Arinac and Arinac Forte Tablets
Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) LimitedDRAP reg. 018387
We dispense this on prescription
We accept a prescription from any registered doctor in Pakistan.
Same day or next day in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi for orders confirmed before 6pm. Tracked courier, 2 to 4 working days everywhere else. Delivery Rs 250 in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Rs 300 everywhere else, cash on delivery. Delivery details
Prices in PKR, checked 14 October 2026.
What Arinac is
A cold and flu medicine combining a painkiller, ibuprofen, with a decongestant, pseudoephedrine, made by Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited: Arinac and Arinac Forte tablets, and Arinac Suspension.
- Arinac and Arinac Forte: film-coated tablets. DRAP registers each in packs of 10 × 10; we sell single strips of 10. Arinac Suspension: a liquid, 120 ml.
- Registered with DRAP under number 018387.
- Registered with DRAP under number 022352.
- Registered with DRAP under number 022353.
- We dispense Arinac Suspension only for children aged 6 and over, on prescription: our own policy, explained under Children below. DRAP’s pseudoephedrine alert applies to the suspension as well as the tablets.
- We dispense it on prescription: we ask for a photo of your prescription with your order, checked by our pharmacist.
What is in each tablet and in the suspension
Two active ingredients. From the label claims in DRAP’s registry: Arinac Forte “Ibuprofen Ph.Eur. 400mg/ Pseudoephedrine HCl U.S.P. 60mg”; Arinac Suspension “Each 5ml contains: Ibuprofen Ph.Eur.…… 100mg, Pseudoephedrine HCl U.S.P…… 15mg”.
| Active ingredient | Arinac, per tablet | Arinac Forte, per tablet | Suspension, per 5 ml |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ibuprofen | Arinac, per tablet: 200 mg | Arinac Forte, per tablet: 400 mg | Suspension, per 5 ml: 100 mg |
| Pseudoephedrine hydrochloride | Arinac, per tablet: 30 mg | Arinac Forte, per tablet: 60 mg | Suspension, per 5 ml: 15 mg |
What it is used for
Cold and flu symptoms with congestion, for short-term use.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| UK product information | Relief of symptoms of cold and flu with congestion, including aches and pains, headache, fever, sore throat, and a blocked nose and sinuses. For short-term use only. |
| US label | Temporarily relieves cold or flu symptoms: headache, fever, sinus pressure, nasal congestion, and minor body aches and pains. |
PRES and RCVS: two rare brain conditions
DRAP and the European Medicines Agency describe PRES (posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome) and RCVS (reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome) as rare conditions that can involve reduced blood supply to the brain.
- Warning: Stop taking it and get urgent medical help for: a sudden severe or thunderclap headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, seizures, or changes in vision. DRAP, the EMA and UK product information give the same list.
- Warning: UK product information says the risk is increased in people with severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure, or severe kidney disease.
- The regulators’ reassurance: no fatal cases were reported, and most cases resolved after stopping the medicine and appropriate treatment (DRAP; EMA).
