House is repeatedly shown taking Vicodin in House M.D. Vicodin is a brand name for a prescription combination of hydrocodone and acetaminophen, and the series presents House’s use as a response to chronic leg pain.
His dependence on the drug is a continuing character and plot issue. Colleagues challenge him about impaired judgment, withdrawal, and the difference between treating pain and maintaining an addiction. The medication also symbolizes House’s attempt to control a permanent injury.
Vicodin is often remembered simply as House’s “painkiller,” but it is not fictional: it was a real prescription product. The fictional element is House’s specific storyline and the extent to which his use shapes the medical drama.