O’Driscoll reveals how painkillers kept him playing
IRELAND legend Brian O’Driscoll has revealed the extent of his personal use of legal painkillers in the final years of his career.
The former Leinster, Ireland and British and Irish Lions centre explained on the Irish podcast Off The Ball how he had taken painkillers in order to “give yourself a chance of playing your best game”.
The admission came after a survey conducted by International Rugby Players revealed 45 per cent of players feel pressured to play through injury.
While the former Ireland captain said any pressure to play was put on by himself rather than anything external, he did admit to using painkillers to help combat injuries.
“I’d have been part of teams where the doctor would have walked down the bus on the way to games inquiring who wanted what in advance [of kick-off],” O’Driscoll told Off the Ball.
“For me, for the last couple of seasons, part of my match prep would have been a Difene and couple of co-codamol. In the Leinster and Irish set-ups you could get your hands on Difene.
“You’ve got to fight your case a bit more now, and prove their necessity. Drug cabinets that might have been open once upon a time are very much shut and inaccessible.
“It used to be for sleepers as well. Diazepam [valium] to try and counteract what would happen with the caffeine [tablets] because they couldn’t sleep.
“I’m not saying it was the culture but it happened.”
Difene, the active component in one of the world’s most-used painkillers, Diclofenac, has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in a major study.
Co-codamol contains Codeine, a weak opiod that can lead to addiction if taken regularly for a long period.
The four-time Lions tourist said that using painkillers would also add a little confidence before matches if he was carrying an knock.
“Just a painkiller if I was carrying something. You know what? It almost became like habit, where it gave me a fighting chance if I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent that it might have levelled it up.
If it is perfectly legal, there is no need for TUEs [Therapeutic Use Exemptions], give yourself a chance of playing your best game.”