Vicodin is House's recurring pain medication in House M.D.
House uses Vicodin to manage chronic pain caused by the infarction and subsequent damage to the muscles in his right thigh. The drug contains hydrocodone and acetaminophen, and the series repeatedly shows how his dependence affects his judgment, relationships, and medical career.
His use is not presented simply as a treatment choice. It becomes a major continuing conflict, leading to rehabilitation attempts, professional consequences, and periods in which House tries to function without it.
Viewers sometimes substitute other prescription painkillers because several medications appear in medical dramas. House's signature medication, however, is Vicodin. The fictional portrayal focuses on addiction and character conflict, while real-world use of opioid medicines requires medical supervision because of dependence and overdose risks.