Audio hallucinations?

[mamaruns]

Sometimes when I have an aura, I'll hear some odd audio sounds (sometimes a buzz, or a tone, or sometimes it sounds like my husband's alarm clock going off). I can tell these are part of an aura.

I have this other thing though, where certain tones, especially whirring sounds like the fridge, air cleaner, dishwasher, etc. will trigger these odd audio hallucinations where I'll hear music, or sometimes it sounds like muffled voices, but I can't make out what's being said. Usually the music is very simple and repititious, but there have been times that it has been very elaborate, and if I were smart, I would have grabbed my guitar and figured out how to play it. But it's rare that the music sounds that complex.

I've told my docs about this. I wanted to make sure I wasn't going schizo, which I was assured that I wasn't. But I still didn't get much in answers from them. My 16 year old daughter admitted to me last week that she has the same thing; for instance, she could "hear" a tiny pitch coming from the hot water in her mug the other morning.

My seizures originate from the temporal lobe so I assume this has to do with hearing the odd sounds, I was just wondering if anyone else here has this happen to them. I don't feel like I'm having a seizure when these audio hallucinations are triggered. Last time it happenned was about two months ago when I had a horrid ear infection. I don't know what to make of it.

 

[Zuri]

Yeah, I have that too - mine is like a little plane buzzing by lol - or my hearing will go out completely & Ill see ppl's mouths moving ...

I dont tell ppl though b/c they do say crazy. & I did ask a shrink if I was schizo for her to say no. BUT even with epilepsy - there are still plenty of ppl out there who will say that you are. So best of luck !

Ive learned to keep my mouth shut about most things.

 

[Bee91]

It can most definately be an aura. I have heard of several people having the same type of aura and you don't necissarily have to have a seizure after your aura. You can still be having an aura. I have auras all the time but I have been seizure free for a month and a half.

Auditory hallucinations consist of a buzzing sound, a voice or voices, or muffling of ambient sounds.

-Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/TOPIC365.HTM

 

[mamaruns]

Thanks for the replies. I just wonder why it is that certain sounds trigger this phenomena. I supposed maybe it's a "reflex aura"? They just seem a lot different then the sounds I hear when I'm certain I'm having an aura, I feel completely normal and even laugh and tell my husband when it's happenning. Also seems odd my daughter gets it....she says she sees blobs of colors quite often too and has since she was little, so it makes me think she could possibly develop E later down the road too.

 

[speber]

Check out the links in my sig line...

...there's some links to 'musicogenic seizures' among other things!

Peace
:rock:

 

[RobinN]

According to the book [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Epilepsy-New-Approach-Adrienne-Richard/dp/0802774652/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204944142&sr=1-1"]Amazon.com: Epilepsy: A New Approach (9780802774651): Adrienne Richard, Joel Reiter: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51p9fv6oOYL.@@AMEPARAM@@51p9fv6oOYL[/ame] you might be able to learn to turn the sound around so that you do not experience a seizure.

Perhaps find music that you like and either sing or listen to music, or move the thought pattern away from the sound all together. I have no clue what that might be. Sure would be a puzzle, but the Andrews/Reiter Institute in Santa Rosa, CA has an 83% success rate in teaching those with seizure disorders to gain control over their episodes.

It is a great book.

 

[brain]

I've got quite a few postings
on this subject on Audio hallucination(s)
and there's a Poll in reference
to it in CWE:

Experience AURA or AURAS?

That also includes an article and
some links for further research
as well as what SP Posted below.

I suffer from this as well.

 

[mamaruns]

I've got quite a few postings
on this subject on Audio hallucination(s)
and there's a Poll in reference
to it in CWE:

That also includes an article and
some links for further research
as well as what SP Posted below.

I suffer from this as well.

I was checking out your link, and all I can say is wow! Your description of the audio sounds you hear really hit home with me.

"Audio - noises, sounds, that can or will not make sense: can be music or a booming thundering noise or a high pitched frequency which *can affect also my balance and trigger vertigo for a moment (*if I am not on AED), banging or crashing sounds that will startle me (often happens during nocturnal)"

That booming thundering noise you describe is what I get sometimes if I'm overtired, it happens as I'm falling asleep. It happenned just last week when I was trying to take a nap. Just as I was falling out, I got this loud startling boom, sounded almost like thunder....then I felt like I was spinning, sort of out of body...then the next thing I know is I caught myself chewing, and that's when I sat up. I hate falling asleep when I'm overtired.

 

[brain]

Mama - You can VOTE on the poll(s),
and you're encouraged to!



But sorry you're having to experience
these, they're annoying as heck! So
I can sympathize with you!

 

[mamaruns]

I'm sorry you have to deal with it too, but at least I don't feel so alone with it now. I told my neuro and he said it was about as rare as winning the lottery, but I have a feeling it happens to more people then they admit.

 

[Zuri]

I'm sorry you have to deal with it too, but at least I don't feel so alone with it now. I told my neuro and he said it was about as rare as winning the lottery, but I have a feeling it happens to more people then they admit.

Ummm yeah.

 

[brain]

I'm sorry you have to deal with it too, but at least I don't feel so alone with it now. I told my neuro and he said it was about as rare as winning the lottery, but I have a feeling it happens to more people then they admit.

It is common, but it varies in degrees
and levels.

Unfortunately many Doctors are too
quick to ship their patients off to
an ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) Specialist
and ring them up as Tinnitus (ringing
of the ears).

