Ant McPartlin has made headlines lately, following his heartbreaking admission that he has been suffering with a Tramadol addiction for years, after a complicated knee surgery in 2015.
Since his confession myriad of celebrity faces have however spoken out in support of Ant, with some even admitting their own dalliance with the damaging drug.
TemporaryGood Morning Britainhost Richard Madeley has spoken out about the intensive painkiller, calling it "bad news".
Live on an episode of the morning show, Richard Arnold revealed the happy news that Ant would be returning to work onI'm A Celebrityin the autumn.The news left Richard questioning his fellow colleagues about the drug Ant relied upon so heavily, asking, "Have either of you ever taken those high-strength painkillers?"
Richard, who used to presentThis Morning,then confessed, "When I broke my arm earlier this year they gave me Tramadol... I took one and threw the rest away."
Discussing the effect his brief encounter with Tramadol had on him, he continued, "They make you feel really weird then I researched it and saw how addictive they were and I just flushed them down the loo.
"[They are] bad news".
Richard Arnold agreed, "It's a long and winding road if you get hooked on that sort of thing."
And he's not the forst celebrity to speak out about the drug. In June, Lorraine Kelly confessed how, following a horse riding accident, she was prescribed Tramadol. And although she acknowledged its numbing effect, saying it left her feeling "euphoric", she also admitted to realising how addictive it can be.
At the time, she said, "Your head is cotton wool. But it's horrible, because it's not real. I got it legitimately from a doctor, but it was my choice not to take it."
For Ant, his experiences on Tramadol resulted in a stint in rehab. "I was at the point where anything - prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs - I would take," he confessed.
"And take them with alcohol, which is ridiculous. The doctors told me, ‘You could have killed yourself'."
Ant is now on the road to recovery rebuilding his marriage, which was badly affected during his trouble with substance abuse.
What are the Tramadol side effects?
Although it's medication used to help ease moderate to severe pain, Tramadol certainly isn't without its tricky side effects.
Those that could occur include nausea, dizziness, constipation, drowsiness or headaches. Some more serious side effects can also include hallucinations, confusion, stomach pain, and weight loss.
If you're considering using Tramadol, be sure to consult your doctor first.
