bout of depression & stress which was unrelated to my ME (I was quite active, but major family problems & trauma).
I'd had ear worms mildly throughout my life but this was preventing me sleeping more than two hours a night & I was hyper-anxious. I now believe this was due to exitotoxicity as I developed some serious Neurological symptoms at the same time e.g facial numbness, burning, tingling.

Commercial jingles were the worst & I had to avoid them around bedtime, my husband was even banned from singing at night
All the doctors I saw just gave me a weird look like I was nuts.

It was diagnosed as a type of OCD. I was on meds for four years, Luvox high dose which helped but it was still an issue, especially if I tried to reduce my dose.
From my research it seems alot of people with this problem have suffered head injuries (I've had concussion alot growing up & I have white matter lesions) & do not usually have other psychological issues such as depression or other OCD symptoms.

I tapered off the Luvox several months ago so it was back in all it's glory.
I started experimenting with supplements which have almost completely eliminated the problem, but I can't say for certain which ones.
I suspect it was one or all of these three - magnesium, fish oils, NAC.

It happens more when I am anxious or excited about something or wired but tired. I am just starting the Simplified Methylation Protocol & will report back if that helps .

Unfortunately it is yet another brain symptom that the psychiatric community has claimed territory on. Too many people are diagnosed with OCD IMO, especially kids. There was a recent program about this on 20/20 which is worth watching.
I forget which hospital it was in the U.S where they were studying OCD in kids, but they have found abnormalities in their MRI's.

Some people do need behavioural therapy (even though it is a physical manifestation). IMO dietary deficiencies are grossly underestimated & should be addressed before diagnosis is made & people put on psych meds.

P.s if anyone is literally 'hearing' music that is not there they should have a hearing test as it is a symptom of progressive deafness, usually in one ear. My MIL used to search about her house looking for the radio before she was diagnosed with partial deafness in one ear.

Hello,

I have same illness for many years. I want to get rid of it. could you please how you used NAC?

 

[Starsister]

OMG! I hadn't seen any of this ear worm thread till today and I have the same problem! Cant imagine his on my 63 yrs I never heard it mentioned...but what an awful term. I've never thought to tell a dr...too many other weird things to focus on, but it absolutely is disturbing. Ive had tinnitus for most of my life...figured everyone had it, but sometimes it's so loud I can't sleep...right now it's that constant high pitch buzz, but at times it sounds like swarms of cicadas buzzing at night. I can't tell the difference between the real thing vs in my head and have to open window to see if it gets louder.

But weirder and more disruptive are the songs and music which kept me up a lot last night. I associate it with anxiety, and have had it all my life as well, but some times worse than others. I do think there is an OCD element to it...as it helping me cope in a situation...some times helps me distract, sometimes it is comforting, other times like last night I wasn't feeling anxious about anything, but it started when I awoke in middle of night and had to takes meds again to get back to sleep.

I was being super sensitive to any stimuli ...had to unplug my phone charger that gives off a tiny light or I would fixate on that, or the fact that it was on, and then a darn song that I'd listened to a few days before. I used to love playing my music but think I've subconsciously avoided it for years, either because I'm afraid of getting stuck on a piece, or it just brings up too many emotions. I can get a fever just from being emotionally triggered by talking to someone.

I'm just now realizing all the things that can be neurological and so glad for this thread, group and site. I dont mind things being labeled as psychological as the mind and body are completely interconnected anyway. Don't know why the stigma of something being psychological or emotional in origin. I've been a licensed therapist for over 30 years, been in my own therapy even longer, worked in psych hospitals and am amazed how many things such as OCD and bipolar can be physiological, and can now be helped with medication. Things I used to think just talk therapy could help with. Ofcourse too many docs think a RX should fix everything, but usually we need both angles.

But when it is a defense mechanism for anxiety, as mine is sometimes, an anxiety medication is required. So I popped a Valium and some herbal things to get back to sleep last night. If it wasn't psychological to start with, I could feel it becoming more emotional as it was CAUSING me to be more anxious and panic that I wasn't going to get the sleep I need for my other health issues.

 

[Hanna]

I have been suffering also from this "broken record symptom" for years. It comes and go and I can't explain the reason why.
I have been stucked with a brazilian song now for more than 2 weeks, day and night. It is a nightmare and I don't know what to do to alleviate the problem. Took Magnesium, good quality fish oil... no change.
Has someone aome new insight on the problem and how to bring some relief ? (I can't take any meds which deals with the CNS).

 

[canan]

I HEAR YA - LOL

I was diagnosed with ME/CFS 11 years ago.
But this problem began 5 years ago during a severe bout of depression & stress which was unrelated to my ME (I was quite active, but major family problems & trauma).
I'd had ear worms mildly throughout my life but this was preventing me sleeping more than two hours a night & I was hyper-anxious. I now believe this was due to exitotoxicity as I developed some serious Neurological symptoms at the same time e.g facial numbness, burning, tingling.

Commercial jingles were the worst & I had to avoid them around bedtime, my husband was even banned from singing at night
All the doctors I saw just gave me a weird look like I was nuts.

It was diagnosed as a type of OCD. I was on meds for four years, Luvox high dose which helped but it was still an issue, especially if I tried to reduce my dose.
From my research it seems alot of people with this problem have suffered head injuries (I've had concussion alot growing up & I have white matter lesions) & do not usually have other psychological issues such as depression or other OCD symptoms.

I tapered off the Luvox several months ago so it was back in all it's glory.
I started experimenting with supplements which have almost completely eliminated the problem, but I can't say for certain which ones.
I suspect it was one or all of these three - magnesium, fish oils, NAC.

It happens more when I am anxious or excited about something or wired but tired. I am just starting the Simplified Methylation Protocol & will report back if that helps .

Unfortunately it is yet another brain symptom that the psychiatric community has claimed territory on. Too many people are diagnosed with OCD IMO, especially kids. There was a recent program about this on 20/20 which is worth watching.
I forget which hospital it was in the U.S where they were studying OCD in kids, but they have found abnormalities in their MRI's.

Some people do need behavioural therapy (even though it is a physical manifestation). IMO dietary deficiencies are grossly underestimated & should be addressed before diagnosis is made & people put on psych meds.

P.s if anyone is literally 'hearing' music that is not there they should have a hearing test as it is a symptom of progressive deafness, usually in one ear. My MIL used to search about her house looking for the radio before she was diagnosed with partial deafness in one ear.

Hello
I can not reach you. Could you please contact me please?
Thanjs