Rugby league has a tramadol problem

[The Blues Ox]

I know people might scoff at pro wrestling but the Kurt Angle documentary makes for an interesting watch and he talks in great depth about his addictions and it could very easily be compared to the rigors that athletes in our sport are put through.  He talks about how he started on something like 4 painkillers a day but at the height of his addiction(This is someone who lost his sister to an overdose and says he did not believe he was an addict) was taking up to 50 a day just to get out of bed, this and a diary he used to keep so he could plan where he was getting all his painkillers from. We might not want to believe that things like that go on in our sport but we have athletes who if they don't play will not get paid and they are going to do what they can to get on the field regardless of the long term damage it could cause them. The name of the drug may change but for the players that use them they will find something else to kill the pain.

[The 4 of Us]

1 hour ago, Lowdesert said:

All pro clubs will receive up to date guidance on what they can take and what they can’t mate.  The Standard used to be produced by Sports Council, now by WADA (International Standard).  I know that the time I was involved in the pro game we weren’t allowed anything - even aspirin - but the external testing/monitoring was not what it should have been.

Now, (as in 2024) we have stricter, international Standard.  I am not sure how keen the wada club testing regimes are but they will been keener.   All this stuff is clearly identified and if a player is unsure they should go straight to the club doctor.  Not a players dad/‘friend’, etc etc.  For what it’s worth Tramadol is now classed under Narcotics as banned in season.

Sorry to hear about the knees btw

 

I’d do it all again! Not sure my wife would allow it though.

[TrueBull]

Whilst Archie's inquest was last month which I accept determines when it will be reported, the report has been slanted towards RL a bit much. It starts off by talking about RFL banning tramadol this season then finishes with the fact that WADA and UKAD have banned tramadol this season - which means that ALL sports that have signed up to UKAD have banned tramadol from 1st January, not just the RFL. 

Also, it starts off with the problem being amongst older/retired RL players then the story develops with the UKAD spokesperson acknowledging the problem is in RU and football as well, with cycling also using it as performance enhancing. Although, to be fair, cyclists would use wallpaper primer if someone told them it could enhance performance. 

Bit harsh making a generalisation about club Drs though. 

[Ullman]

On 19/02/2024 at 17:21, Worzel said:

Having had Oxycontin whilst my sternum healed after open heart surgery I'm delighted to confirm it's an absolutely amazing drug, better than any beer, wine or absinthe you'll ever drink in your life. If I didn't know better I'd still be merrily taking it (having watched the Dopesick series I was very conscious of the downsides)... so genuinely not surprised at all that people get addicted to it, rapidly. Drugs like that should be very tightly regulated. This isn't some sort of strong paracetamol..!!

 

Blimey was that recent? Hope you're OK now.

[Worzel]

6 minutes ago, Ullman said:

Blimey was that recent? Hope you're OK now.

2 years ago. Yeah all good now, thanks. Better in fact - you don’t know how much a furred up heart slows you down until you’ve had all the pipes swapped out! 

 

[Damien]

10 minutes ago, Worzel said:

2 years ago. Yeah all good now, thanks. Better in fact - you don’t know how much a furred up heart slows you down until you’ve had all the pipes swapped out! 

 

Glad to hear it, I can't even imagine what going through something like that must be like.

And you've come back here a different person, quite literally  

[Ullman]

27 minutes ago, Worzel said:

2 years ago. Yeah all good now, thanks. Better in fact - you don’t know how much a furred up heart slows you down until you’ve had all the pipes swapped out!