Q. I read in your column a while back that a person heard music after taking the antidepressant amitriptyline. My urologist prescribed a similar drug (imipramine) for a mild urinary problem. After a few days, I too started hearing music. My music was a wonderful male chorus each evening. After I pinned the music down to that antidepressant drug I quit taking it. I did miss that wonderful male chorus, though!
A. Drug-induced auditory hallucinations are rare but documented in the medical literature. The person you refer to taking amitriptyline reported: “I hear music all day, both classical and rap.” When the drug was discontinued the music faded away.
One person taking an antidepressant heard a full orchestra playing dramatic classical music:
“The final straw came when I was riding my motorcycle (not a quiet machine) and couldn’t hear the sound of the engine and wind over the orchestra playing in my head! I took myself off the antidepressant, and the hallucinations disappeared.”
