Hi Bru, welcome.

Could you elucidate what you mean by, "harsh on my body" (e.g. side effects, long-term, dependence, other...)? Aside from that, is the methadone adequately addressing your pain?

There are many kinds of medications and other modalities being used to treat different kinds of pain from peripheral neuropathy.

Peripheral Neuropathy-Treatments and Drugs

You can find many of them discussed in greater detail here:

DRUGS (RX) ~~ Used for Treating Peripheral Neuropathy:

and elsewhere in this forum and in the PN Tips, Resources, Supplements & Other Treatments sub-forum.

Medications are always a double-edged sword, and doctors/patients must always weigh the benefits vs. risk/downside. ALL medications have side effects, and MOST of those in the above links (opioids, antiseizure meds, steroids, antidepressants) except topicals can produce dependence and have potential to be harsh in some way or other.

One that may not be mentioned above is cannabidiol (CBD), which is being discussed in this thread:

Cannabis. A fork in the road.

The overriding issue with cannabidiol may be legality in your location.

Another that some people here are using is a pharmacy-compounded topical cream containing gabapentin and ketamine. You can find more information about that in the archives (Use Search facility).

Because everyone (and their neuropathy and how it affects them) is different and the many variables involved, finding the best medication/treatment for any individual can take time, and often trying several/many different treatments or combination of treatments. What works for one—or some—may not work for another.

Doc