Ibuprofen: heart and circulation
Regulators link anti-inflammatory painkillers, ibuprofen included, to a raised risk of heart attack and stroke, mainly at higher doses.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| US FDA, 9 July 2015 | Strengthened the warning that non-aspirin anti-inflammatory medicines can cause heart attacks or strokes. The risk can appear as early as the first weeks of use, appears greater at higher doses, applies to people with or without heart disease, and there is an increased risk of heart failure. |
| European Medicines Agency, April–May 2015 | A small increase in cardiovascular risk at ibuprofen doses at or above 2,400 mg a day, and no increase at doses up to 1,200 mg a day. High doses should be avoided by people with serious heart or circulation conditions, or who have had a heart attack or stroke. |
| UK product information (Nurofen Cold & Flu) | For Arinac (200 mg) tablets, a ceiling, not a dose: “Do not take more than 6 tablets in any 24 hour period.” Its tablets are the same strength as Arinac’s, so that caps ibuprofen at 1,200 mg a day. It does not apply to Arinac Forte. The same product information says use with other anti-inflammatory medicines “should be avoided”, and that other decongestants need caution. If you already take another ibuprofen or anti-inflammatory painkiller, or another cold and flu product, ask a doctor or pharmacist before adding Arinac. |
| German prescribing information (BoxaGrippal forte 400 mg/60 mg, November 2025) | For Arinac Forte, a ceiling, not a dose, from a label for the same combination at the same strengths: BoxaGrippal forte, like Arinac Forte (DRAP’s label claim “Ibuprofen Ph.Eur. 400mg/ Pseudoephedrine HCl U.S.P. 60mg”), contains “400 mg Ibuprofen und 60 mg Pseudoephedrinhydrochlorid”. Its label: “Die Tageshöchstdosis von 3 Filmtabletten (entsprechend 1 200 mg Ibuprofen und 180 mg Pseudoephedrinhydrochlorid) darf nicht überschritten werden” (the maximum daily dose of 3 tablets, equal to 1,200 mg of ibuprofen and 180 mg of pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, must not be exceeded). Abbott’s own leaflet for Arinac Forte has not been found. |
Ibuprofen: stomach
UK product information: bleeding, ulceration or perforation of the stomach or gut has been reported with all anti-inflammatory medicines, can be fatal, and can happen at any time, with or without warning symptoms or previous history. The risk is higher with higher doses.
- Warning: Stop taking it and get immediate medical help for black tarry stools or vomiting blood (UK patient leaflet).
- Warning: Higher risk, UK product information: a history of ulcers, older age, or also taking steroids, blood thinners such as warfarin, SSRI antidepressants or aspirin.
- Warning: Higher risk, US label: age 60 or over; previous stomach ulcers or bleeding; taking a blood thinner or steroid; taking other anti-inflammatories; three or more alcoholic drinks a day while using it; taking more or for longer than directed.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Not in the last three months of pregnancy. Earlier, only if a doctor says it is clearly necessary.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| US FDA, 15 October 2020 | Avoid anti-inflammatory medicines from 20 weeks of pregnancy, because they can cause low amniotic fluid through effects on the baby’s kidneys. Clinicians should limit use between 20 and 30 weeks and avoid it after 30 weeks. |
| UK product information (Nurofen Cold & Flu) | Must not be used in the last trimester; not in the first and second trimester unless clearly necessary. Early-pregnancy use is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage, and the absolute risk of heart malformation rises from under 1% to about 1.5%. |
| US label | Do not use in the last 3 months of pregnancy unless a doctor directs. |
| NHS | Avoid ibuprofen in pregnancy unless a doctor or pharmacist advises it; paracetamol is usually the best painkiller to take. |
| Breastfeeding | UK product information for Nurofen Cold & Flu: ibuprofen appears in breast milk in very low concentrations and is unlikely to affect the baby. But Sudafed Sinus Pressure & Pain, the same strengths, is contraindicated while breastfeeding because pseudoephedrine passes into breast milk, and the NHS says oral decongestants are not recommended while breastfeeding. |
Children
Regulators set different lower age limits: the UK and Canada’s current monograph say 6; the US FDA does not recommend these medicines under 2, and US makers voluntarily label them “Do not use in children under 4 years of age”. Abbott’s own Pakistani leaflet for Arinac Suspension has not been found. Our own policy takes the stricter line: we dispense the suspension only for children aged 6 and over, on prescription. Ask a doctor before giving it to any child.
