The NFL allegedly suspends player for taking asthma medication

[cincinnati chili]

There's often two sides to these kind of stories. But unless there's more to this story than meets the eye, I hope the NFL suffers a huge p.r. hit for this. If true, they're basically inducing asthmatics to risk death by not taking their medication.

Maybe there's an opportunity here for a good Americans With Disabilities Act lawyer. Such cases are tough to win, but I'd argue that allowing the use of Advair to an asthmatic is a much more reasonable accommodation than Casey Martin and the golf cart... and the Supreme Court said the latter was okay.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2687451

[note to mods... if this counts as "politics" - it can be deleted... but I imagine this can be kept apolitical]

[TeamSelig]

I'm sure there is other medications to take besides that which is on the banned list. Not for sure though.

[MWM]

As a lifelong asthmatic and someone who still can't walk around the block without taking an inhaler, this really sucks (assuming as chili said that there's not more to it.). And I've taken plenty of steroids over the years for it, too. The only way to actually improve your condition is through steroids, as far as I know. You an take an inhaler all day long, but that's not making you better. The steroids are supposed to make it so you don't have to constantly rely on an inhaler.

[cincinnati chili]

I take Advair myself. Never occurred to me that my performance has been enhanced. I'll ask the wife.

I'll let the medical experts weigh in.

[Cedric]

I highly doubt the NFL and their high priced lawyers didn't check the amount of steroid in the body compared to normal Advair users.

Call me cynical but I think this might just be a guy searching for a way out and knowing he has a handy excuse.

[Larkin Fan]

LOL, steroid testing is sophisticated enough to differentiate between the type of steroids used to treat medical conditions such as asthma (corticosteroids) and illegal anabolic steroids. They are different. He's trying to save face, pure and simple.

[cincinnati chili]

LOL, steroid testing is sophisticated enough to differentiate between the type of steroids used to treat medical conditions such as asthma (corticosteroids) and illegal anabolic steroids. They are different. He's trying to save face, pure and simple.

Fair enough. And I figured something like that is going on. But if you take John Clayton's article at face value, it says: "Hollis Thomas. . . is being suspended for four games because he violated the league's steroid policy due to asthma medication he takes."

If it's just because of the Advair twice a day, and an inhaler 4 times per day, that's nuts. (assuming he doesn't have some designer goodie in his inhaler)

[Jpup]

I find it amusing that the NFL would suspend a guy for this when a large majority of their players "appear" to be on steroids. Who knows though? The only baseball players that ever seem to get caught are skinny dudes.

[Yachtzee]

I wonder, could players use Advair to mask the use of illegal steroids?

I would think that, if one has a documented health problem that requires the use of a substance that might show up on a steriod test, the league should know about it in advance. I see no reason why the league can't have a list of players who have asthma or other medical conditions that require the use of a medication similar to one on the banned list. Then, when this guy has a positive test, the league could possibly order a second, more sophisticated test.

[Larkin Fan]

I wonder, could players use Advair to mask the use of illegal steroids?

The answer is no, because the two types of steroids are completely different. One could test 1000 asthma patients and none of them are going to pop positive for anabolic steroids because of their asthma medication. Furthermore, even if corticosteroids could make a person test positive for anabolic steroids (which they don't), there's a problem with the logic. Advair contains inhaled steroids. Almost none of this medication ends up in the bloodstream and what little does is such a minute amount that it wouldn't be enough to show up on any test.

Thomas is playing on the fact that the average person has no clue that this type of steroid won't lead to a positive test. Frankly, this is the most ridiculous defense I've heard yet.

[texasdave]

Thomas is playing on the fact that the average person has no clue that this type of steroid won't lead to a positive test. Frankly, this is the most ridiculous defense I've heard yet.

At least he didn't say the devil made him do it. Hehe.

[Chip R]

Thomas is playing on the fact that the average person has no clue that this type of steroid won't lead to a positive test. Frankly, this is the most ridiculous defense I've heard yet.

Oh, I don't know. Raffy Palmiero saying Tejada injected him with a B12 shot was pretty ridiculous. Bonds saying he didn't know what was in the Cream and the Clear was equally ridiculous.

[TeamSelig]

The bikers excuse was the worst (for some reason can't think of his name).... too much whiskey and beef jerkey or something, wasn't it?

[kaldaniels]

I'm a pharmacist. I've read that the guy tested positive for clenbuterol...no one even uses that in the US...not FDA approved. Sounds like a shady deal to me. End of story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clenbuterol

[cincinnati chili]

I'm a pharmacist. I've read that the guy tested positive for clenbuterol...no one even uses that in the US...not FDA approved. Sounds like a shady deal to me. End of story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clenbuterol

This article postulates that other legal substances can suggest a false positive of clenbuterol.

Too far over my head.

Either way, it looks like the NFL did NOT suspend him for taking Advair, Singulair, etc. They believe he's taking something else.