Gregory House is famously dependent on Vicodin in House M.D. Vicodin is a prescription painkiller combining hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen in the United States.
House uses the medication to manage chronic pain caused by an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg. The injury left him with a limp and became a major part of his character, affecting his mobility, mood, and relationship with colleagues. His reliance on Vicodin also develops into a continuing addiction storyline.
The series repeatedly distinguishes pain relief from dependence: House’s medical insight does not prevent the drug from creating serious personal and professional consequences. Viewers sometimes substitute other prescription drugs when recalling the plot, but Vicodin is the specific medication most strongly associated with House. The show’s depiction is fictionalized and should not be treated as medical guidance.