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| UK product information, tablets | Not for children under 12 (Nurofen Cold & Flu). Sudafed Sinus Pressure & Pain, the same strengths, sets the limit at 15. |
| UK MHRA, April 2009 | Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines containing decongestants, pseudoephedrine named, should no longer be used in children under 6; products for 6 to 12 year olds remain available only from pharmacies, where advice can be given. |
| NHS | Decongestants should not be given to children under 6; children aged 6 to 11 should take them for no longer than 5 days. |
| US FDA | Does not recommend over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children under 2. Manufacturers voluntarily label them “Do not use in children under 4 years of age”. |
| Health Canada | The current monograph for an ibuprofen 100 mg + pseudoephedrine 15 mg per 5 ml suspension (Children’s Advil Cold, 2024) authorises it for ages 6 to 12 only. An older 2010 monograph for the same strength (Children’s Motrin Cold) covered ages 4 to 11 for no more than 5 days; Health Canada’s Drug Product Database lists that product (DIN 02295350) as “Cancelled Pre Market”. |
Check with a doctor first
Conditions the labels say need a doctor’s advice before use, by source. Not every label lists the same conditions.
| Source | Conditions |
|---|---|
| UK product information (cautions) | Heart disease, fast heartbeat, high blood pressure, angina, an overactive thyroid, diabetes, closed-angle glaucoma or raised eye pressure, an enlarged prostate, or being easily over-excitable. |
| US label (ask a doctor before use) | High blood pressure, heart disease, liver cirrhosis, kidney disease, asthma, thyroid disease, diabetes, trouble urinating due to an enlarged prostate, a past stroke, stomach problems such as heartburn, or taking a water tablet (diuretic). |
| NHS (decongestants) | Glaucoma, among others: get advice from a pharmacist or GP first. |
Other medicines
From UK product information for Nurofen Cold & Flu, unless another source is named.
| Medicine | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| MAOI antidepressants | What happens: Must not be taken together, or within 14 days of stopping one: risk of a dangerous rise in blood pressure. | Source: UK product information |
| Aspirin, including low-dose aspirin taken for the heart | What happens: Avoid together unless a doctor has advised low-dose aspirin of 75 mg a day or less. Ibuprofen can blunt low-dose aspirin’s effect on platelets, which is the reason it is taken: to protect the heart. The US FDA (8 September 2006): with immediate-release (not enteric-coated) low-dose aspirin, take ibuprofen “at least 30 minutes after aspirin ingestion, or at least 8 hours before aspirin ingestion”. The FDA makes no recommendation for enteric-coated aspirin, says occasional ibuprofen use likely carries minimal risk, and has no data on less ibuprofen than its studies used, which was more than one Arinac tablet contains. On aspirin for your heart? Ask your doctor or our pharmacist before taking Arinac. | Source: UK product information; EMA; US FDA |
| Other anti-inflammatory medicines | What happens: Avoid taking two or more. | Source: UK product information |
| Warfarin and other blood thinners | What happens: Ibuprofen may increase their effect. | Source: UK product information |
| SSRI antidepressants, antiplatelets | What happens: Increased risk of stomach bleeding. | Source: UK product information |
| Blood pressure medicines, water tablets (diuretics) | What happens: Their effect may be reduced; water tablets increase the risk of kidney harm from anti-inflammatories. The UK leaflet names ACE inhibitors. | Source: UK product information; UK leaflet |
| Lithium | What happens: Levels may rise. | Source: UK product information |
| Methotrexate | What happens: Levels may rise. | Source: UK product information |
| Steroids | What happens: Increased risk of stomach ulcer or bleeding. | Source: UK product information |
| Quinolone antibiotics | What happens: Possible increased risk of fits. | Source: UK product information |
| Other decongestants, appetite suppressants, stimulants | What happens: UK product information: “To be used with caution with other sympathomimetic agents such as decongestants, appetite suppressants and amphetamine-like psycho-stimulants”; pseudoephedrine may add to their effects, with a risk of high blood pressure. Our advice is stricter: don’t combine them without asking your doctor. | Source: UK product information; the last sentence is our advice |
| Linezolid | What happens: Pseudoephedrine may raise blood pressure. | Source: UK product information |
| Ergotamine | What happens: Increased risk of ergotism. | Source: UK product information |
Side effects
Unusually, UK product information for Nurofen Cold & Flu lists no very common or common side effects: the most frequent band it uses is uncommon.
