Gregory House is famously dependent on Vicodin for the chronic pain caused by his damaged leg in House M.D.
Vicodin is a brand name for a prescription combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the series, House uses the medication to manage severe pain after an infarction damaged the quadriceps muscle in his right leg. His reliance on the drug becomes one of the show’s recurring medical and personal conflicts.
House’s addiction is not presented as a harmless character quirk. It affects his judgment, employment, relationships, and treatment decisions. Several storylines depict attempts to stop using Vicodin, periods of withdrawal, and the consequences of obtaining or abusing prescription medication.
The drug is sometimes confused with morphine or oxycodone because all are opioid-related pain medicines. Vicodin’s specific identity is hydrocodone combined with paracetamol, making it the canonical answer for House’s signature medication.