Medicine triggers musical hallucinations

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.”

Q. I have been taking lisinopril for seven months to control my high blood pressure. Soon I developed a hacking cough. When it wouldn’t go away, I saw an ear, nose and throat specialist. He shrugged and said this comes with age.

When I complained to my regular doctor, he gave me a course of antibiotics, but there was no relief. I called back and was given a different antibiotic prescription.

Eventually, my wife mentioned my cough to the pharmacist, who pointed out that this is a common complaint with lisinopril. When we brought this to my doctor’s attention, he agreed and finally took me off the drug. How could this happen?

A. Lisinopril is an ACE inhibitor. Like other blood pressure drugs in this class (Accupril, Altace, benazepril, captopril, enalapril, ramipril and quinapril), lisinopril can cause cough as an unpleasant and common complication. This kind of hacking cough won’t go away with cough medicine.

We are shocked that neither your lung specialist nor your regular doctor figured this out. Antibiotics are inappropriate for this kind of drug-induced cough.

There are other medications to control blood pressure. Angiotensin receptor blockers such as Avapro, Benicar, Cozaar and Diovan are less likely to cause a chronic cough. For more information about pros and cons of hypertension medications and nondrug ways to lower blood pressure, we are sending you our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $3 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (59 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. B-67, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.

Q. My doctors were mystified by my anemia. The puzzle was solved after I read in your column that taking Nexium and other acid-reducing drugs can hinder the absorption of iron and other nutrients. Now I regularly take iron with my other supplements and am no longer anemic. Thank you!

A. Minerals such as iron and calcium are absorbed best when there is acid in the stomach. Powerful acid-suppressing drugs such as Nexium can interfere with this process and may also hinder absorption of vitamin B-12. Inadequate levels of this vitamin also can cause anemia.

XIn their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of The Vindicator or e-mail them via their Web site: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Favorite Home Remedies From The People’s Pharmacy.”

2008 King Features Syndicate, Inc.