What Are Yellow Pills Used For?: A Guide to Common Medications

October 7, 2025 •

5 min read

The color yellow in medication doesn't signify a specific drug category, but rather serves manufacturing, branding, and safety purposes. However, a wide range of medications, from over-the-counter pain relievers to prescribed treatments for anxiety, are known as yellow pills.

Quick Summary

This guide explores the diverse applications of yellow pills, covering everything from common pain relievers and antibiotics to complex prescription drugs for anxiety, insomnia, and other conditions. It also explains the factors behind medication color and highlights the importance of using imprint codes for accurate identification to ensure patient safety.

Key Points

Variety of Uses: Yellow pills are used for a wide range of conditions, including pain, anxiety, insomnia, infections, and vitamin deficiencies.
Color is Not an Indicator: A pill's color is for visual identification, not an indication of its active ingredient or medical use. Relying on color alone is unsafe.
Imprint Codes are Crucial: The most reliable way to identify any medication is by using its unique imprint code in a professional pill identifier tool.
Common Examples: Common yellow pills include ibuprofen for pain, clonazepam for anxiety, nitrofurantoin for UTIs, and certain vitamin supplements.
High-Risk Medications: Some powerful, potentially addictive prescription opioids like Percocet and Lortab can come as yellow pills, requiring careful identification.
Consult a Professional: Never take an unidentified pill. For accurate identification and safety, always consult a pharmacist or physician before consuming any medication you are unsure about.

Why Are Pills Different Colors?

Before exploring specific examples, it's helpful to understand why pharmaceutical manufacturers use colors at all. The color of a pill is determined by inactive ingredients and has no bearing on the active medication's effectiveness. Key reasons for coloring pills include:

Identification: Color provides a quick visual cue for patients and healthcare professionals to distinguish between different medications or dosages. For instance, different strengths of the same drug might be assigned different colors.
Adherence: Visual cues can help patients remember to take their medication. Patients may associate a certain color with a specific time of day, improving adherence to a regimen.
Protection: Some medications are photosensitive and can degrade when exposed to light. A colored coating can act as a protective barrier, extending the drug's shelf life.
Branding and Marketing: Distinctive colors can help establish brand identity, making certain products easily recognizable, like the historically iconic 'little yellow pill' for Nuprin Ibuprofen.

Identifying Common Yellow Pills

Since many different medications can be yellow, relying solely on color is unsafe. The most reliable method for identifying a pill is using the unique imprint code—a combination of letters and numbers—in a reputable pill identifier tool. Here is an overview of common medications that appear as yellow pills.

Pain Management

Pain relief is one of the most common applications for medications found in a yellow format.

Ibuprofen

This nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is available over-the-counter and is commonly sold as a yellow, oblong caplet or tablet. Uses for yellow Ibuprofen include:

Headache
Menstrual cramps
Muscle aches
Arthritis
Fever reduction

Acetaminophen and Oxycodone (Percocet)

Certain formulations of this powerful prescription opioid and acetaminophen combination come as yellow, round tablets. Due to the high potential for abuse, Percocet is a Schedule II controlled substance. It is prescribed for moderate to severe pain, such as following surgery or for chronic conditions.

Acetaminophen and Hydrocodone (Lortab)

High-strength doses of this combination pain reliever have been known to appear as yellow, oblong, scored tablets. Like Percocet, Lortab contains an opioid and is used to manage pain but carries a significant risk of addiction.

Anxiety and Insomnia

Several yellow pills are used to treat mental health conditions and sleep disorders.

Clonazepam (Teva 832)

Known as the 'Teva 832' pill, this round, yellow tablet contains clonazepam, a benzodiazepine. It enhances the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA to calm the brain and nerves. It is used to treat:

Panic disorders
Seizure disorders
Anxiety

Diazepam (Valium)

Another benzodiazepine, Diazepam, may also appear as a yellow pill (e.g., imprint 'TEVA 3926') and is prescribed for similar conditions as clonazepam, including anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures.

Zolpidem (Ambien CR)

This prescription sleep aid, used to treat insomnia, can be found as a yellow, round, extended-release tablet (e.g., imprint 'A117'). It works by acting on the brain to produce a calming effect that promotes sleep.

Infections

Yellow pills can also be antibiotics used to fight bacterial infections.

Nitrofurantoin (Macrobid)

This antibiotic is used to treat or prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). It can be found in yellow capsule form. A side effect of this medication can be dark yellow or brown urine, which is harmless.

