If you can avoid narcotic pain meds then all the better. Even if you take narcotics as prescribed you will build a tolerance and you will have to take more of the same drug or go to a more potent pain killer. The VA pain clinics are very inadequate. I am on the opiate program. I can only get that morphine, methadone or percoset. The only drug I can tolerate is percoset. There must be more alternatives than just these three or four drugs. The VA focuses on cost. If it is a good, but expensive drug with fewer side effects forget it. You will get the cheap stuff. It is take it or leave it. The VA will kill you to save a buck.