| How often | Side effects |
|---|---|
| Uncommon | Hives and itching, headache, tremor, stomach pain, nausea, indigestion, skin rash. |
| Rare | Diarrhoea, wind, constipation, vomiting. |
| Very rare | Blood disorders; severe allergic reactions; aseptic meningitis; liver problems; stomach ulcer or bleeding; severe skin reactions including Stevens-Johnson syndrome; acute kidney failure. |
| Frequency not known | Insomnia, anxiety, restlessness, agitation, hallucinations; PRES, RCVS and stroke; heart failure, fast or irregular heartbeat, heart attack; raised blood pressure; asthma getting worse; ischaemic colitis; ischaemic optic neuropathy (sudden loss of vision). |
It can mask the symptoms of an infection, so an infection should be monitored, and you should see a doctor if symptoms persist or get worse (UK product information).
Stop taking it if hallucinations, restlessness or sleep disturbances occur, and stop if you have sudden loss of vision or reduced vision (UK product information). Sudafed Sinus Pressure & Pain, the same strengths, lists some side effects as common.
Alcohol and driving
The labels differ, so here is what each says.
- Alcohol, US label: the chance of severe stomach bleeding is higher with three or more alcoholic drinks a day while using it.
- Alcohol, NHS: try to avoid drinking a lot of alcohol with ibuprofen, because it can increase the risk of side effects.
- Alcohol, UK product information for Nurofen Cold & Flu: not mentioned. Sudafed Sinus Pressure & Pain, the same strengths, says alcohol may increase side effects.
- Driving, UK product information for Nurofen Cold & Flu: “None expected at recommended doses and duration of therapy.” Insomnia, restlessness and agitation are among its side effects. Sudafed Sinus Pressure & Pain says it “has minor or moderate influence on the ability to drive and use machines”.
How it is treated elsewhere
Countries regulate pseudoephedrine medicines very differently. We require a prescription for Arinac.
| Country | What applies |
|---|---|
| France | Oral pseudoephedrine medicines prescription-only from 11 December 2024 (List I). The products named include Rhinadvil Rhume Ibuprofène/Pseudoéphédrine, the same combination as Arinac. France’s regulator considered the EU measures insufficient and advises against oral decongestants for colds; at the EU committee vote, France’s member judged the benefit-risk balance negative. |
| European Union | Product information updated with strengthened warnings and two new contraindications: severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure, and severe kidney disease or kidney failure. |
| United States | Available without a prescription, but kept behind the counter, with photo ID, a signed logbook and daily and monthly quantity limits, under the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005. |
| United Kingdom | Illegal, without a prescription, to sell or supply any product containing more than 720 mg of pseudoephedrine, or a combination of products that between them add up to more than 720 mg. |
We require a prescription for Arinac, and accept one from any registered doctor in Pakistan.
Returns and replacements
Medicines and supplements can’t be returned once they have left our pharmacy.
- Returned medicine can never go back into saleable stock. That is a safety rule, not a commercial one.
- If an item arrives damaged or wrong, tell us on WhatsApp within 24 hours and we replace it. That is us fixing our mistake, not a return.
- Anything that arrives expired or within a month of expiry we replace or refund, your choice, with no time limit.
Frequently asked questions
Arinac kis liye hai?
Arinac combines ibuprofen, a painkiller, with pseudoephedrine, a decongestant. UK product information for the same combination lists the relief of cold and flu symptoms with congestion, including aches and pains, headache, fever, sore throat, and a blocked nose and sinuses, for short-term use. We supply it on prescription.
Arinac aur Arinac Forte mein kya farq hai?
Arinac has ibuprofen 200 mg and pseudoephedrine 30 mg per tablet; Arinac Forte has twice as much of each, ibuprofen 400 mg and pseudoephedrine 60 mg. We dispense both on prescription.
Can I give Arinac Suspension to my child?
Ask a doctor first. The lowest age in any source we cite is 4: a 2010 Canadian monograph for a product since cancelled, and the voluntary US labels the FDA describes; the UK and Canada’s current monograph say 6. The UK advises against decongestants such as pseudoephedrine in children under 6, the NHS says children aged 6 to 11 should take decongestants for no more than 5 days, and Health Canada’s current monograph for this strength covers ages 6 to 12 only. We dispense Arinac Suspension only for children aged 6 and over, on prescription: our own policy, taking the stricter of these positions.
