No one here thinks that you are a "chicken". Most small fiber neuropathies are extremely painful and large fiber ones can be crippling- everyone here suffers. The medication is a trade off. Most people would never want to think about spending twenty-five or thirty years on opiate therapy but that is what I fully expect to do, short of a breakthrough in pain management. The pain would destroy any quality of life I could have otherwise, and hereditary neuropathy is progressive and incurable.
I understand about the fear of constipation. I have had a lifelong battle with it, resulting in such severe fissures that I was writhing in pain, spending half the day sitting on ice packs. The nastiest doctor I ever met, a gastroenterologist, finally said that I should take miralax regularly and although it took eight months the fissures finally healed, which just shows that you can learn from anyone.I have had to increase the dosage somewhat over the past five years but I have not had any recurrence of the pain even with my medication.
It is a very personal decision, but you can always stop taking the Gabapentin if it disagrees or you find it of limited benefit. If the tramadol helps you should use it. A fear of medication or treatable side effects like constipation can result in a decreased quality of life if carried too far.