by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A man wrote:
My 87 year old mother has of late begun hearing music, conversations, and other noises which aren’t there. The examples you mentioned in your article describing ‘Musical Ear Syndrome‘ were exactly the situations she’s describing. I was ready to ascribe her hallucinations to her age, solitude and hearing loss until I read the following paragraph.
“Another cause of auditory hallucinations is drugs and medications. Elderly people tend to take more and more medications as they age. Unfortunately, numerous drugs can cause auditory hallucinations.”
Have you any references to or about drugs which may be a cause? My mother is taking a few drugs. If there’s a generic type or class of medication (e.g., for some specific organ, bodily function, condition, etc.) that’s most likely to be a culprit, it would be hugely helpful to know.
There are a good number of drugs that known to cause hallucinations—the vast majority of which are auditory hallucinations. So far, I have found more than 280 drugs, herbs and chemicals with this property.
Unfortunately, the drugs are scattered throughout many of the drug classes, so you can’t just say, for example, “Stay away from these 3 classes of drugs and you’ll be fine.”
Appendix 2 in “Phantom Voices, Ethereal Music and Other Spooky Sounds” lists all the hallucinatory drugs and herbs of which I’m aware.
I have been having a mens choir singing thru my ears daily and the frequency is excelerated lately, I have only one hearing with a hearing aid.
My Dr. Added an anti-epileptic drug to my prozac, because higher doses of prozac are contra-indicated due to my age. Now I am hearing a men’s choir singing the same tune but intermittently.
My 90 year old mother is experiencing auditory halluctionations. Please send me a list of possible drugs which may cause or contribute to her condition so that I might check against her current meds.
Hi Don:
There are several hundred such drugs. They are listed in the appendix of my book, “Phantom Voices, Ethereal Music and Other Spooky Sounds”. You can get it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/phantom-voices-ethereal-music-and-other-spooky-sounds/ .
However, it is unlikely that drugs are the prime cause of her Musical Ear Syndrome sounds, but they may certainly contribute to them. The best way to tell is if she started a new drug, or increased the dose on an existing one, and in the next week she began hearing such phantom sounds. If there has been no changes to her medications in the past number of months, then I wouldn’t think those drugs are the culprit.
Cordially,
Neil
I have this as long as I remember. Funny I thought all could hear what heard so like a radio in my head. I don’t hear things I haven’t heard before but when started asking around became an outcast
Hi Eric:
I don’t think you have Musical Ear Syndrome since you have heard these sounds “forever”. Rather, I think you are experiencing Audio Pareidolia. It is a fascinating condition and totally benign. There are many people that experience this, but like you have a tough time if they tell others. Ditto for MES too.
Here is the link to my article on the subject. And a lot of questions and my replies below the article. Does this sound like what you experience?
https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/apophenia-audio-pareidolia-and-musical-ear-syndrome/
Cordially,
Neil
I am 65 and female. I hear about six different songs constantly. It isn’t unpleasant just interesting. I suspect hearing loss I in my right ear IS the cause of my condition and also meds, ie anti depressants and other pain meds.
Kay Seltitzas TAsmaia Australia
I have Auditory Hallucination from 12 years and It goes only when I use to take these medicines
1) Olepra 5 mg
2)Kempro 5 mg
3)Dosik 5mg
Note: Take it only after Dinner at least at 20 to 25 days
Hi Shahnila:
The three drugs you mention Olanzapine (Olepra), Procyclidine (Kempro) and Haloperidol (Dosik) are all drugs used to treat mental health issues such as schizophrenia.
If you do NOT have mental health issues–such as those who experience Musical Ear Syndrome–these same drugs can CAUSE hallucinations. Thus these drugs are NOT a solution to those experiencing Musical Ear Syndrome, but can CAUSE them mental health problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I have Auditory Hallucination that’s why Doctor Prescribed me these medicines. I hear men sound talking to me.
Hi Shahnila:
If you hear voices (men’s or otherwise) talking to or about you, then you are not experiencing Musical Ear Syndrome.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Please send me your email address.. I want to Discuss my Chronic Insomnia to you. If you can help me.
could the MES cause be oral local anastehic for wisdom tooth removal in a 89 year old female who is very hard of hearing–the “music” began the following day. My email address is an ironic coincidence–I am a longtime jazz collector and pianist.
