My husband has tried everything under the sun for his pain from syringomyelia. For pain specifically, not including his other symptoms, methadone has worked the best. He is able to things that he would not be able to do during the day, and does not seem drugged up like when he is on oxycodone or other opiates. As for nights, that is a different story. Methadone does not help him sleep. His doc prescribes xanax, which he abuses and I am trying to get him to stop having it prescribed to him. I can't stand him on xanax and am searching for some alternative. But methadone works well, although addictive, but we have both accepted that he will probably have to be on pain meds for life. Keep in mind that withdrawals from methadone can be deadly, and methadone and xanax are a very dangerous combination.