Hi john, thanks for your reply. The neuropathy has been a real pain, literally. Things are starting to go numb now, but laying in bed day after day with pulsating pain in your feet is not fun. It makes having a life very difficult and is a great source of depression, but I have been fortunate. About two months ago I discovered that I have a genetic deficiency that could be influenced by the supplement L-serine. This has been helpful for some of the worst aspects of the neuropathy, so I had been very fortunate indeed. I should clarify the conditions that precipitated the situation regarding the incident at the vascular clinic. Stanford is an educational facility, so I was first seen by something like an intern. Maybe he missed this lecture, but the only thing he knew about methadone was related to heroin addiction. After a brief consultation he left the room for about 5 minutes to consult with the head physician. They both came back in and the head physician started to dismiss me and to make accusatory remarks that clearly showed a problem. I suppose that he is not use to people calling him out on that behavior, but I've encountered this too often previously. It amazes me how physicians will zero in on methadone as though it was responsible for all of my conditions. Never realizing that it is the better of two evils. The association between pain and depression is incredibly strong. So giving free reign to the pain is to let my depression run wild. If I were to do that, then my very life would be in serious jeopardy. You have to do what you can to treat the depression, but that does little for the physiological aspect of chronic pain. Hopefully the neuropathy will fade into the background as the GI problems are now preeminent. Kind of like smashing your thumb with a hammer to stop a headache, but it is important to understand if these conditions are related or just playing off of each other.