Hi Thela:
I’m sure it could, especially if it was an upper wisdom tooth being removed since the roots are so close to the inner ear and so there could be a bit of “ear trauma”.
If the anesthetic was Lidocaine or one of the Lidocaine family of drugs, then it certainly could be that as well.
Your phantom music may disappear in a few days or may persist–but don’t worry about it or let it bother you.
Cordially,
Neil
I hum songs constantly. It really gets on my own nerves. What could cause it.
Hi Susan:
I don’t understand what you are saying. Are you saying to hum songs yourself? If so, why don’t you stop if it gets on your nerves.
Or are you meaning you hear phantom songs being hummed? If it is this that you are referring to, there are a number of possibilities. One is that your brain is hearing a constant background sound such as a fan running or air conditioner, etc. and modulates this sound so you hear it as a song. This is called audio pareidolia, and is a perfectly normal.
Cordially,
Neil
I didn’t take any medicine that cause negative auditory hallucination.After even treatment from three years, those voices are not going.
Problem is that drugs that my doctor give me to heal with this problem has several side affects like Risperidone increase weight and reduce sleep.
And dilemma is that there is no permanent solution
Hi Shahnila:
Risperidone is an anti-psychotic drug. These drugs don’t help people with Musical Ear Syndrome, just give them other problems. Not only that, taking Risperidone can CAUSE these auditory hallucinations.
Cordially,
Neil
You mean to say that Risperidone is the reason of increasing auditory hallucination??
Hi Shahnila:
Risperidone can definitely cause auditory hallucinations. In fact, I have more reports of it causing auditory hallucinations than for any other drug.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Neil for your report about Risperidone.
I will definetly tell my doctor about its side affect.
I have Pulmonary Fibrosis along with other ailments from mixed collagen, auto-immune disease, and Sjogrens. I frequently hear sounds like hollow hammering, clicks, vague conversations, singing, and music. Most of the music, I am not familiar with. It sounds so real that I have asked if anyone else could hear what I could. It has seemed to be worse with Cellcept, an immune system suppressant I understand Musical Ear, but the variety of what I hear is disconcerting.
Hi Linda:
Mycophenolate (CellCept) causes auditory hallucinations in numbers of people, so I’m not surprised that it makes your MES worse.
The variety of sounds may be disconcerting, but hearing only 3 or 4 notes repeated endlessly can drive you buggy.
Cordially,
Neil
Does Seroquel help with auditory hallucinations. My husband has been diagnosed with dementia and is having a difficult time with the music he only hears. It is making him angry and wants me to turn it off. He has loss of hearing as well. I don’t know what to do to help him, His neurologist has prescribed Seroquel, but it is not helping yet.
Hi Millie:
Not as far as I know. In fact, just the opposite. Quetiapine (Seroquel) causes auditory hallucinations in thousands of people. I sure wouldn’t use this drug to try to get rid of such hallucinations.
If he hears Musical Ear Syndrome sounds, that is NOT a sign of dementia, but of something wot working quite right in the auditory system. Too often doctors diagnose such people as having dementia when this is not the case.
Why is he getting angry about these sounds. Explain to him that is is benign–and to ignore these sounds–or listen to them if he likes them–but it is not helpful or productive to get upset over them as they are all in his head. It is not someone that has left a radio or TV or whatever on to bug him.
Cordially,
Neil
I been hearing music for 24/7 since May. I started taking Zoloft 50mg about the same time. It’s music like favorite pops songs, TV theme songs, etc. Sometimes on loop or certain part of song. Other times full songs. I hope I not going crazy. I have some tinnitus like high pitch ringing all the time. I’m on 46 and maybe its from my medication. I also take benzos to sleep. Any advice or incite would help. I don’t want to think I going Schziophrenic or something. I take Restoril and Klonopin at night. It very distracting. I hope it goes away if I discountinue Zoloft?!
Hi Thomas:
Sertraline (Zoloft) can and does cause auditory hallucinations (or Musical Ear Syndrome [MES]) in good numbers of people so if yours began soon after you began taking the Zoloft, I’d say there was a good chance the Zoloft is the culprit. Hopefully, stopping the Zoloft will let the MES sounds fade away.
