Aibu to ask about the constant music in my head 😫

[AlanPartridgesSausageSandwich]

Ever since I can remember I have suffered with intrusive thoughts, recently these focused on my relationship (Will he leave me? Does he really love me? Do I even love him?) or they would be random (my dog/son being hit by a truck)
About a month ago these incessant thoughts became too much for me and I began having extreme anxiety and panic attacks complete with feelings of utter doom and the feeling I would never feel sane again.

After a particularly trying day of panic my partner arranged a doctors appointment for me in which the GP prescribed 50mg of Sertraline and 20mg of propranolol. The side effects of the sertraline were hard going for the first two weeks, I had heightened anxiety, insomnia, suppressed appetite and I became such an Olympic yawner that I swear my jaw touched the floor every time.
Going into the third week these things started to lift and the intrusive thoughts, although still there, were not so debilitating to me.

Now I find I have songs playing in my head constantly from when I wake up to when I go to bed. All different songs, easily triggered by hearing words or phrases ( I.e saw the word Holy and now have Holy Diver by Ronnie James fucking Dio stuck in my head)

My partner thinks this could be normal as he has lots of music going through his mind, what with him being a musician and all.
This is a very new thing for me though and it's driving me batty.
Is this something to worry about or is this my new normal??
Has anyone else experienced something similar?
Thanks in advance and Yay, this is my first ever mumsnet post ( finally driven to posting by the music!) smile
I have also posted this in mental health, I hope that's OK.

I'd see my doctor again if I were you.

I think if it’s new for you it might be worth talking to the doctors about it.

Relationship OCD is awful, I remember being in the thick of it. I had counselling to help.

I would go back to the GP as clearly you may have Pure O. There's help out there xx

Hmmn... I don't particularly come from a musical family, indeed my mother campaigned against background music, but in my head I constantly have tunes, I'm always singing or whistling (currently Werewolves of London, due to the fact I went outside and Ah-hooo, it's cold...Ah-hooo..... werewolves of London...!)
I thought it was normal.

Thank you for your replies

I think I will have to speak to my doctor. The thing I find confusing is that if I search online for intrusive thoughts, sertraline is listed as one of the main meds so why isn't it helping.

@LemonPrism I have suspected I have OCD for a while. I'm glad I have got through the relationship anxieties, I had to keep asking my partner for reassurance about silly things and my behaviour was becoming extreme I.e running off or trying to break up.
I still have the odd niggle but everything is much calmer in that respect, only helped by the fact my partner is extremely supportive.
I have self referred for therapy on advice from the doctor. Can doctors diagnose ocd or does it have to be a psychiatrist?

For me it's normal. Some days I can be 20 mins into a drive and wondering why the song is going so long. Then I realise the radio isn't on LOL

I have songs in my head all the time. Sometimes it’s really irritating. For me it’s normal. Infact I thought everyone had songs stuck in their head but maybe not!

I constantly have music going on my head. I can’t listen to songs before bed because I won’t sleep for singing the bloody things over and over. I’ve always been the same, don’t have a history of mental health issues.

Also have music constantly playing in my head (and am on propranolol). I’m so used to it that it doesn’t bother me at all - it’s not a “negative” noise like some anxious thoughts, so I think of it as a positive, IYKWIM.

I'l agree with VegHead that it's a cheerful song thing with me, I'm not anxious not on any drugs just always whistling or humming a tune. I think I do irritate people sometimes esp family with my constant humming (Don't Worry, Be Happy is the current tune, have also had I Kissed the Bride when she used to Rock and Roll and Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay! My oh my, what a wonderful day!, so hardly depressing or negative songs)

Both me and my mother constantly have music running in our heads, and a few friends we've spoken to have it as well. It's normal for some people.

If you feel better and it's not bothering you then I'd just learn to enjoy it.

When I first started taking it, I had songs constantly going around my head! Things like Polly put the kettle on ...

My GP remarked how remarkable the human brain was. Not very helpful but you are not alone.

Mental health and medication is so individual, what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another. Don’t feel like this is your only option and if it doesn’t work straight away that’s it.
Keep going back to your doctor. Keep trying and he will likely adjust or change the meds until they find what suits you. Unfortunately it’s a bit of a trial and error situation so try and be patient like you have been for the past three weeks. There will be something that works, they just have to help you find what that is for you.

I always have music in my head, it never stops. That's why I get irrationally angry when people around me hum or whistle something or when the neighbours practise the piano, because it clashes with my soundtrack. It's quite hard to explain to someone who doesn't get it. If you can use the music to your advantage, eg. if you can play a song that makes you feel good when you get up and you are able to hang on to it all morning, it can be a productive thing.

I have music in my head all the time, and the same way as OP it is triggered by hearing certain phrases. The worst part is if I have a project at work that triggers it, e.g. "Project Blue" might trigger me hearing the Joni Mitchell song Blue every time I worked on that project. (Or a worse and more annoying song).

Weirdly though for me, being on Sertraline was the only time I stopped hearing the music as much. Citalopram, another SSRI, didn't have that effect.

It's interesting that some people see this as very normal. My partner is the same and doesn't understand why it's bothering me.
When my brain starts doing different things I find it quite disconcerting, everything just feels a bit weird at the moment.

I will probably get used to it if it is a permanent thing and I find it doesn't bother me as much if it's a song I like but when it's the cast of Emmerdale singing 'Hillbilly rock, Hillbilly roll' then I find it all a bit overwhelming 😂

The only things that take it away are reading, writing, TV and music so I will concentrate on those things until it hopefully goes away.

@Guardsman18 that's interesting, did it go away for you? It's good to know I'm not alone. If there's one thing mental health problems do well it's make you think you are alone.

I go in and out of this depending on how exhausted I am, so since having my twins two years ago I’ve had constant music interrupting my thoughts! It’s distracting at first but now it’s mostly background unless I get a real ear worm.

I’ve not been able to figure out how to stop it altogether, but I have found that if I wake up with a particular song in my head, listening to it as soon as possible sort of resets my brain for a bit if that makes sense?

But as for hearing sounds, phrases or even the beginning of a song triggering it, I’ve not quite sussed how to stop it.

I thought this was normal too :/

I am really interested in this thread - I have always had a song going round my head. I really thought everyone did!

This link is interesting:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4723199/

It suggests us to 98% of the population get earworms.

Is this the type of thing you are experiencing OP?

Oh do I need to see a dr now? Have had songs in my head for years. It changes according to what I see or hear. Also mood affects if its megadeth or Taylor swift.
I actually thought this was normal.
I prefer the music to the occasional tinnitus, where I have a solid squeal in different pitches for an hour or more.

In fact Google James Corden and celine Dion carpool karaoke. She sings a different song in each clip.
My head sounds like that.

You ought to discuss it again with the dr if it’s really intrusive, although I too have a constant background soundtrack going. It’s been The Bangles Walk Like An Egyptian nearly all day today!

I don't have the constant songs but I find when I'm really anxious, my brain can wake me up at night, with the sound of people I know chatting in my head! It's bizarre! Like last time it happened it was an old colleague I'd not spoken to in months. I panicked thinking I was hearing voises or something strange, but it's only happened once or twice, never since, plus it's only when my anxiety is very high, so Im guessing it's just my brain that's so wired at times!? Wonder if yours is similar?

Music in my head all the time here too. Always. Unless i'm actually asleep or speaking to someone. There are a couple of 'default' tunes which go on all day if nothing else catches on. A particularly strong one is I'm Blue (Eiffel). Had that all day today.