John Cena Reveals Shocking Truth About His Use of Painkillers

Pro wrestling is not an easy life, and injuries are a part of daily life. The moves in the ring hurt, and John Cena knows this all too well. However, he’s not one to indulge in painkillers at all. In fact, he’s never gone down that road.

John Cena was quite candid approach to pain, surgeries, and pain medication during his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience. Cena has dealt with major injuries over his long career, but The Greatest of All Time claims that he never took a single pain pill through any of it.

Joe Rogan asked Cena if he ever had trouble with pain management or addiction. Cena gave a clear answer, because he didn’t. Even after having neck fusion surgery, and so many other injuries, he didn’t go for the painkillers.

"No. No. As a matter of fact, I’ve had fusion in my neck, right pec completely detached, reattached, both triceps reattached, both triceps scoped, nose relocated… I’m in like 10 physical surgeries where they got to go and correct something. Never taken one pain pill."

John Cena explained that he accepted prescriptions from doctors but never used them. He described what would happen after surgery in a very straightforward way.

"I have all the prescriptions in the bottom drawer of my house filled. And it’s weird because at every facility, the first thing they climb is pain management. You wake up from anesthesia, you’re gray and murky… ‘Do you want something for the pain?’"

John Cena went on to say that he understood why people take pain medication but chose not to. That being said, he made the decision not to put anything like that into his body.

"I get it. But I guess from falling down and hurting my body a lot, I know my pain threshold. The worst one was probably putting the whole pec back on and then attaching it, but when I woke up I was able to mess around with the stress ball—and I never took one pill."

"The medical staff couldn’t believe it. Like, ‘You don’t want anything?’ No, because, man, I know how I am with this. It’s a slippery road. I’d be high on opioids all the time."

John Cena is gearing up for his last match on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C. His opponent will come from the ‘Last Time is Now’ tournament, and that’s heating up with the finals scheduled for tonight’s SmackDown.

For John Cena not to take any painkillers is a big deal. After all, he’s had a laundry list of injuries over the years. He dealt with a torn pectoral muscle in 2007, which forced him to give up the WWE Championship. That same stretch included a herniated disc and a broken neck. In 2012, he had elbow surgery. In 2013, he injured his right Achilles tendon. In 2016, he tore his rotator cuff and biceps. Also, in 2015, he broke his nose after a knee strike from Seth Rollins. Then in early 2025, another pec tear pushed him away from competition while he was wrapping up that legendary career. Cena also worked through ankle problems, not to mention the regular wear and tear that life on the road and in the ring can bring someone. So, to hear that he’s never taken painkillers is a bit shocking.

All of those injuries were well worth it. Over his career, he won fourteen WWE Championships, three World Heavyweight Championships, five United States Championships, and one Intercontinental Championship. The Grand Slam Champion is setting off as a shoo-in WWE Hall of Famer, with an entire wing dedicated to just him.

What’s your take on John Cena never taking painkillers? Do you believe that he’s been that clean for so long? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

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