Just be aware than Clonazepam (Klonopin) is almost as bad regarding causing auditory hallucinations (or MES) as is Zoloft. Temazepam (Restoril) can also cause these phantom sounds, but is only about 1/4 as bad as Zoloft.
I tell you this because if you stop the Zoloft and your phantom sounds don’t fade away, then the Klonopin may be keeping them active and you may have to dump it too. And to a lesser extent, the Restoril may do the same.
It’s not a good idea to take benzodiazepines such as Klonopin or Restoril in the long term as you can build up a dependence on them that is almost impossible to break without horrible side effects. (Long term in my opinion, is anything longer than about 2 weeks.) You need to find other solutions to get to sleep. There are a number of natural solutions you could try instead.
Cordially,
Neil
I recently stop Zoloft but still take Klonopin. And still have MES. I been taking the Klonopin for 6 months now also. Only 1mg at night. I’ll try to a week off of it to see if MES will resolve. I’ll keep you posted on results soon.
How did going off this work out for you?
I am 84 years old, and I have problem with my hearing. I don’t hear to well.
about two months I started hearing
singing on my right ear. The music
I hear are Christmas music, Hymns, old love songs, and Patriotic songs. I suffer from fibromyalgia, and the
medications I’ve taking are the same I have ones before the the
musical ear problem.
Hi Millie:
Many elderly people with hearing loss hear phantom sounds such as you were hearing, whether they are taking medications or not. But certainly, some medications could make it worse, or cause similar phantom sounds. What you are experiencing is a classic case of Musical Ear Syndrome.
If you want to learn more about MES, you can read my comprehensive article on it at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/musical-ear-syndrome-the-phantom-voices-ethereal-music-other-spooky-sounds-many-hard-of-hearing-people-secretly-experience/ .
Cordially,
Neil
I just like to know if Seroquel can cause MES as side effect ? If I should stop taking it to see if it’s the culprit. I take it to sleep. Just like to know.
Tom
Hi Tom:
Quetiapine (Seroquel) causes phantom sounds in thousands of people taking it. I think it is one of the worst drugs in this respect. So there is a very good chance that what you are hearing is the result of taking the Seroquel. I think you’ll find your MES goes away when you stop taking this drug.
If you have problems going to sleep, you may want to try taking the herbal Valerian. It is not ototoxic and doesn’t have all the other side effects.
Cordially,
Neil
I am 44yrs old I was in a coma in 2014 started hearing voices and music after that take 3 mlg risperdone don’t hear anything anymore but have uncontrollable movements of toung and. Hand . Stop it but voices and music is coming back what do I do ?
Hi Lisa:
What was the cause of your coma? If you damage certain parts of your brain, you can hear voices and music especially if there is scar tissue at that point. Such sounds are typically benign–not a sign of any mental problem–just due to the physical damage. If this is your case, and the music/voices are impersonal and not unpleasant, just let them be there and ignore them and see if they will fade away in time.
If they are caused by a drug you are on, then stopping the drug may stop them as well.
Cordially,
Neil
So I’ve been think I’m having auditory hallucinations; music and a person in distress which I’ve thought was my neighbor. It got so bad I called the police and they did not hear anything. I started Zoloft about a month ago and that’s when it started. Do you think it’s that or am I going schizophrenic or have a brain tumor, etc (been looking on google a lot and I’m getting concerned)
Hi Amanda:
I think it is the Sertraline (Zoloft). Hundreds and hundreds of people have reported getting auditory hallucinations after taking Zoloft. So I think that is what is happening in your case. I doubt you are schizophrenic or have a brain tumor.
The easy way to tell is to stop taking the Zoloft and wait a couple of weeks and see whether these hallucinations go away. If so, you know the Zoloft was the culprit.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey dr my name is Chris , so I’ve recently had a crisis in my life and it made me suicidal with severe anxiety and depression , I was given trazadone to sleep and then a month later lexapro up to 10 mg , I’ve been having these musical loops in my head , and even tho my anxiety and depression fade away and I’m no longer suicidal I still keep hearing the loops , my doctor said it can be the anti depressants since the loops started when I started the meds . Do you think it will go away once I completely come off of the anti depressants
Hi Chris:
Escitalopram (Lexapro) certainly causes phantom sounds in numbers of people. So does the Trazodone. So I’m not surprised that you are hearing the phantom music.
