Dr. House repeatedly misuses Vicodin in House M.D.
Vicodin is a brand-name prescription painkiller containing hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the series, House takes it to manage chronic pain associated with an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right leg. His dependence on the medication is a continuing part of his character and creates professional, medical, and personal consequences.
House’s Vicodin use is not merely a character detail. It affects his judgment, relationships, employment, and willingness to follow medical advice. Several storylines focus on attempts to control or stop his use, as well as the withdrawal symptoms and deception that accompany dependence.
Viewers sometimes identify Vicodin simply as an opioid, but its formulation also includes a non-opioid pain reliever. The brand was discontinued in the United States in 2014, although hydrocodone-acetaminophen products remain available under other names.