Gregory House habitually misuses Vicodin in House M.D.
Vicodin is a prescription painkiller containing hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the series, House takes it to manage chronic pain caused by an infarction in the quadriceps muscle of his right thigh. His dependence on the drug becomes a recurring medical, ethical, and personal conflict.
House's Vicodin use is not merely a character detail. It affects his judgment, professional relationships, legal problems, and treatment decisions. Several storylines examine withdrawal, rehabilitation, relapse, and the consequences of prescribing or obtaining controlled medication.
The show sometimes uses Vicodin as shorthand for House's self-destructive behavior, but the character's addiction is connected to a documented injury and chronic pain. The medication is also a brand name, so references to hydrocodone or acetaminophen describe its ingredients rather than the specific answer used in the series.