It’s great that you are getting your life back under control. I’d hope your phantom music would fade away when you get off both of these drugs. But there is no guarantee. Only time will tell.
Cordially,
Neil
My father is 85. He has been telling my brother and I that the neighbor is playing a radio all night and he thinks it is soccer or talk radio. He said it starts with a buzz, then he hears voices. He got very angry with us when we questioned his hearing and I also questioned the source of the sounds. He said it sounds like its coming through the heater. (the heater is a cadet, self contained, no ducts), then its loudest in the bathroom, then the office. He is convinced the neighbor is terrorizing him. He doesn’t want us spending the night and gets very agitated if he thinks we are doubting him. Is this common with this illness? We need help.
Hi Veronica:
It certainly sounds like your father is experiencing musical ear syndrome, or one of its versions. Some elderly people get very defensive when you question their hearing, or the reality of their phantom sounds. This is not all that uncommon.
However, I want you to find out whether he only hears these sounds when the heater is on and the fan is running. If these sounds go off instantly when the heater/fan go off and then reappear when the heater comes back on, what sure father is experiencing is called audio pareidolia. In this case, his brain is forcing speech patterns on the soft fan noises the heater is making.
This is just a natural brain phenomenon, and certainly has nothing to do with anybody “terrorizing” him. If this is what is happening to him, you would both to do well to read my article on the subject at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/apophenia-audio-pareidolia-and-musical-ear-syndrome/
Cordially,
Neil
I have been hearing gospel music and patriotic music since September. It bothers me , and my health is not great, but I have tried to ignore it, which is nearly impossible. I have told every Dr. I go to about it also. None knows what it could be. I finally called my hearing person, she did another hearing test and my hearing had not changed, She asked me several questions about if anyone had taken me off any meds lately , especially pain meds. Yes they had in Sept. She said nothing would help me when I asked. So I went to that Dr. and told him , he wanted me to see a Phsyciatrist, also anther Dr. said that too. But the rest of my Dr.s told me I didn,t need to. So I try to cope with it but it keeps me awake and I am not functioning well since this happened feel like there is no help. Mine never stops it,s 24,7, day and night now for around 6 months. I don,t have any mental disorders or diseases. Is there anything else I can do? Also I do have hearing loss and hearing aids.
Hi Judy:
You may find it helps to have real sounds around you whenever your phantom sounds are bothering you. Give both your brain and you something real to focus on–and not on your phantom Musical Ear Syndrome sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
I heard music like a band. Then sudden louder sound. Now mixed sounds music and radio like. Tinnitus to this about the time cymbalta for pain. Is it a problem?
Hi Pat:
Hundreds of people have reported to the FDA hearing phantom sounds resulting from taking Duloxetine (Cymbalta). So it is a known side effect of this drug.
I’d suggest you ask your doctor for a different drug and hopefully the racket will go away.
Cordially,
Neil
I have started getting MES. Over the last week.
Am on Duloxetine and have been for over a year.
Am depressed. Also take Tramadol until my feet and leg problems are diagnosed
Hi Shirley:
Both Duloxetine and Tramadol can cause MES-like symptoms. And being depressed can also bring on MES, especially if you also have a hearing loss.
Cordially,
Neil
I thought I was going crazy! I had no name for what I am experiencing so I googled. I feel somewhat better to know that I’m not just going crazy but there is something definitely going on that I hear so many sounds. I knew I had tinnitus but lately, like the last few months, I’ve been hearing a male choir. Sometimes, other singing and sounds as well. Very disconcerting. The only solution is to keep busy and/or sing along with the choir. :/ I just want them to shut up! But, I’m glad to have a name for it now. I’ve had knee surgery and have been on pain meds for awhile. Hydrocodone with Acetaminophen. I have arthritis and lot of damage in my spine. Pain meds help but I’d gladly stop taking them if this singing would go away. Regular tinnitus noise is bad enough but I have gotten used to them.
