[CyberAnt]

I remember hearing about a study done at a local hospital here in San Diego. They had a section of the hospital wired to allow patients to medicate themselves.

Astonishingly, the patients did a better job of maintaining a certain level of medication. As a rule, they did not over medicate .. and most of them under medicated. The common result was most were happier not to be over drugged and most were willing to put up with a little more pain. The most common response was: "If the pain started to get too bad, I could just press the button and get instant relief".

[jimtorr]

They had a section of the hospital wired to allow patients to medicate themselves.

That was my experience, when I had abdominal surgery in Mountain View, CA, in '96.

I was given morphine for the first four days, intraveinously. I self-medicated as little as I could stand, to try and keep my vision from blurring so much. I was told that I never came close to the maximum allowed dose in an 8-hour period.

[Yaelle]

Astonishingly, the patients did a better job of maintaining a certain level of medication.

I believe it. After my last C_section a year ago, the nurses would come in and say "It's been 12 hours since your last pain medication! Don't you want another shot??" almost panicking. Hey -- I was the patient. If I didn't feel enough pain to need medication, I didn't want to take any!

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Interesting point, and not the least bit surprising. Most folks desire relief from pain when they need it, not drug addiction. It's a no-brainer.