Musical Tinnitus

[Titan2857]

Due to Menieres disease, I have had loud pulsatile tinnitus for 27 years and have learned to live with it. About10 months ago I started hearing music like tones which has developed into familiar songs or carols, it changes daily and I am finding it very difficult to deal with.Has anyone heard anything similar

[Happyrosie]

If you put “musical” I to the search box you’ll find at least one poster who had a similar query, plus replied.

[Titan2857 in reply to Happyrosie]

Thank you

[rabbits65]

Yes fairly recently probably a month ago a few people posted on here about musical tones on here .

[Titan2857 in reply to rabbits65]

Thank you

[Beesmac]

Hello - sorry to hear you are going through this. There are a few of us that have posted who are suffering from Musical Tinnitus or Musical Ear Syndrome. Mine started last December following a bout of Labyrinthitis which took the majority of hearing from my right ear. About a week after I lost my hearing I thought I could hear our local Rotary Club outside in the road playing ‘Silent Night’ (they used to drive around collecting each Christmas). My husband checked and said there was nobody there. This didn’t bother me unduly until a couple of weeks later when I realised the music was still there - not Silent Night but undefined repetitive music. Sometimes horrendously loud with rolling drums etc. At this stage I thought I must be going mad and got very frightened. I googled my symptoms and there was the answer - I was a classic example of someone suffering from Musical Tinnitus. I might add that I have had tinnitus for many years with a whole ‘factory’ of noises but this didn’t bother me. I had an MRI which showed there was nothing untoward going on and had sessions with an Audiologist. Apparently in my case, with the sudden hearing loss, my brain realises that my right ear isn’t hearing any noise so decided as I am a music lover to fill the void with what I now hear day in and day out. It affected me very badly for the first few months. I was provided with new hearing aids which don’t really help and my GP had never heard of this before so I read everything I could to try to understand more fully and help myself. I have 2mg of Diazepam which I don’t take regularly but if I have a bad day they do help. I went through many emotions, depression, bitterness asking myself ‘why me’. I cannot change what I hear and the music I loved doesn’t sound the same any more as I have lost the ability to hear higher tones. Stress is my worst enemy, my tinnitus loves it. Sorry for the long post but you are not alone. If you can accept the situation that is half the battle. Are you still seeing a Specialist for your Menieres? If so it would be worth mentioning this also if you wear hearing aids a change to them may help. I try to keep as busy as I can and with me, if I get a really bad day, for some reason, the next day is always better! I wish you well and please let us know how you get on. xx

[Titan2857 in reply to Beesmac]

What a relief to find I am not alone or going mad.The first music I heard was Silent Night, how strange is that, the list of songs I hear now is endless playing a verse constantly on repeat.I have an appointment with ENT in May 2022 but am not expecting a miracle cure, it is another type of tinnitus I will have to learn to live with.Thank you so much for your reply and hope I can deal with it as well as you have and send you my best wishes xx

[sdesheila]

It’s difficult enough to explain to folks you have tinnitus but try telling them you have Musical Tinnitus and suddenly one starts feeling like taking it all back. Self diagnosis but I fit Directional Musical Tinnitus to a T. Directional meaning it comes from different directions. The one I have learned to appreciate is when I have the music but it sounds like it’s coming from two rooms away. I don’t want to make this terribly long but if ever you need to talk with someone who has lived with it for maybe two years it would be my pleasure. Since this form has fewer people affected with it, sometimes one feels totally alone when they do experience this one. Night time seems to be the hardest for me to ignore the various music . I’m here and trust me you are not alone with the music.

[Titan2857 in reply to sdesheila]

I feel so much better after reading replies to my post.I am sure some think I am imagining the music when I have tried to explain what it is like. Night time is hard I agree, so difficult to ignore when trying to sleep but we just have to keep going.Thank you for your reply and kind words x

[Beesmac in reply to sdesheila]

I read an article from an ENT Specialist who said he thought there were far more people suffering with Musical Tinnitus who wouldn’t admit to it for fear being classed as mad. Again it’s all down to lack of resource with little or no research being undertaken. I wouldn’t mind if I could choose what I hear. On a lighter note Schumann apparently wrote symphonies based on his musical tinnitus!! x

[sdesheila in reply to Beesmac]

Very interesting regarding Schumann. And Ludwig Van Beethoven heard the music he wrote but was totally deaf? I think that is correct but haven’t researched. Thank you for your reply.

[redrobo]

Musical Hallucinations, there is a Download on the BTS website. As pointed out it is due to the deafness in an ear and the brain compensating. Mine ranges from row row your boat to the Hallelujah Chorus.

[redrobo in reply to redrobo]

Sorry should be BTA. tinnitus.org.uk/Handlers/Do...

[Titan2857 in reply to redrobo]

I find Abide With Me very depressing when I hear it.Will look on BTA website, thank you.

[Bewareofdog1]

Wondering if you’re on a strict low salt diet? I have Meniere’s and constant tinnitus but the tinnitus didn’t bother me. The vertigo was ruining my life. When I finally learned about and followed a serious low salt diet (1000 mg or less a day, very strict and boring), plus Betahistine and a half dose of a water pill, the vertigo went away. Haven’t had an attack in 6 months (had been having them as often as a couple of times a week). My tinnitus also became much lower in volume. Wonder if reducing salt drastically would help your musical tinnitus. I also feel much better. Blood pressure is nice and low. The seriously low salt diet is a drag. No question eating is less fun and restaurants are very tricky. But getting rid of vertigo entirely was entirely worth sacrificing delicious food.

[Titan2857 in reply to Bewareofdog1]

I used to take Betahistine and tried low salt diet, didn't really do anything for my vertigo.I have had Menieres for 26 years and don't get vertigo very often, mostly balance issues now.

[Lynne-H]

I developed pulsatile tinnitus in 2014 after suffering a virus which resulted in hearing loss. I was told by an ENT Specialist that due to the hearing loss I was picking up the sounds of my heart and circulation from the carotid artery which apparently runs very close to the hearing nerve.

Took a long time but I eventually came to terms with those noises and then in November last year I suddenly developed musical tinnitus mainly hymns, carols (one of which strangely enough is Silent Night). But the weird thing with me is that if I get fed up with one tune I can change it to another just by thinking about another tune or humming it - this obviously helps because I know it does drive you mad listening to the same tune over and over again.

Twelve months down the line and I have to say that mine has now gone a lot quieter.

I hope you eventually see some improvement too.

[Titan2857 in reply to Lynne-H]

I can also change it sometimes and hopefully will come to terms with it eventually.

[PABLR]

That must be so disturbing/annoying. I have read about this. I came across it when researching pulsatile tinnitus which I have. The official name is musical ear syndrome. Here is a link to one article and you should easily be able to find more. hearingdr.com/blog/musical-...

[Titan2857 in reply to PABLR]

Thank you for the link, very informative 🙂

[surreycccfan]

Sorry to hear that, this does sound like musical hallucination/Tinnitus. More info here at BTA website tinnitus.org.uk/musical-hal... and tinnitus.org.uk/faqs/i-keep... .

[Titan2857 in reply to surreycccfan]

Thank you