Hi Tawanda:
Hydrocodone can certainly cause you to hear phantom sounds. If you can correlate the phantom sounds to beginning soon after you began the hydrocodone, that’s a good indication it is the culprit. The same applies if you raised the dose of the hydrocodone and got the phantom sounds. You could try reducing or stopping the pain meds and see if the phantom sounds fade away. If they do, then see if there is a dosage level that helps your pain but does not cause the phantom racket. If so, that would be the best compromise between pain levels and phantom sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
My 76 YO mom takes tramdol for chronic back pain from arthritis and osteoporosis, mestinon for ocular myasthenia gravis, rabeprazole for a pyloric stenosis, armour thyroid for hypothyroidism, and lisonopril for hypertension. She’s had off and on recurrences of auditory hallucinations for a few years now. She likens them to hearing radio broadcasts — most often people reading the news or making news announcements. It’s very rarely musical. She has honeymoons where it subsides completely and then comes roaring back. It’s frightening and disruptive to her sleep, waking her up at night or when she naps. She does not hear them when she is already awake. None of these are meds she can completely quit, but which of these would be the most likely culprit? Thank you.
Hi Leigh:
Of the drugs you mention, Tramadol is the most likely suspect followed fairly closely by Lisinopril. The other three are way down so I’d think they are unlikely to this problem.
Note that hearing phantom radios, etc. (Musical Ear Syndrome) is fairly common among older people with hearing loss so it may be that none of the drugs are causing it. Or it may be a combination of the above and one or more of the drugs.
Cordially,
Neil
Could Lunesta mixed with Gabapentin cause this? My 73 yr old mom is hearing voices not necessarily music but voices talking. She also suffers from depression and takes Effexor as well. This has caused extreme paranoia with her.
Hi Cindy:
Yes, it could be the combination of Eszopiclone (Lunesta) and Gabapentin (Neurontin), but Gabapentin has had 5 times as many reports as Lunesta.
Venlafaxine (Effexor) can also cause these phantom sounds. In fact, it has 1.5 times the number of reports as Gabapentin has.
So the likelihood of these drugs causing these phantom sounds is first, Effexor, then Gabapentin with Lunesta bringing up the rear.
However, no one knows what the synergistic effects the combination of these three drugs may cause.
I’d suspect both the Effexor and Gabapentin as the culprits.
Cordially,
Neil
I started hearing a male quartet humming the same short melody over and over. The next problem was when any songs I didn’t know played they all sounded the same. The music when a TV show begins all sounded the same. I could only hear songs I knew. Now I am starting to experience the loss of being able to hear music I own and have listened to for years. It is starting to sound like a cassette tape that is dragging. I am scared as my music is a big part of my life. I am concerned as to how much this loss is going to be. I am on several of the meds I have seen listed that cause this (Zoloft, Geodon, and Gabapentin) but there was no change in any dosage amount when this started. It started when we started using the air conditioning a lot. The heat pump is just outside my bedroom window and it is old and sounds like it is going to rattle to pieces every time it is running. The male quartet singing started in the same rhythm as the heat pumps noise.
Hi Pamela:
Drugs don’t have to show side effects just when you start taking them or when you change the dose, side effects can also start out of the blue after you have been taking a drug for weeks or months or even years without side effects showing up.
All three of the drugs you are taking can cause you to hear phantom sounds and mess up your ears.
The worst of the three are the Sertraline (Zoloft) and Gabapentin. The Ziprasidone (Geodon) while definitely ototoxic, is not as bad as the other two drugs.
If you are hearing sounds like they come from your heat pump, this is a condition called audio pareidolia where you brain takes the sounds from the heat pump in your case and converts them into other sounds, such as music and singing. This is nothing to worry about. When the heat pump stops, the sound immediately goes away, right?
Cordially,
Neil
No, the sound is now constant and the inability to hear music that I am not familiar with has started to affect the music I DO know. The condition is worsening each month.
Yeah, mine seems to take over anything I listen to. background music on TV, if someone is playing their music loud OMG. Before the super Bowl that stupid side show song was what I was hearing but didn’t know until I heard that song. Then after that it began to change some but is still stuck for the most part on one stupid song until later at night then it might change some. I’ve read listening to other music can help train it but not much luck for me at least not yet.
Yeah I’d say the Gabapentin is doing it and what other drugs you may be on as well…
I wish people would stop prescribing these darned drugs for pain when they are primarily anti psychotic or anti depressants. I could be dead now for as I stated I thought at first demons were after me and if so the Dr. would be just oops and My wife if she wanted to mostly wouldn’t be able to do much about it.
yeah like I said I hear drums, they vibrate the heck out of all day long. it hurts kind of.
