House regularly takes Vicodin in House M.D. Vicodin is a brand-name prescription painkiller containing hydrocodone and acetaminophen, and the show uses House’s dependence on it as a major character and plot element.
House takes the medication because of chronic pain caused by the infarction in his right thigh muscle. The injury leaves him with a limp and contributes to his use of a cane. His pain, addiction, and attempts to conceal or control his medication use recur across the series.
The drug is not simply a visual character detail. Hospital administrators, colleagues, and rehabilitation professionals repeatedly confront House about its effects on his judgment and behavior. Several storylines examine withdrawal, relapse, and the consequences of prescription-drug dependence.
Vicodin is a brand name, while hydrocodone-acetaminophen describes the medication’s active combination. The show’s fictional cases should not be treated as medical advice, and real medication use requires professional supervision.