Thread: Urlacher gets injections to play

You gotta give him credit. The dude wants to play no matter what, but him and a lot of other players are gonna regret doing stuff like this in 10-15 years. Urlacher should retire in one or two years which means we need to draft some linebackers for the future!

Urlacher: Bears 'not going to overdose us on Toradol'

Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher admits to using the painkiller Toradol. (Chris Sweda/Tribune Photo)

By Dan Pompei, Tribune reporter 11:37 a.m. CST, January 24, 2012




Brian Urlacher said Tuesday he does what he needs to do to play when he’s in pain, but is not a habitual user of the painkiller Toradol.

The Bears middle linebacker said he did not take a single Toradol injection or pill during the 2011 season, but acknowledged he has taken Toradol 40 or 50 times in his 12-year NFL career, including when he has taken the medication in pill form.

“I took two last year in the playoffs because I busted my hip up against Seattle,” Urlacher said. “I took a shot during the (Seattle) game and before Green Bay (in the NFC Championship Game) because it was still bothering me. Those were the last two. I use it for relief from pain.”

Toradol is a non-addictive, non-narcotic drug that serves as an anti-inflammatory. It is frequently used on patients after surgeries to reduce swelling. It is administered by team doctors in the NFL, and Urlacher believes the Bears are prudent in their use of the drug.

Urlacher said he took his first Toradol shot in his third year in the league because of a shoulder injury.

"It’s been around a long time,” he said. “I saw guys take it my rookie year. I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t have any reason to get one.

“I’ll take it if I have an ankle or a shoulder (injury), but I don’t just take them to take them. From what I understand, some guys just take them to take them. They take them every game because they can’t play without them. I don’t know anyone on our team that’s like that.”

The subject of Toradol use has become an issue in part because of a lawsuit a dozen former NFL players have filed against the league. The players, including Joe Horn and Jerome Pathon, say the drug can worsen high-risk injuries like concussions by preventing the feeling of injury and make it more difficult for players to recognize they are hurt.

In the Bears' locker room, Urlacher said four of five players typically might get a Toradol injection before a game.

“It’s not the same guys every game,” he said. “It’s the guys who are banged up. They won’t give it to guys with muscle problems. If you pull a muscle and you come back, they won’t give you a shot.”

In a segment on HBO’s "Real Sports" scheduled to air at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Uralcher said even if he did fear he had a concussion, he would try to hide it in order to stay on the field.

In a previous Tribune story, it was reported that Urlacher did not respond to a message to discuss his HBO interview. The Tribune inadvertently left a message on a number that was no longer functional, and Urlacher subsequently contacted the Tribune.

“I think we’ve all taken those Toradol shots,” he said. “No, maybe we don’t know all of the effects of them. But if you take them in the right dosage, I think you’ll be OK. I think our team regulates it really well. They are not going to overdose us on Toradol.”

In "Real Sports," it was reported that former NFL center Jeremy Newberry has Stage 3 kidney failures that doctors have attributed to his use of Toradol.

“It sounded like Jeremy wasn’t just taking Toradol, either,” Urlacher said. “It sounded like he was taking a lot of things.”

dpompei@tribune.com

Twitter@danpompei


Copyright © 2012, Chicago Tribune

Guess Brian thought there was a need to clarify the difference between the use and the abuse of Toradol.

If it's administered properly there isn't much danger of long term damage. I've had it following a couple of surgeries and all my parts still work. I think the danger, as he points out, may come from using it just to block pain every time you play. That's probably going overboard.

Better get those jerseys autographed. Investments don't come along very often.

Urlacher reminds me of an old school player with the way he goes about his business. The only difference is that when he gets his bell rung and if he were to tell about it, they're not simply going to give him smelling salts and send him back into the game like they did years ago. Lach is a mortal, and has to know that about himself before he goes out and gets himself killed one day.