I guess I’m kind of lucky for I’ve only had this a short time, and I read about some people who’ve had if for ten years or more wow.
Additional info – I am 66 and had a heart attack a year ago and am on all the statins, blood pressure, etc. meds following a heart attack. The sertraline and gabapentin I have been on for years. The noise began this past Spring when we started running the air and I was aware of the rumble of the heat pump. It took on the male quartet singing “backup” music that was repetitive with the sound of the heat pump.
My mother-in-law was describing music that she keeps hearing to us. That caused me to look it up and I was pleased to get the information I needed to be able to assure her it isn’t something that she should be upset about. Could Ativan be causing this condition? She has also been put on Lasix, Vancomycin, and Rifampin.
Hi Linda:
Your mom may have developed Musical Ear Syndrome just due to aging and hearing loss.
However, various drugs can also do much the same thing. Ativan is definitely one of them with hundreds upon hundreds of people reporting such things. Lasix is another, but does not have near as many reports. In Rifampin and Vancomycin, it can occur, but is relatively rare.
If she noticed the phantom sounds after beginning the Ativan, that would be strong circumstantial evidence that the Ativan is the culprit in her case.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for the information. She is sharp as a tac, as far as her memory. This information will really help her to understand that this condition has nothing to do with her losing her mind. She never experienced this before the use of these drugs.
Hi Linda:
No, she is not losing her mind. It’s taking place in the auditory circuits in her brain. If it started soon after taking the drugs, I’d blame it on the drugs–since it never happened before.
Cordially,
Neil
My dad has, in the last week developed an auditory hallucination where he hears patriotic music as well as hymns (as one of the commentators stated above). He has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s approximately 1 1/2 years ago. They recently restarted two medications for him. Citalopram (which he’s never taken before) and sinemet which he has been on and off of for over a year. His neurologist thought it may be from the sinemet and took him off about 5 days ago. He is still hearing sounds rather intensely. Could it be the citalopram? Thank you so much for your advice!
Hi Holly:
Citalopram may be the cause, is there are hundreds and hundreds of reports of auditory hallucinations from taking Citalopram. However, what your dad has sounds like Musical Ear Syndrome which can develop without reference to any drugs.
Levodopa (Sinemet) can also cause auditory hallucinations, but there are far fewer reports as compared to Citalopram.
Cordially,
Neil
After a violent trauma I was started on zoloft and while it helped 8 months after I started it I started hearing male singing in my left ear. My therapist thought it may be due to my TMJ that it may be more of a ringing, but it is music. I have been hard of hearing my whole life but it worse. I wear one hearing aid in my right ear because they are so expensive. Would a second hearing aid help?
Hi Philomena:
Hundreds and hundreds of people have reported that Sertraline (Zoloft) caused them to hear phantom sounds like that, so it could well be the Zoloft you are taking.
If it is the Zoloft, then getting a second hearing aid likely wouldn’t help at all. The thing to do is switch from the Zoloft to another drug or ween yourself of that drug. Then if the phantom music stops, you’ll know it was the Zoloft.
Cordially,
Neil
Add Gabapentin to this list of drugs that can cause auditory hallucinations.
Although I’d taken if for over a year or more, I had abused it and took all at once at night to sleep.
Nov. Of last year began hearing voices and noises. Then it went completely musical in Jan and or Feb of this year 2021.
I have hearing loss in both ears, but primarily on my left side but both sides are bad. and I have this thing now I think. But its 24/7 never ends but driving and other noises seem to aggravate it quite a bit. I hear a demon sounding voice and what seems like a bunch of background singers I’ve been musical all my life and with tinnitus that I’ve have since my twenty’s in order to not listen to the crap in my ear I’d get a song in my head for days and months at end but they would change at least this hardly does. Although at points it seems like it’s trying to do Burning love from Elvis. But I’ve like all kinds of music but he was one of my earliest artists I loved so…
I have or hear drums that seem to vibrate my whole body especially the left side almost all day and night. Even though it’s not stopped even though I went cold turkey off of the Gabapentin I still believe it helped cause it. My audiologist doesn’t agree but I’ve read it does created or can auditory hallucinations so…
Mine is bad I mean loud most of the time along with vibrations I can’t sleep. I did just recently get a hearing aid in my left ear and awaiting to get one again in my right. I had a old model one I wore in my right ear for a few years since 2017 but it went on the frits so I can’t use it no more. So hoping I get one in that ear soon to help.
but the point is i wear this one to help give my left ear some sound for I’m almost def in that ear and can’t hear much at all when I plug my right ear so yeah.
