[jessmith07]

Michelle,

I lived with sciatica for over a year before I finally had a laminectomy, and the disc was herniated and compressing the nerve for at least 6 months of that time. After the laminectomy, it took about 4-5 months for the nerves to completely heal, leaving me with disc pain, but no more nerve pain, and I eventually had a 2 level ADR.

The doctor did tell me that I could have permanent nerve damage, because the herniation was so severe and had been compressing the nerve for so long, and while it did take longer than "usual" to relent, it finally did, so don't give up.

One drug that I did use, after the herniation, was called Topomax. It's non-narcotic and at high doses is used to treat epilepsy, but at lower doses, it had been proven to help with nerve pain. It does have some strange side-effects in the beginning (can't feel the bubbles in soda or beer, losing common words in a conversation, difficulty concentrating) but I found that over time, these symptoms dissipated. The down side is, that over time, it seems to lose it's effectiveness, and the dosage has to be increased. I started at 50 mg/day, and before I finally decided to have the surgery, I was up to 250 mg/day. However, during the 6 months I was on it, it increased my quality of life to the point that I was exercising every day and walking 15-20 miles/week. This could be an option while you're waiting.