In House M.D., House regularly takes Vicodin for chronic leg pain.
Vicodin is the brand name of a prescription combination containing hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the series, Gregory House uses it to manage pain caused by an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right thigh. His dependence on the medication becomes one of the show’s most persistent personal and professional conflicts.
House’s Vicodin use affects his judgment, relationships, employment, and attempts at treatment. The storyline also explores the difference between physical dependence, addiction, and medically justified pain management, although the drama presents these issues in a highly fictionalized way.
Vicodin is sometimes confused with other drugs House uses or discusses, including methadone and experimental treatments. Those substances appear in particular storylines, but Vicodin is the medication most consistently associated with his chronic leg pain throughout the series.