But when I take it at night since it buzzes a lot if something impedes it or I’d wear it all the time. But when I take it out the music or what ever does seem further back for a while then after a while it goes back to being loud and can’t sleep. I’m 54 so…
I’ve been through hell as well with cancer. I took Votrient for a while until it stopped helping and my kidney cancer spread. I’ve taken Opdivo as well but that broke my skin out since I have Psoriasis as well so quit. then they put through five radiation treatments for a tumor on my left second rib and not long after the last treatment this crap started. They deny it had anything to do with it but still a heck of a coincidence if you ask me. ADD Ephedra as well for years ago I was taking diet pills with that in it and Ephedra is what crank is made from so… But I had a similar thing happen then but that went away but did leave worse tinnitus than what I had. Then the Dr. gave me Zoloft and so yes I’d attest that Zoloft could at least aggravate tinnitus and maybe cause MES/musical ear syndrome.
I was lucky when this crap started I didn’t end up as before because this crap scared the hell out of me at first until I came across sites that talked about musical ear so….
But I do believe Gabapentin caused my grief or at least helped.
I’ve read all kinds of scary things about Gabapentin as well so…
For me it seems like there’s a engine when I first wake up and I try as I can to not let it start up but it does and then all day I’m hit with drums and music. Just odd.
Thanks for this.
Hi Doug:
Gabapentin is already on the list of drugs that can cause auditory hallucinations. In fact, hundreds and hundreds of people have reported hearing phantom sounds as a result of taking this drug. It also causes hearing loss in even more people.
It’s never a good idea to go off a drug “cold turkey” when you’ve been on it for a while. Your body needs time to adjust. Quitting suddenly increases the risk of developing nasty withdrawal side effects.
Your audiologist is obviously not an expert on the effects of drugs that affect your ears. But to be fair, auditory hallucinations aren’t listed in drug books such as the PDR. In fact, I didn’t have auditory hallucinations listed in the third edition of my book “Ototoxic Drugs Exposed”, which came out in 2010, but it definitely is listed in the upcoming 4th edition.
Wearing hearing aids can certainly mask phantom sounds–tinnitus or Musical Ear Syndrome (MES) to some extent while you are wearing them, but when you take them off at night, the phantom sounds come back–and in the quietness of the bedroom, they sound quite a bit louder.
It’s interesting that I have more reports of Sertraline causing auditory hallucinations than I have for Gabapentin. So Zoloft is another drug of which to be wary when you are hearing phantom sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
Yeah I hadn’t read others on here talking about Gabapentin until after I replied so sorry.
But TV only masks mine I still hear it and sometimes while watching like baseball it almost sounds as if the crowd is singing to my crap IE MES.
But it’s when they are chanting something in hopes to get a strike out or hit or something, so I know the difference, just saying Plus it doesn’t come through the hearing aid so…
Are drums and being vibrated to death common?
The last night or so mine seemed to go into some kind of Elvis song LOL.
Burning love for sure but some other song too.
I’m in the process to get a EEG done soon like in late June what should I ask for as in the kind of EEG when time comes? But too we are inundated with WIFI in this house and even though I have a WIFI router I don’t have it on. I say because originally I thought I was being targeted by technology so I bought a EMF meter and it shows in the living room goes to high on the meter, meaning I do also get a lot of EMF radiation as well. I will also put the meter on Bytes and go outside and just pointing the thing at our door it goes to over ten million bytes almost instantly. SO again could this be part of it???
I mean I do read where EMF radiation can cause auditory hallucinations so….?
I did point the thing to my head at first when I was thinking that I was being targeted and or gang stalked
and it would go high n the meter, but outside normal so that’s when I began weeding that out as to what was happening because I’d think if someone was pointing a signal at me directly it would show up as high on a EMF meter at all times but..?
