Gregory House is addicted to Vicodin in House M.D.
Vicodin is a brand-name combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the series, House uses it to manage chronic pain caused by a damaged quadriceps muscle in his right leg.
His dependence is not merely a background detail. It affects his relationships, medical judgment, employment, and legal circumstances. Several story arcs focus on attempts to control or stop his use of the drug.
The show’s fictional treatment of addiction is dramatized for television. House’s pain, substance dependence, and highly unusual behavior are separate issues, although the series frequently links them in its character development.