Can I take Arinac if I have high blood pressure?
Not if it is severe or uncontrolled. DRAP Safety Alert No. 49 (27 April 2024) says pseudoephedrine medicines must not be used by people with severe or uncontrolled high blood pressure, or severe kidney disease or kidney failure. For any other high blood pressure, ask your doctor first: the US label and UK product information both list it as needing a doctor’s advice.
Is Arinac safe in pregnancy?
It must not be used in the last three months of pregnancy, and earlier only if a doctor says it is clearly necessary (UK product information). The US FDA advises avoiding anti-inflammatory medicines from 20 weeks. The NHS says to avoid ibuprofen in pregnancy unless advised, and that paracetamol is usually the best painkiller to take.
Questions about Arinac and Arinac Forte Tablets?
Send your question on WhatsApp and a pharmacist will come back to you.
DRAP registration
- Arinac Tablets (018387), Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Provisionally Active, “Not Verified”.
- Arinac Forte Tablet (022352), Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Provisionally Active, “Not Verified”.
- Arinac Suspension (022353), Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Provisionally Active, “Not Verified”.
DRAP publishes no definition of this verification flag, so we can’t tell you what it means. We searched DRAP’s website for “Arinac” and “pseudoephedrine” on 16 October 2026 and found no alert naming Arinac, and DRAP’s safety alert on pseudoephedrine (above). When we tested it, the search did not find a word that appears only inside an alert’s attached PDF, so an alert that names a product only in its PDF may not show up. DRAP describes its registered products index as a provisional list that “cannot be used as a reference for any purpose”. Checked against the registry between and .
Sources
- German prescribing information (Fachinformation): BoxaGrippal forte Erkältungstabletten 400 mg/60 mg, Angelini, November 2025 (in German, PDF)
- Health Canada Drug Product Database: Children’s Motrin Cold, DIN 02295350 (status Cancelled Pre Market)
- DRAP Safety Alert No. 49: PRES and RCVS with pseudoephedrine-containing medicines (27 April 2024, PDF)
- European Medicines Agency: pseudoephedrine-containing medicinal products, referral (2023–2024)
- EMA: divergent position on the pseudoephedrine CHMP opinion (PDF)
- European Medicines Agency: ibuprofen and dexibuprofen review (2015)
- US FDA Drug Safety Communication: NSAIDs and heart attack or stroke (9 July 2015, archived copy)
- US FDA: avoiding NSAIDs in pregnancy at 20 weeks or later (15 October 2020)
- US FDA: cough and cold medicines for children
- US FDA: legal requirements for the sale of pseudoephedrine (Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act)
- US Drug Facts label: Advil Cold and Sinus, ibuprofen 200 mg + pseudoephedrine 30 mg (DailyMed)
- UK SmPC: Nurofen Cold & Flu, ibuprofen 200 mg + pseudoephedrine 30 mg (medicines.org.uk)
- UK patient leaflet: Nurofen Cold & Flu (medicines.org.uk)
- UK SmPC: Sudafed Sinus Pressure & Pain, ibuprofen 200 mg + pseudoephedrine 30 mg (medicines.org.uk)
- UK MHRA: over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children (April 2009)
- UK MHRA: pseudoephedrine and ephedrine supply restrictions
- NHS: Ibuprofen for adults
- NHS: Decongestants
- ANSM (France): prescription required for pseudoephedrine medicines (10 December 2024, in French)
- ANSM (France): avoid oral decongestants for colds (in French)
- Health Canada product monograph: Children’s Advil Cold (2024, PDF)
- Health Canada product monograph: Children’s Motrin Cold (2010, PDF)
- US FDA Science Paper: concomitant use of ibuprofen and aspirin, attenuation of aspirin’s anti-platelet effect (8 September 2006, PDF)