Jackie 'O' Henderson reveals the sad truth behind what started her painkiller addiction - and why most women will understand
The radio queen, 50, was chatting to KIIS FM's Dr Sam Hay about the nature of addiction and told Kyle & Jackie O listeners she began taking painkillers to help cope with a problem that many women experience.
'I got addicted because I got prescribed Endone. I was prescribed for a true pain that I was experiencing because I was going to the hospital every month with my endometriosis,' Jackie began.
Endometriosis is a painful condition affecting many women, where tissue similar to the womb lining grows in other parts of the body, often causing cramps, fatigue and fertility issues.
Several other celebrities have gone public with their endometriosis battle, including Bindi Irwin.
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Jackie added she was prescribed the powerful painkiller Endone - another name for Oxycodone - to help manage the issue but soon became dependent on it.
'It just got so out of control, I had to go to the hospital to get morphine. And then so they prescribed the Endone as a way to manage it,' she said.
'It is dangerous. When they handed me the drug they said, "it's so addictive. Be really careful." And it really, really is.
'I took those pills and thought, "I'll be fine." And I realised you're not fine because they are so addictive.'
In October, Jackie first opened up about her addiction issues during a tearful conversation with her co-host Kyle Sandilands on their KIIS FM radio show.
Jackie revealed at the height of her addiction she was consuming up to 12 Stilnox sleeping pills and 24 Panadeine Forte tablets daily, often with alcohol.
The KIIS FM star admitted on The Kyle and Jackie O Show that she secretly checked into the Betty Ford Clinic for drug and alcohol addiction in November 2022.
Jackie admitted she was advised not to reduce her pill intake before arriving at the clinic, meaning she was still using the substances the day she flew out to the US.
When Jackie took her break from the show in 2022, Kyle told listeners she was stepping away to 'focus on her health' after contracting COVID-19.
However, behind the scenes, the beloved radio host was battling an addiction that had spiralled out of control.
The veteran presenter said she wanted to publicly speak about her addiction battle to reduce the 'stigma' around drug dependence and 'normalise' it.
The presenter bravely apologised to listeners for not revealing her health struggles earlier.
She later publicly thanked her best friend Gemma O'Neill for helping her see she had a problem and getting her checked into The Betty Ford Clinic in California.
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