What drug is Dr. House dependent on in House M.D.?

Dr. House is dependent on Vicodin in House M.D. Vicodin is a prescription painkiller containing hydrocodone and acetaminophen, and House uses it to manage chronic pain caused by an infarction in his right thigh muscle.

His dependence is not merely a background detail. It affects his judgment, relationships, employment, and treatment by colleagues, and several storylines deal directly with withdrawal, rehabilitation, and attempts to stop using the drug.

Viewers sometimes identify House’s medication simply as a generic opioid, but Vicodin is the specific brand repeatedly named in the series. The character’s pain and drug use also reinforce the show’s recurring contrast between House’s remarkable diagnostic abilities and the consequences of his self-destructive behavior.