What fictional drug addiction does House M.D. show Dr. House struggling with?

House M.D. shows Dr. House struggling with Vicodin addiction.

Vicodin is a prescription combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the series, House uses it to manage chronic pain caused by the infarction and resulting damage in his right thigh. His dependence on the drug becomes a major element of his character and several long-running storylines.

The show portrays both the functional and destructive sides of House’s drug use. He believes Vicodin helps him work, but his increasing reliance causes conflicts with colleagues, patients, hospital leadership, and the law. His addiction also complicates the distinction between treating pain and misusing medication.

The series sometimes uses “Vicodin” as shorthand for House’s substance-use disorder, although real-world dependence and addiction involve medical and psychological factors that cannot be reduced to a single dramatic plot device. The medication’s presence is one of the character’s defining recurring details.