Vicodin is Gregory House’s chronic pain medication in House M.D.
Vicodin is a brand name for a combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the series, House takes it to manage severe pain caused by infarction and muscle damage in his right thigh. His reliance on the drug becomes one of the show’s defining character conflicts.
House’s medication use affects his judgment, relationships, employment, and medical licensing. The series repeatedly depicts attempts by colleagues and institutions to control or treat his dependence, while House often insists that the drug is necessary for him to function.
The medicine is sometimes confused with other prescription painkillers, including Percocet and OxyContin. Those drugs are not the medication most specifically associated with House. Vicodin’s role is also distinct from Adderall, which is a stimulant rather than House’s established pain medication.