[Nmel]

Hi,
Thanks for the response. Swelling is all gone, back is feeling great but now I have a new symptom which I think is really weird, I would love to know if anyone has ever experienced this. I am basically pain free all day (unless I overdo the walking and get a bit achey), I go to bed fine and then I wake up around three am with excruciating pain in my left leg. It goes from my buttock right down into my ankles and feels most intense around my knee and ankle joints. The doctors think it might be sciatic pain which I never had before, I only ever had referred facet pain in my leg. They think the sciatica could be either from the distraction of my spine (they added a centimetre overall) or from the muscle in my buttock which was not being used much before as I walked with a strange limp for a long time. They want me to take lyrica and Valium, neither of which appeal much. What I think is weird is that the pain is only there early in the morning after I have been sleeping. Once I get up and walk around for a bit it goes away. Has anyone ever had this before? Has anyone taken lyrica? Are the side effects as bad as they sound? Too many questions and doctors who know nothing. My surgeon has gone away for Christmas and none of the other neuros do this surgery so they won't even look at me.