Dr. House frequently takes Vicodin in House M.D.
Vicodin is a brand name for a combination of hydrocodone and paracetamol, also called acetaminophen. In the series, House uses the medication to manage severe chronic pain caused by permanent damage to his right leg. His reliance on it becomes one of the show's major continuing storylines.
House's Vicodin use is not merely a character detail. It affects his relationships, professional judgment, and employment, and it eventually leads to attempts at rehabilitation and periods in which he cannot legally or practically continue working as before. The medication therefore connects the medical plots to the character's personal conflicts.
Viewers sometimes identify House's drug simply as “painkillers,” but Vicodin is the specific recurring answer. The show also depicts other substances and treatments at different points, yet Vicodin remains the signature medication associated with him.