What painkillers Aaron Hernandez used to recover from his high ankle sprains

Warning: Spoilers ahead for American Sports Story Episode 6.

FX’s American Sports Story Episode 6 “Herald Street” depicts Aaron Hernandez using painkillers and cannabis to deal with a lingering ankle injury. Over the first six episodes of American Sports StoryA dramatized version of Aaron Hernandez’s true story has been little chronicled From his adolescence to his rapid rise as one of the NFL’s top tight ends. The first two episodes of American Sports Story Gain a basic understanding of Aaron Hernandez’s complicated upbringing in Bristol, Connecticut. American Sports Story Depicts several NFL players as well as Hernandez’s close friends and family members.

Josh Rivera leads the cast of American Sports Story Like Aaron Hernandez. The series also features performances by Norbert Leo Butz (blood line) like Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Patrick Schwarzenegger (Gen V) like quarterback Tim Tebow. The series depicts some of the major highs, such as winning the prestigious John Mackie Award, and the lows, such as the murder trial of Odin Lloyd, in Hernandez’s tragic true story. American Sports Story Episode 5 Showcases Hernandez’s impact as a rookie on the New England Patriots While American Sports Story Episode 6 depicts his alleged double murder of two men in Boston.

Aaron Hernandez was prescribed Vicodin after his high ankle sprain injury

Hernandez missed six regular season games in 2012

American Sports Story Episode 6 depicts Aaron Hernandez suffering from a high ankle sprain in his right foot. Hernandez sustained the injury during Week 2 of the 2012 NFL season after another player fell on top of his ankle while blocking an opponent, which is accurately depicted in the ASS episode. Hernandez was forced to miss several early games that year against the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos, which was also consistent with the streak. Hernandez returned in the Patriots Week 6 off game against the Seattle Seahawks on October 14, 2012 But also had to miss weeks 8-11.

The series depicts Hernandez self-medicating with cannabis and consistently taking prescription painkillers to manage the pain of his high ankle sprains. Hernandez is reportedly being administered a standard dosage of Vicodin by the New England Patriots’ medical staff as he is pictured during the weeks he is recovering from his injury. According to The Boston GlobeHernandez discussed the NFL’s reliance on painkillers for players to use throughout the season while he was incarcerated. It’s no surprise that Prescription painkillers are commonly used in the NFLWhich can cause cases of abuse after players retire.

Aaron Hernandez took Toradol injections to play through the pain

Hernandez developed a dangerous addiction to Toradol

Like hundreds if not thousands of other NFL players, Hernandez used the fast-acting pain-relieving drug Toradol to speed up his recovery process For his high ankle distribution. This answers the question of why he was injected into the show when he told a Patriots trainer that he couldn’t just sit around and wait on the sidelines anymore. According to Bleacher Report“Toradol first surfaced in the NFL in the mid to late 1990s and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Still, some players remain concerned about the long-term effect it will have on their health“Toradol should only be used as a short-term treatment for pain relief and should not exceed five days.

The real-life Hernandez was not only addicted to cannabis, which greatly contributed to his increasingly paranoid mindset, but also to Toradol. after his death, Addiction and substance abuse are widely considered to be one of the several contributing factors to Hernandez’s unstable thought process and volatile behaviors. According to Plan for recovery“Toradol, although not an opioid, is extremely dangerous when not used as directed. Toradol is notoriously overprescribed to football players. In 2011, the NFL faced a lawsuit from NFL players who claimed they were prescribed the drug and suffered from several health problems as a result..” Since Hernandez played until 2013, the process clearly did not solve the problem.

What Aaron Hernandez Said About His Drug And Painkiller Use

Hernandez found the NFL’s policies on weed and painkillers strange

Hernandez was well aware of the NFL’s contradictory policies to cannabis and prescription painkillers. According to Rolling StoneHernandez said of the NFL, “They wouldn’t let you smoke marijuana but they would let you take all the painkillers you wanted.” Despite the NFL’s anti-cannabis policies, and his pre-draft letter to the New England Patriots promising that he would submit to several drug tests per week, Hernandez’s weed addiction continued throughout his life, even while incarcerated. Before His death, he was reportedly high on a synthetic marijuana known as K2, a scene that will likely be chronicled in the finale of American Sports Story.

Sources: The Boston Globe, Bleacher Report, Plan for Recovery, Rolling Stone