Dr. House becomes dependent on Vicodin, an opioid painkiller, in House M.D.
House takes Vicodin to manage chronic pain caused by an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg. The injury leaves him with a permanent limp and contributes to the cane he uses throughout the series.
Vicodin is a brand name for a combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the United States, hydrocodone is the opioid component, while paracetamol is the non-opioid pain reliever. The show uses House’s medication use as both a medical detail and a continuing source of professional and personal conflict.
The series distinguishes physical dependence from the character’s broader addiction problem, although its portrayal is dramatized for television. Vicodin should not be confused with morphine or with House’s later treatment episodes involving other substances.