Doxycycline

Some formulations of this tetracycline antibiotic, used for conditions like acne and other bacterial infections, appear as yellow capsules or tablets. The yellow or brown coating also helps protect this photosensitive medication from degrading.

Other Common Applications

Aspirin: Enteric-coated 81mg low-dose aspirin, used for heart attack and stroke prevention, can be a small yellow, round pill.
Vitamins: Some vitamin supplements, particularly Vitamin B complexes or those containing folic acid, are formulated as yellow tablets (e.g., imprint 'RD 02' or 'US 199').
Allergy Medications: The antihistamine Chlorpheniramine Maleate, used to treat allergies, is available as a 4mg yellow tablet.

Common Yellow Pills Comparison Table


Medication	Common Uses	Drug Class	Common Imprint Examples	Important Considerations
Ibuprofen (Nuprin)	Pain, fever, inflammation	NSAID	N, I I	Over-the-counter; can cause stomach irritation
Clonazepam (Klonopin)	Anxiety, panic disorders, seizures	Benzodiazepine	TEVA 832	Prescription only; high potential for dependence; avoid alcohol
Oxycodone/Acetaminophen (Percocet)	Moderate to severe pain	Opioid analgesic	230, C 230	Prescription only; high risk of addiction and abuse
Nitrofurantoin (Macrobid)	Urinary tract infections (UTIs)	Antibiotic	N/A (often capsules)	Prescription only; take with food; harmless urine discoloration
Zolpidem Extended Release (Ambien CR)	Insomnia	Sedative/Hypnotic	A117	Prescription only; can cause drowsiness and dependency

How to Safely Identify an Unknown Pill

If you find an unidentified pill, it's crucial to follow safety guidelines rather than attempting to guess its purpose based on color. The color of a pill offers only one piece of the identification puzzle; other factors like shape and imprint are equally important.

Here are the recommended steps for safe and accurate identification:

Check the Imprint Code: All legally distributed prescription and over-the-counter medications in the U.S. have a unique imprint code. This code is the most reliable way to identify a medication.
Use a Pill Identifier: Use a reputable online pill identifier tool, such as Drugs.com or a pharmacist's database. You will enter the pill's color, shape, and imprint to narrow down the possibilities.
Consult a Professional: If you cannot identify the pill or are unsure, consult a pharmacist or doctor. This is especially important for prescription medications with a high risk of misuse. Never take an unidentified pill.

Conclusion: Color is Just a Clue

Yellow pills represent a vast array of medications used for diverse conditions, from common aches and pains to more serious anxiety and seizure disorders. While the color can be a useful visual aid for distinguishing pills, it does not indicate the drug's purpose or safety. Accurate identification relies on a combination of factors, most importantly the unique imprint code found on the tablet. Always use caution when handling any medication, especially if it is unidentified. The safest course of action is to consult a healthcare provider or use a reliable pill identifier tool before consuming any unknown substance. Taking precautions ensures that you are taking the correct medication for your specific health needs and avoids potentially dangerous errors.

For more detailed information on specific medications, consult an authoritative database like the Drugs.com Pill Identifier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your clonazepam is a yellow pill because of the specific manufacturer and inactive ingredients used to create it. For example, the 'TEVA 832' pill is a well-known yellow, round clonazepam tablet used to treat anxiety, panic disorders, and seizures.

A common 'little yellow pill' for pain relief is Ibuprofen, often a 200mg caplet. A different, and much stronger, yellow pill for severe pain could be a prescription opioid like Percocet (acetaminophen and oxycodone).

No, all yellow pills do not have the same purpose. The color of a pill is determined by inactive ingredients for visual differentiation, not the active medication itself. Yellow pills can be for pain, anxiety, infection, or other conditions.

The safest way to identify a specific yellow pill is by using its unique imprint code (a combination of letters and/or numbers). Enter the imprint code, along with the pill's color and shape, into a reliable online pill identifier tool like Drugs.com.

You should never take an unidentified pill. Even if it looks familiar, different medications can have a similar appearance. Taking the wrong medication or dosage can be dangerous. If you cannot identify a pill, dispose of it safely.

One example of a yellow pill used for insomnia is certain extended-release formulations of Zolpidem, such as the 6.25mg tablet with the imprint 'A117'. Another could be the benzodiazepine Temazepam, with the imprint 'MYLAN 5050'.

Yes, yellow antibiotics exist. For instance, some formulations of the antibiotic Doxycycline appear as yellow capsules. Similarly, the antibiotic Macrobid, used for UTIs, comes in yellow capsules.