"i have suffered from severe pain since 2004 relating to pancreatic disease, peripheral neuropathy, back (unspecified) and have been treated by a pain management specialist since march of 2004.  i have been treated on many different pain management therapies and i have been on methadone for 8 out of these 11 years.

out of all the pain medications i have been on, methadone has proved to be the most effective for my pain, although i do not think i can ever undergo a rapid withdrawal again.  i am on 150 mg a day and it is prescribed in conjunction with gabapentin and another non-narcotic medication called prialt, which is a non-narcotic medicine which is infused via a pain pump.

methadone has saved my quality of life, but at a huge cost."