Pain Killer Tablets in Pakistan
Two prescription painkillers that work differently. Read the safety points below before you take either. Order on WhatsApp and pay cash on delivery, anywhere in Pakistan.
Pain killer tablets in stock
Caflam
Diclofenac potassium 50 mg
We dispense this on prescription
Caution: An anti-inflammatory (NSAID). Not for heart disease or stomach ulcers.
20 tablets
In stock
Delivery across Pakistan
Rs 408
Order on WhatsAppNuberol Forte
Paracetamol 650 mg + orphenadrine citrate 50 mg
We dispense this on prescription
Caution: Contains paracetamol. Don’t take other paracetamol medicines with it.
15 tablets
In stock
Delivery across Pakistan
Rs 195.03
Order on WhatsApp
Paracetamol: don’t take it twice
The most important point on this page. Paracetamol is sold in Pakistan under many names, in painkillers and in cold and flu medicines, so two medicines can both contain it.
The US FDA requires every non-prescription paracetamol label to warn that “Severe liver damage may occur” if it is taken “with other drugs containing acetaminophen” (paracetamol’s US name).
Each Nuberol Forte tablet contains 650 mg of paracetamol. Searle’s prescribing information: “Concomitant treatment with other medicines that contain orphenadrine or paracetamol is not recommended.” The UK Panadol Original product information: “Do not use with any other paracetamol-containing products.”
Searle’s prescribing information warns that “Overdose of paracetamol can result in severe liver damage”, and that the first two days of poisoning do not show how serious it is. Before taking any other medicine for pain, fever, a cold or flu, check its label for paracetamol.
What these painkiller tablets are approved for
They are different kinds of medicine. Each product page sets out its full uses and warnings.
- Caflam is an anti-inflammatory painkiller (an NSAID), not an everyday painkiller. UK product information for the same medicine lists pain and inflammation in arthritis and gout, low back pain, migraine attacks, muscle and joint injuries, and after minor surgery, for short-term treatment.
- Nuberol Forte combines paracetamol, a painkiller, with a muscle relaxant. Searle’s prescribing information lists tension headache and headaches with neck muscle spasm, and sprains, strains, whiplash and a prolapsed disc.
We dispense both on prescription, checked by our pharmacist.
Before taking Caflam: an anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory painkillers carry heart and stomach risks that paracetamol doesn’t. What the regulators and the label say:
- Warning: Not with heart failure, narrowed heart arteries (such as angina or a past heart attack), narrowed leg arteries or a past stroke (European Medicines Agency and UK MHRA, 2013).
- Warning: Not with a stomach or gut ulcer or bleeding, now or in the past, and not with liver or kidney failure (UK product information for Voltarol Rapid 50 mg).
- Warning: Not in the last three months of pregnancy (UK product information).
- Warning: Don’t take two anti-inflammatory painkillers together: the UK product information says to avoid it because of the risk of stomach bleeding.
- The UK made oral diclofenac prescription-only in January 2015, so that a doctor assesses the heart risk first (MHRA).
The full list, with sources (EMA, MHRA), is on the Caflam page.
Before taking Nuberol Forte: the muscle relaxant in it
Its second ingredient has cautions of its own.
Searle’s prescribing information says it must not be taken with glaucoma, an enlarged prostate or a blockage where the bladder empties, or myasthenia gravis. It warns that its muscle relaxant “may impair the ability of the patient to engage in potentially hazardous activities such as operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle”, and that alcohol should be avoided. It is not recommended under 12.
Labels for the muscle relaxant on its own add a warning Searle’s does not: “Orphenadrine has been chronically abused for its euphoric effects” (US label), and “For some patients orphenadrine may be a drug of abuse” (UK label).
The painkiller tablets we stock
Caflam and Nuberol Forte, the two on this page.
This is not a list of every painkiller sold in Pakistan, only the ones we stock and can vouch for. The right painkiller depends on the kind of pain, your health and your other medicines: ask your doctor or pharmacist.
How to check you have a genuine pack
Check every pack before you take a tablet.
- The carton and blister are sealed and undamaged, with the batch number and expiry date printed clearly on both.
- The batch number on the carton matches the one on the blister inside.
- The carton carries a DRAP registration number. Check it against the records below.
- Buy from a licensed pharmacy that sources from authorised distributors.
DRAP has reported a falsified batch of Nuberol Forte, DB0982, which contained no muscle relaxant. The details are on the Nuberol Forte page.
DRAP registration
- Caflam Tablet 50mg (021528), Nouveaux Pharma Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Active, “Approved / Verified”.
- Nuberol Forte Tablet (027196), The Searle Company Limited. DRAP’s registry shows: Reviewed, “Not Verified”.
DRAP publishes no definition of this verification flag, so we can’t tell you what it means. 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 .
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best pain killer tablet?
There isn’t one best painkiller: the right one depends on the kind of pain, your health and your other medicines, which is your doctor’s or pharmacist’s call. The two painkiller tablets we stock work differently: Caflam is an anti-inflammatory (an NSAID), and Nuberol Forte combines paracetamol with a muscle relaxant. We dispense both on prescription.
What is a pain killer tablet?
A tablet that relieves pain. They work in different ways: anti-inflammatory painkillers such as Caflam reduce pain and inflammation, and paracetamol, which is in Nuberol Forte and many other medicines, relieves pain and fever. Many painkillers contain paracetamol, so check every label before taking two together.
Which tablet is best for backache?
There isn’t one best tablet for backache, and back pain has many causes, so see a doctor if it is severe, follows an injury or doesn’t settle. Of the two we stock, UK product information for the medicine in Caflam lists low back pain among its uses, for short-term treatment. Searle’s prescribing information for Nuberol Forte lists acute and traumatic conditions of the limbs and trunk, including a prolapsed disc, but not long-term back pain.