Unclear diagnosis of morning headache, ET fullness etc.

Hello All:

About 2 or 3 days per week, I wake up with a dull pressure-headache in my forehead, fullness in my eustachian tube, a slight nasal congestion, a feeling of malaise, very dry mouth, and scratchy throat..  The symptoms usually reduce a lot by the afternoon. I have also noticed that this happens when I get a full night's sleep.  In other words, if I sleep only 5-6 hours at night, then I don't get these symptoms. However, if I sleep a full 8 hours, I invariably get the symptoms.

I have had this problem for several months now following a bout of Otitis Media in Oct 2008.  Back in October I was told that I 'might' have an underlying sinus infection and was put on Flonase for 6 weeks. This did not help the problem. I was then sent for a Sinus CT scan that showed all sinuses to be clear, except a mild mucosal thickening in maxillary sinus. I was subsequently but of 3 rounds of antibiotics by my ENT, first Cefuroxime, and then back-to-back rounds of Azythromycin (6-Pak).  None of this helped.  The ENT then did an endoscopy of sinuses and found everything to be normal. At this point the ENT gave up on me.

Then in early Jan 2009, I went to an Oto-neurologist, who sent me for a Brain MRI.  This showed no problems in the brain and no mastoiditis. It did show mild mucosal thickening of Ethmoid and Maxillary Sinus, which the Oto-neurologist dismissed as insignificant and unlikely to cause my symptoms.  He says that I had some ET dysfunction left-over from the Otitis Media, and that my headaches are probably tension headaches. I have since been put on Astelin nasal spray and told to just 'wait out' the headaches. If the headaches don't clear in 2 weeks, he wants to put me on Effexor anti-depressant. I'm scared about going this path, because I've read that Effexor causes a whole host of side-effects, and besides I don't feel depressed at all! I'm very happy in life.  

I would really appreciate any advise from this forum.

gratefully,

Akshay