Plus I’d think if that was it they’d use something different than music or noises all the time?
Anyways thanks yeah sorry again as I mentioned I hadn’t seen others mention Gabapentin before saying what I did.
Yes I think it did cause some of my hearing loss as well for even though bad I could at least hear better in my left ear when I stuck my finger in my right ear just to see how good or bad my left ear was so yeah.
I take but try not to all the time PM’s or things like Excedrin PM or Advil Pm’s. is this good or should I not take them much?
To add as well it’s kind f late now but I wanted to be off that Gabapentin crap asap.
But now it’s been a couple f months so…
Hi Doug:
When you say the TV masks yours, you mean you can’t hear it over the TV, but its there waiting for you when you turn the TV off, correct?
Numbers of people both hear their phantom sounds (MES) AND FEEL them–the floor, bed or chair, etc. vibrating to the sound. This vibration feeling is also phantom. For example, if I “hear” a low rumbling sound like a bulldozer working outside my window, I typically also feel the house shaking–but both are phantom. Makes it hard to believe it is phantom when two senses are telling you it is true.
I’ve never heard of EEGs showing up MES, but I don’t see why they shouldn’t since even phantom sensations result in brain activity. I don’t know what kind you need. Certainly the auditory cortex should be active, but other parts of your brain should “light up” as well.
If you are sensitive to EMF, who knows what kinds of things you’ll experience. Have you read my article on the subject at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/are-microwave-hearing-devices-slowly-cooking-our-kids-2/
As for taking Excedrin PM or Advil PM, it is always better to take them less rather than more. They all have side effects, so getting off the Gabapentin and getting on two other drugs isn’t really the long-term solution. Taking them occasionally is probably ok, Advil (Ibuprofen) causes a LOT of tinnitus. Excedrin (Aspirin) is a better choice in that respect.
Cordially,
Neil
I’m in my 80’s with minimal hearing loss which has not changes recently.I suffer from PHN from a shingles outbreak a year ago , and am slowly coming off Gabalentin. I also take nortriptyline and Naratriptan for chronic migraines and occasional restoril for sleep. Recently I started hearing bagpipe music all day long..I was raised in Scotland but am not a huge bagpipe fan. Strangely, if I concentrate hard I can can change the tune, but not make it stop.
I’m wondering if this could be migraine related, or medications or both. It is certainly impacting my quality of life. Thanks for your opinion.
Hi Sandy:
All 4 of the drugs you are taking can cause phantom sounds. The most likely is Gabapentin, followed by Temazepam (Restoril). The Nortriptyline and Naratriptan are way down at the bottom of the list. I doubt they are the culprits.
Did this begin soon after beginning a drug or changing the dose on a drug? If so, that would be the most likely culprit.
Some people can change their tunes at will, others with difficulty, but most have to put up with what they hear.
If it is drug-related, then stopping that drug will likely get rid of it.
If it is due to hearing loss (and even minimal hearing loss can cause it), then it is harder to stop it. Wearing hearing aids during the day, or having background radio or TV on to give your ears real sounds to listen to often helps.
It’s possible it’s migraine-related, but I don’t know how likely in your case, since you are taking 4 drugs that have this as a side effect.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your advice. From everything I’m reading, it’s unlikely it’s going to just go away, especially at my age, so your suggestions are much appreciated.
I’ve been having a loud chirp every night that wakes me all hours night and morning. I only hear it when I’m trying to sleep. Have ringing in left ear all the time. Been on Temazepam for several years. The chirps have several ranges in volume. They all interrupt my sleep. Have had my bed room and entire house checked for low batteries, smoke alarm etc.. Again, I only hear the noise when trying to sleep. No other time. Thanks for your help. Laura
Hi Laura:
Tell me more about these chirps. When did they begin? What changed in your life just before they began–stress? anxiety? depression? change in medication? etc.
Is your jaw, neck or shoulders tight or relaxed?
Are they single chirps, or continuous chirping for some seconds, minutes or hours? And how often do you hear them in a typical night? When you hear them are you lying still or moving your head/neck/shoulders?
Chirping sounds are one of the many tinnitus sounds.
I need to know more about this in order to figure out what is going on and thus how to help you.
Cordially,
Neil