Singing in the head
 

I had brain surgery three years ago to drain subdural and epidural hematomas, which were (supposedly) causing the increased severity of headaches I have had most of my life. Since that time I am constantly singing in my head - involuntarily repeating various tunes, snatches of music, songs, poems etc., whenever my brain is 'in neutral', and sometimes even when I am trying to concentrate on something specific, so annoying and distracting that I have to start counting to try to override the symptom. The particular melody I repeat over and over in my head, often speeding up until it is barely comprehensible, especially if it's a song that I don't know all the words to - the same theme can last hours, even days. My neurologist has no explanation other than the brain's being 'overactive'. I take various brain-calming medications (Inderal, Nortryptiline, Clonapin) to help with my contining headaches, but these do not stop the music!
Anybody out there with similar symptoms?

well, I'm not sure this will help much, but I've ALWAYS had this sort of thing. Whatever musical thing I hear last I hear repeated over and over and over again until the next musical thing. OK for something like, say, Beethoven. Not so OK when it's the jingle to three's company or something like that.

I don't know what to make of this in you, though, since it's apparently new and more intrusive than my version of things. I'm sorry. I did read an article about ridding oneself of musical plagues like this and it said to do anagrams (5 letters) or some other engaging puzzle or brain task. I suppose that would help. Say the alphabet backwards. See if you can, and see if that helps.

If nothing else, it will provide information for your neurologist.

I'm sorry you're going through this, especially right after surgery. Good luck.

BIBO

Wow Julie. That would be very annoying! This is just off the top of my head, but I'm wondering if a therapist could help to "train" the brain. In therapy, we are taught all kinds of things, so I'm just wondering if that would help too!

Why not call a good Psychiatrist's office and see what they think? It's worth a call, right? I would think they could give you an answer.

I wish you the very best Julie. Let us know what happens. God bless and please take care. Hugs, Lee :)

Thanks for your empathy!
 

I'm amazed you could go through an entire life with 'singing on the brain'. Have you ever consulted a doctor about it? It's certainly true that it stops when I am doing puzzles, or a game like Scrabble, that involves full attention and thought, but as soon as I stop, it starts up again! Even Beethoven gets to be a bit much on the hundredth repetition! I have asked several doctors about this, including psychiatrists and neurologists but they don't seem to have any idea how to deal with it - short term distractions are fine, but being a retired person with maybe too much down time and too many other health problems (teaching was pretty full time brain work, but no hope of returning to that!) there are long gaps filled with irritating rubbish! I'm working on trying to fill them, but my favorite activity, reading, is limited by headaches......... Thanks for taking the time to respond - let me know if you come up with a great new way of dealing with it!

Music in the Head
 

Thank you for your sympathetic message. Perhaps I'll take a look on the Web to see if that kind of therapy exists - the neurologists and psychiatrist that I've consulted had nothing to suggest. They say "the brain is an unchartered region". Not a helpful response from professionals who are supposed to know about these things!