You can be sure that if there were a real Dr. Greg House – the main character on the Fox medical drama "House" and notorious for his uncontrollable "Vicodin addiction" – he wouldn’t be popping branded Vicodin all day for his chronic leg pain. Cost-conscious hospitals stock the far less expensive generic versions of the drug, and House’s gargantuan appetite would certainly set off alarms in the budget department if it was genuine Vicodin. And as we see every week on the show, a full-blown addiction can create a difficult situation where the addict refuses drug detox and suggestions for alternate approaches to handling the pain.

Just to be sure, check your own medicine cabinet. The trade names for the same formula as Vicodin include Anexsia, Anolor DH5, Bancap HC, Dolacet, Hydro, Lorcet, Lortab, Norco, T-Gesic, Vadunk and others. There are all kinds of generic brands out there too, so the words to look for on the label are "hydrocodone" and either "acetaminophen" or "paracetamol." It is prescribed by the millions primarily for pain, but millions more find their way to the illicit market where they’re used to get high. So please store it somewhere secure, and be careful when taking it because dependence and addiction are always a risk. And if a Vicodin addiction occurs – branded or generic – remember that a medical drug detox program provides the safest withdrawal solution.

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