NOW:

1) Some medications will cause this.

2) Epilepsy will cause this for but a
brief moment - usually in a form of
an aura or a Reflex Seizure.

3) Tinnitus is an on-going issue that
is continual, an ENT Specialist or a
Surgeon can see the damage(s) by
inspecting the inner ear when he/she
examines the ear; or sometimes an
Audiogram will be ordered up where
an audiograph will reveal some hertz
and frequencies (hearing loss); as
well as a Tympanic (balance) pressure
will be gauged and measured.

===================

I know about this a lot because I've
endured through all three:
Neurology
Audiology
Cardiology

 

[stringbean]

Before my surgery, I would hear things all the time when having seizures, and most of them were CP's when this occured.
A bit different was that when I was having one and the TV was on or someone talking to me or a group of people talking around me, I knew I was not hearing what they were saying. I was hearing something totally different I could never remember what I heard or what they said, however at times when I came out of the seizure I would be very paranoid and scared because even though I could not remember what was said I knew it was something terrifying.
I have at times heard music, tv, and other things that would not be on or playing when a P or CP hit me.

Since I had my surgery that removed a good bit of my Left Temporal Lope, I am still having many P's plus few CP;s and have went in status one time, and they are now different than before the surgery.

 

[peeger]

Mine are lasting all day and night sometimes, keeping me awake. They seem to disappear when I listen to agrresively different music [the hallucinatory music is consantly repeating and tonal, it is quite soft but astoundingly frustrating when you've been kept awake three nights running].
Anybody here get this all day/night stuff.
Not epileptic but do take citalopram.

Can a person be mildly epileptic? Enough to induce audio hallucinations and deep anxiety, but not enough to induce full syptom epilepsy?
pg

 

[mamaruns]

Mine are lasting all day and night sometimes, keeping me awake. They seem to disappear when I listen to agrresively different music [the hallucinatory music is consantly repeating and tonal, it is quite soft but astoundingly frustrating when you've been kept awake three nights running].
Anybody here get this all day/night stuff.
Not epileptic but do take citalopram.

Can a person be mildly epileptic? Enough to induce audio hallucinations and deep anxiety, but not enough to induce full syptom epilepsy?
pg

Peeger, that sounds like something I researched called Musical Ear Syndrome. Do you have any hearing problems?

Honestly, ever since I was treated for a horrid fungal (yeast) infection that was in my ears, the musical hallucinations have stopped. I still get clicking and booms, sometimes humming when I feel an aura, but the music has gone away. You can google musical ear syndrome and get more info.

 

[speber]

It sounds a bit like Tinnitus as well, but I'm no doc....

Tinnitus ('ringing in the ears') has shown to be helped with a Magnesium supplement. I actually went through a mild case of this awhile back and can attest to its worthiness.

As far as auditory hallucinations or the like....I used to hear a voice (when I fisrt started having szs) tell me repeatedly 'You're going to have a seizure.....you're going to have a seizure.....you're going to have a seizure....." -----well, you get the just. I would then wake up (or become satisfatorily conscious) about 45 minutes later.

Do you work or live near loud, continuous noises? These can affect your hearing for exteneded periods of time giving you a sense something else is wrong as well.

There ARE different extremes to seizures....so mild you need medical equipment to see them occur------ to very violent ones that can cause death. My gut tells me you aren't experiencing auras, but check with your doctor if you feel unsafe!

Peace,
Speber
:rock:

 

[hawke86]

I know what you guys are going through. I get them sometimes.

 

[Bernard]

see these threads for more on tinnitus

 

[Crystal11]

Hello, I have complex partial seizure, blindness and deafness- i use hearing aids in both ears and probably have less than half my hearing with them in. I have 80% hearing loss with them out- I have permanet Tinnitus from hearing loss but it gets louder till i can hear it with my hearing aids in which usually would drown out the sound. Sometimes our ears create a sound from the brain in a way almost like a false signal/sound. Neurological haering loss usually has some type of Tinnitus. With in an aura though I hear sound mixing together and condensing in the middle of the room and its louder than the Tinnitus i hear or ringing. You can still have aura (simple partial seizure technically) without it turing into a complex partial or grand-mal seizure- so you might be having auras and hearing auditory sounds still..
I would go to a ENT/ear nose and throat specialist who deals with deafness, hearing loss and the whole ear and maybe discuss about Tinnitus situation. Sometimes medications can cause Tinnitus.
Good Luck, take care-

 

[girlwithadog]

I know this is an old thread I just wanted to say thank you! I was diagnosed as a young teen with schizophrenia because of these sounds and my visual distortions. It wasn't until march that an EEG confirmed epilepsy. So I've been trying to differentiate between seizure related symptoms and epilepsy symptoms. For my audio hallucinations I get this Charlie Brown effect as I like to call it. Outside noise and inner noise sound like Charlie Browns teacher with the wah wah sound. I also get the buzzing that sounds like a beehive is in both of my ears and soooo incredibly loud it's hard to hear than all of a sudden it stops and everything is intense and seems too real if that makes sense. I hear every little sound loudly colors are more vivid and I see every little detail of things and it feels very intense. I am in the process of finding an epitologist since my neuro knows nothing really about epilepsy and I plan to ask them but until that time thank you if you happen to read this. Gives me a bit of comfort knowing this can be seizure/aura related.