Tramadol has spread like a disease in football - will moves to ban the highly addictive drug work?

Behind Tramadol, that convenient kind of drug that relieves pain and helps provide a good night’s sleep, lies a nasty little secret.

It is addictive and can lead directly to a greatly spoiled life.

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The disease has spread like smallpox in football and rugby, sports in which pain is as common as a kick to the shin or an embarrassing fall.

Paracetamol is a safer alternative but only relieves pain and is much less effective than tramadol, which is an opioid drug and has many after-effects.

Steps will be taken to ban it in the new year after the World Anti-Doping Agency ruled that from January 1, any male or female athlete will face a lengthy ban if the drug is found to be in their system.

This might work, but then, maybe not.

It will be important for medical staff at clubs to be alerted, firstly, to the dangers of the drug and, secondly, to the level of punishment that users face.

The difficulties in controlling addiction are clear, and the benefits of aiding relaxation and sleep have proven attractive enough to tempt injured footballers beyond the medical profession.

Immediate effects may include vomiting, dizziness, constipation and drowsiness, but transient effects are not the problem, although a sleeping centre-back is the last thing a team needs.

A friend (not a footballer) who was prescribed Tramadol told me that after one dose he dreamed he was playing alongside him Harry Kane He woke up screaming, “Pass it here, Harry.” Maybe for a moment he thought he was South Korean.

Another story from a different friend. He had to put his wife in bed while she was hitting him and screaming angrily.

He sat on the edge of his bed for the rest of the night. But serious problems arise with addiction.

Once football players find it impossible to resist taking the pills, psychological symptoms appear.

A number of players and retired players are now subject to hallucinations, panic attacks, paranoia, and severe anxiety.

Acute withdrawal symptoms take up to seven days to dissipate.

Drugs in sports have a long history, and the more advanced medicine and chemistry become, the more difficult it becomes to stop such cheating, let alone control it.

Outwardly, football has avoided the worst of the pandemic, but tramadol is a bit different in that its use, often in combination with paracetamol, to relieve pain and even aid sleep is beneficial, so a WADA ban may not be entirely welcome.

If you have developed dependence or addiction, stopping is a process in which you will need help.

Ryan Cresswell

However, doctor’s prescription will no longer be allowed, which will be bad news for many players already.

Ryan Cresswell, who made more than 250 appearances for clubs including Bury and Northampton, struggled with painkiller addiction throughout his career.

He had knee surgery when he was 17, but the cartilage came back nine years later, and he was taking legal medications, including Tramadol, to control the pain.

“It’s not normal to take eight or nine pills a day, and I realized I needed help,” he said.

“My advice to players is to talk to someone. If you have developed a dependence or addiction, stopping is a process where you will need help.

The PFA has become involved. Dr Michael Bennett, director of player health, urged players to use the PFA’s services if they think they may need support.

“We know that there are players who have real difficulty taking Tramadol,” he said, adding that there are notable cases in which addiction has contributed to major problems in players’ lives.