Vicodin is the prescription painkiller associated with Dr. House’s addiction 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 left him with lasting pain and a limp, and his reliance on the drug becomes one of the show’s major continuing conflicts.
Vicodin is a brand name for a combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol, which is called acetaminophen in the United States. Hydrocodone is an opioid analgesic, while paracetamol is a non-opioid pain reliever. The combination carries risks including dependence and liver damage if misused.
House’s use of Vicodin is fictionalized for drama, and the series depicts repeated attempts to control or stop his use. The drug is sometimes confused with morphine or oxycodone, but Vicodin is the specific medication repeatedly connected with House.