In House M.D., Dr. House regularly misuses the painkiller Vicodin.
Vicodin is a brand name for a combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the series, House takes it to manage chronic leg pain caused by an infarction in his quadriceps muscle, an injury that permanently affects his walking.
His dependence on the drug is a major continuing storyline rather than a minor character detail. It influences his relationships, professional judgment, and interactions with hospital administrators and colleagues. The show repeatedly depicts attempts to control or conceal his use.
The medication is sometimes confused with other opioid painkillers because several appear in medical dramas. House’s signature drug is specifically Vicodin. The fictional portrayal also reflects the broader risks of opioid dependence, although the series dramatizes those issues for its character-driven story.