A former British Army soldier who contracted Q fever while serving in Afghanistan has described how the illness led to a severe addiction to painkillers, leaving him reliant on up to 30 tablets a day. Wayne Bass, 41, who served with the 2nd Battalion of the Mercian Regiment, says the Ministry of Defence failed to provide timely antibiotics to cure the infection, resulting in chronic nerve damage and chronic fatigue syndrome.
A Failed Legal Battle
Mr Bass attempted to sue the MOD in 2019, but his claim was dismissed in court. The High Court ruled in 2020 that antibiotics would not have been effective in preventing Q fever, based on expert evidence. The judge found that the MOD had taken its responsibilities seriously, balancing troop welfare with operational capacity.
Mr Bass, from Redditch, Worcestershire, was first prescribed the opioid tramadol in 2013 after his third tour in Afghanistan. He says the medication was intended for short-term pain relief, but within six months he experienced withdrawal symptoms when trying to reduce his dose. Over time, his dependency escalated dramatically.
Life on 30 Pills a Day
At the peak of his addiction, Mr Bass was consuming up to 30 tramadol tablets daily just to get out of bed. He resorted to sourcing the drug from friends when his prescription ran out. He said: "I pretty much had to take it to get out of bed in the morning and feel normal." The father of one has since managed to cut down to six pills a day but still struggles with severe pain and withdrawal.
"The Q fever caused severe nerve damage, muscle wastage, fatigue. I was in a wheelchair for a while. It affected my walking, speech, everything. I'm in a lot of pain on a daily basis," Mr Bass explained.
Criticism of NHS Support
Mr Bass claims that despite informing his doctors about his growing dependence, they continued to prescribe more boxes of tramadol. He argues that there is less support for painkiller addiction than for heroin addiction. "I'd probably be better off taking heroin because at least then I'd get help to come off it," he said. His partner, Lauren Abbott, 36, launched a petition calling for better support for veterans and others struggling with prescription opioid dependency.
Medical Guidance
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) warns that tolerance and dependence may develop with repeated use of tramadol and other opioids. Their guidelines state that patients should be informed of the risks before treatment and that a discontinuation plan should be agreed. NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board declined to comment on the specific case.
Mr Bass now hopes to come off tramadol entirely, describing the drug as having "ruined his life." He said: "There needs to be more awareness, more people need to be educated on this and more help needs to be out there."
