pod,

Your post does not mention if you have any history of head impacts or even sub-concussive impacts such as heading a soccer ball, football play, wrestling, etc.

A clean MRI and CT is of little value regarding concussion. They will only indicate much more major injuries and such, strokes, bleeds, etc.

If you have a history of concussion or repeated sub-concussive impacts, you should be staying away from alcohol. Getting drunk does the same to your brain as a concussion. Combining both is a bad mix.

In fact, if you have had no concussions but have a history of getting blasted with alcohol during your adolescent years, consider those episodes the equivalent of concussions. The pre-adult brain is very sensitive to alcohol from a long term perspective.

If our youth just realized how getting blaster as a youth will reduce their ability to drink without problems in their adult years, they just might reduce their consumption a bit.

The anti-depressant you were prescribed is interesting. Often, the doctor prescribes them to relieve anxiety and the head aches that come from anxiety or stress tension. The most common anti-depressants take up to six weeks to become effective. Using them in an on and off regimen is not a good idea.

If it was Elavil (amitryptiline), a tri-cyclic anti-depressant that is commonly prescribed for PCS head aches in small doses (10 mgs), then it does not have the long 6 week use needs and problems like SSRI's and SNRI's.

PCS Bull is mistaken when he said <They use those "anti-depressant" meds sometimes with the intention of releasing pinched nerves and synapses in your brain and head, rather than for depression.>

Soma (carisoprodol) is commonly prescribed to relax muscles to relieve pinched nerves.

Regarding synapses in your brain, anti-depressants work by moderating the neurotransmitters that need to cross the synapses for proper function. They inhibit the reuptake of serotonin and nor-epinephrine across those synapses.

I suggest you stay away from alcohol completely for a few weeks to see what symptoms you have. Then, try to limit alcohol to just one drink serving per day.