A drug detox program may be the only safe answer for a Vicodin addiction, but the addictive prescription painkiller in your medicine cabinet may have another name - here’s what to look for.

Abbott Laboratories, maker of the trademarked prescription painkiller Vicodin, does not hold a trademark on what has become the fourth most-abused drug in America after cocaine, heroin and marijuana. Nearly a dozen other trade names and generic versions all contain the same basic formula that is driving unprecedented numbers of famous, infamous and every-day men, women and even children into dependency, addiction and, barring unexpected tragic fatalities, recovery through drug detox.

Vicodin is Abbott’s trademarked brand of the narcotic analgesic containing hydrocodone and acetaminophen, easily identifiable because the name is right on the tablet – "Vicodin", "Vicodin ES" or "Vicodin HP". The acetaminophen in the formula boosts the pain relieving effects of the addictive narcotic hydrocodone. But there are dozens of other brands, and also generic versions, all containing the same basic addictive formulation. Reportedly, production of this drug approaches 20 tons annually, and no matter what it’s called, "Vicodin addiction" leads to thousands of people entering drug detox every year.

Although law enforcement and the media frequently refer to "Vicodin" when reporting drug busts, addictions, trips to drug detox by the rich and/or famous, or tragic fatalities from deadly overdoses and drug interactions, it’s likely that some other trade name, or even a cheap generic version, was actually present. Regardless of the brand or version, the progression from legitimate pain treatment to dependence to addiction to drug detox, and often from there to extended treatment in a drug rehab program, is always the same if the warning signs of dependence and addiction are unknown or ignored.

The rich and famous, and even famous fictional characters, have been falling prey to the addictive nature of hydrocodone in all its formulations ever since it was developed nearly 100 years ago in Germany. Vicodin, although the most famous brand of the drug, is far from the only culprit behind all the stories of celebrated addictions, drug detox and fatalities. For example, generic hydrocodone was listed among the drugs that killed actor Heath Ledger just a couple of weeks ago.

But the name "Vicodin" has percolated its way into our popular culture. The rapper Eminem has "Vicodin" tattooed on his arm, a testament to its illicit allure on the streets where the genuine Vicodin brand is actually rarely seen. And aging rocker Ozzie Osbourne related stories of his own Vicodin addiction. Conservative radio chat-show host Rush Limbaugh, who began taking Vicodin for back pain, wound up with an addiction that cost him $300,000 in three years, according to his former housekeeper. And Cindy McCain, wife of Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain, admitted in 1994 to a years-long Vicodin addiction during which she stole hundreds of pills from the medical charity she ran. These alleged Vicodin addictions all led to drug detox and rehab, but we don’t really know if it was Vicodin or generics. And who really cares? The results were the same – lives torn apart by addiction.

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