This left him questioning how something so powerful and so addictive could be allowed in sport. “Psychologically, I knew I was dealing with addiction, but it took me years of physical struggle to break that addiction.” “Getting on and off drugs is hell,” Mullins explains. This cycle of need and regret was interspersed with a number of overdoses that left Mullins disoriented, bleeding, and desperate for rehabilitation. ![]() Trying to break the addiction, he would avoid taking the drug, only to be overcome by the debilitating symptoms of withdrawal, from nausea to cold sweats. His dependency destroyed a relationship, and it made him wonder how anyone could simultaneously be an addict and an elite athlete who cares about their body. His addiction was obvious – and disturbing – to both himself and those around him. But before long, his days were consumed by watching the clock, counting down the minutes between doses. “You can pop a pill 18 hours into a 24-hour endurance race and it’s an immediate boost that helps you power through the end.”įortified by recollections of his doctor saying that tramadol-dependency wasn’t something he’d encountered, Mullins started getting tramadol through other routes when his prescription ran out, wanting the pain relief and believing that he wouldn’t get addicted. “Using tramadol can feel as good as getting a blood transfusion for athletes,” says Mullins. He started taking tramadol when his doctor prescribed it to him as pain relief from chronic pancreatitis, but soon realized that he could both train and race better while taking the drug. Which is, in large part, how Mullins got addicted to the drug. ![]() ![]() Unlike other narcotics, such as oxycodone and morphine, athletes know they can use tramadol whenever the pain hits and still remain compliant with anti-doping rules. Speaking from experience, he explains that athletes feel perceptible pain relief by taking tramadol – a potent painkiller – before, during, and after intense workouts or competitions – all without risking a positive test. Ian Mullins, an elite mountain bike racer, points out that tramadol is the go-to painkiller for many athletes, especially cyclists, despite its reputation of abuse. However, the enormity of the drug’s threat becomes more apparent when some athletes talk about their experiences with the powerful painkiller. The debate becomes particularly complex when a drug is associated so closely with a single sport. Without doubt, tramadol raises legitimate questions about how it should be regulated in sport, as it has both clinical utility and potential for abuse. According to the WADA Monitoring Program, 71 to 82 percent of the tramadol use between 20 in globally monitored sports occurred in cycling. While USADA and other consulted stakeholders provided substantial evidence about the health risks and abuse of tramadol in sport after WADA requested comment on its inclusion in 2015, WADA has not yet added the drug, which is being abused in at least one sport. USADA, alongside numerous other organizations in the world of sport, believe that the time is now for WADA to finally move the drug from its Monitoring Program (where it has been since 2012) to the Prohibited List, alongside 12 other narcotics that are already banned in-competition. One such drug is the narcotic painkiller tramadol, a still-legal substance in sport that is both powerful and dangerous. As such, USADA has publicly provided education and guidance on substances and methods that are on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, while also pushing for other substances to be added to the List because of associated health risks and performance-enhancing capabilities. ![]() The opioid epidemic in the United States and around the world is not a secret, but how much do people really know about the abuse of prescription drugs in sport? Are they aware of how often seemingly innocent prescriptions for oxycodone or tramadol can turn into full-blown addictions? That the addiction can lead to an overdose and death? That it can happen to anyone, even athletes? Especially athletes?Īt USADA, we believe that medical advice should come from physicians, but it is within our purview to draw attention to health and safety issues that impact athletes.
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