Thanks Doc! We appreciate the support. How are you doing?

To follow up on DH's situation: At his Saturday appointment, we discussed the drowsiness and that while the headaches were better, they still occurred. The GP discussed some possible follow up testing such as MRI, as well as just switching meds to see if there was a better combination. In the end, DH decided to try adding Zoloft for now. He will stay on the trace amount of alprazolam for the mornings until the Zoloft has a chance to build up in his system. Didn't realize it until I read the paperwork but the Zoloft may have an added benefit in helping with his minor OCD. While it only certain things, he must straighten/clean them daily and he counts under duress.

We do still lean toward the headaches being stress related. No neck pain. He is on his feet all day for his job but always has been so that isn't new. He doesn't use the computer at home and has had his eyes tested recently so eye strain doesn't seem to be a factor.

He does have ongoing work stress in that he works with some "high drama" individuals including superiors so he never knows what the day will bring and he doesn't have any control over the situation when something or someone blows up. There was a change that occurred in January that might be adding to his work stress. It could be that this on top of the death of his dad and a year long estate process have overtaxed his system. Constant cortisol responses may also be causing his current low thyroid numbers.

He doesn't smoke or drink. He has a tendency toward junk food but maintains a healthy weight. He has been actively eating better recently since he realizes diet could be playing a part in the headaches.

I have some strong feelings about SSRI (and SNRI) antidepressants; they can be as/more difficult to get off of as narcotics and/or benzodiazepines. My own DW is still going through HELL—SSRI discontinuation syndrome—several months after coming off of them. No disrespect meant to anyone or their doctors, but some doctors just don't know about this phenomenon—or aren't aware of the severity/prevalence—and some don't/won't acknowledge it. PLEASE—for both of your sakes—do some homework on this and decide for yourselves. I know these meds do wonders for some folks, and that's great, but unless they are likely to be on them for the rest of their lives, I think alternatives should be sought/tried first. IMO, L-tryptophan, 5-HTP (both also good for OCD), and a few others are worth investigating/trying first.

antidepressant alternatives

Eye strain/tests don't necessarily exclude things like computer headache, and I was surprised when I learned some of my headaches were posture related; those responded quite well (though it took some time) to corrective physical therapy—one specific chin-tuck exercise in particular.

Things like cortisol can be checked with a blood test, and supplemented if necessary (I was found to be low in several adrenal hormones; supplementing them has helped me feel better in a number of ways.) Has anyone checked his testosterone levels? Low T has been found to cause daily headaches in some.

low testosterone causing daily headache

I asked about the virus, etc. because some of my headaches were determined to be caused by a virus (head cold) I got in my late 40s reactivating the EBV from having Mono as a teen! That kind often resolves in time (albeit several years).

My migraines are a different story...

Doc