Health Tips

Over-the-counter pain medications aren't all the same. Understanding the common terms used on pain medication labels will help you choose the one that's best for you.

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications are packaged in bottles and boxes that have labels describing how the medications work. The information on the labels of pain medications, also called pain relievers, can help you decide which one is best for you — if you understand the lingo. Here are the definitions of some common terms you'll find in the pain medication aisles at your local drugstore.

Terms in the Drug Facts label

The Food and Drug Administration requires that all OTC products include certain information in a standardized Drug Facts label. This simple, uniform label is intended to help you compare and choose pain medications wisely. These terms appear in the Drug Facts label in this order:

• Active ingredient. This is the medication that works to relieve your symptoms. It's always the first item on the label. Sometimes, there may be more than one active ingredient in a product, but the label will indicate this. The same active ingredient may be present in many different brands of medicine. For example, aspirin — sometimes abbreviated ASA — and acetaminophen are active ingredients in many common pain relievers.

  Note the amount of active ingredient in each dose — usually expressed in milligrams (mg). Typically, you can choose among several pain medications that have the same active ingredient and dose, opting for the best price or for a preferred method of delivery — capsule instead of tablet, for example. Brand-name pain relievers, such as Tylenol, aren't any better than their generic equivalents, such as your local drugstore brand acetaminophen.

• Uses. Also called indications, this section of the label lists the signs and symptoms that the medicine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat.
• Warnings. This safety information tells you what other medicines, foods or situations — such as driving — to avoid while taking the medicine.
• Directions. This section has information about when, how and how often to take the pain medication. This is where dosage information is presented.
• Other information. Additional information about the pain medication, such as how to store it, will be listed here.
• Inactive ingredients. Preservatives, binding agents and food colorings fall into this category, which includes all chemicals in a medicine that aren't meant to treat your symptoms. Pay close attention to this information if you have food allergies or other allergies.