Sumo Tablet: Uses, Benefits, Dosage & Side Effects

Sumo Tablet is a tablet painkiller that contains two medicines in a fixed-dose combination. "Fixed-dose" means the two ingredients come together in one tablet - you cannot separate them, and every tablet gives you both.

• Nimesulide; Strength licensed in India: 100 mg; What kind of medicine it is: NSAID — an anti-inflammatory painkiller
• Paracetamol; Strength licensed in India: 325 mg or 500 mg, depending on the product; What kind of medicine it is: Analgesic and antipyretic — a painkiller and fever-reducer

Sumo Tablet contains nimesulide 100 mg with paracetamol. The paracetamol strength is not the same in every pack - some nimesulide-and-paracetamol products in India hold 325 mg, others hold 500 mg — so check the strength printed on your own pack rather than assuming.

Both of those paracetamol strengths are permitted combinations in India. A 325 mg pack and a 500 mg pack are not interchangeable if you are counting the paracetamol you take in a day, so do not assume that another pack matches yours. Several other medicines sold in India contain the same two ingredients, and some contain only one of them — read the label so you know exactly what you are taking.

In India, nimesulide is a Schedule H drug. It is sold only against the prescription of a registered medical practitioner, and this combination is covered by the same rule.

One more thing worth knowing: in December 2025, India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare prohibited all oral nimesulide formulations that contain more than 100 mg in immediate-release form. The nimesulide strength used in this combination, 100 mg, is within the permitted limit.

Nimesulide is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). It works mainly by blocking the COX-2 enzyme - nimesulide is described as a preferential COX-2 inhibitor rather than a selective one — so the body produces fewer prostaglandins, the chemicals that make an injured or inflamed area painful, swollen and hot. This is why an NSAID helps with pain that comes with swelling, such as a sprain or a joint problem. Like other NSAIDs, nimesulide also affects the COX-1 enzyme, which is part of the reason it can irritate the stomach and cause ulcers and bleeding.

Paracetamol works differently. It changes the way the body senses pain and cools the body down, which is why it brings down fever. It does not reduce swelling the way an NSAID does, and it is not linked to the stomach irritation and ulcers that NSAIDs can cause.

Because one tablet contains both, a dose gives you an anti-inflammatory effect at the site of the pain plus a general painkilling and fever-lowering effect.

It is used for short-term relief of pain in adults, and for fever that comes along with pain, when a doctor has prescribed it.

The painful conditions it is commonly prescribed for include:

• Low back pain and other musculoskeletal pain
• Sprains, strains and other soft-tissue injuries
• Dental pain, and pain after dental procedures
• Period pain (dysmenorrhoea)
• Joint pain
• Pain after minor surgery

Fever is usually treated with paracetamol on its own. Paracetamol is one of the two ingredients here, so this combination also lowers temperature, and a doctor may prescribe it when you have pain along with the fever.

What it is not for

• Long-term joint disease such as osteoarthritis. Nimesulide was once used for painful osteoarthritis, but European regulators removed that use in 2012 because a chronic condition encourages long-term treatment, which raises the risk of liver injury.
• Anything you would need to take every day. That restriction is a European decision; in India the equivalent safeguard is the boxed warning that keeps nimesulide courses short. Either way, this is a short-course painkiller, not something you take every day.
• Dengue and other viral fevers. NSAID painkillers are avoided in dengue because they can add to the risk of bleeding, and paracetamol on its own is the preferred choice.
• A first choice for everyday pain. In the European Union, nimesulide was restricted to second-line treatment — it should be used only when other painkillers are not suitable or have not worked. That is a European restriction and Indian product information may differ, but it explains why this is a prescription medicine rather than something you reach for first.
• As a cure. It eases pain and lowers fever, but it does not treat the cause — it will not clear an infection, and it will not heal an injury. Those problems still need their own treatment.

What benefits can you expect from Sumo Tablet?

Realistically: good short-term relief of everyday pain from an injury or flare-up that is expected to settle. It is not a cure, and it is not a long-term treatment.

In a 2024 study of 600 adults in India with acute painful conditions such as low back pain, sprains and dental pain, this combination was given twice a day for up to 10 days. Pain scores fell by an average of about 3.8 points on a 10-point scale by day 7, and the combination relieved pain as well as the two other common paracetamol combinations it was compared with. Nausea, gastritis and stomach pain were the most common side effects reported, and there were no significant changes in liver and kidney test results in the group that took it over the short time the study ran.

That is the realistic picture: useful relief for a short episode of pain, with stomach-related side effects being the ones people notice most.

Some people must not take this medicine at all. Do not take it if any of the following applies to you:

• You have had an allergic reaction to nimesulide, paracetamol, aspirin or any other NSAID.
• You have had a liver reaction to nimesulide before.
• You have a stomach or duodenal ulcer now, or you have had one before, or you have had bleeding in the stomach or bowel.
• You have a bleeding disorder, or a severe problem with blood clotting.
• You have liver disease. Nimesulide is contraindicated in people with liver impairment.
• You have serious kidney disease.
• You have severe heart failure.
• You are a child under 12 years of age. Nimesulide has been prohibited for use in children below 12 in India since 2011, and the dispersible nimesulide and paracetamol tablets made for children were prohibited here in 2023 — there is no paediatric version of this combination.
• You are in the last three months of pregnancy.
• You are breastfeeding. It is not known whether nimesulide passes into breast milk, but the product information contraindicates it while you are breastfeeding. Ask your doctor about a painkiller that is safer for you and your baby.

This list comes from the product information for nimesulide, which is drawn up at European Union level. Indian product information and Indian pack inserts may differ in wording, though the safety concerns behind them are the same. If you are not sure whether any of these apply to you, ask your doctor or pharmacist before taking a tablet.

Tell your doctor before taking this medicine if any of the following applies to you. They will decide whether it is suitable or whether a different painkiller is safer.

• You are pregnant, or think you may be. Tell your doctor - NSAIDs are not usually used from 20 weeks onwards, and paracetamol on its own is the usual painkiller in pregnancy.
• About paracetamol in pregnancy. In September 2025, the US Food and Drug Administration began a label change to reflect a possible link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and conditions such as autism or ADHD. The agency made clear that a causal relationship has not been established, and that paracetamol remains the only over-the-counter fever medicine approved for use in pregnancy. This is a US labelling decision, and Indian product information may differ. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits.
• You are over 65. Most of the reported cases of serious liver injury with nimesulide have been in middle-aged and older adults, and in women.
• You have kidney or liver problems that are not severe. NSAIDs can reduce kidney function, so your doctor may choose a different medicine or keep the course very short.
• You drink alcohol regularly, or drink heavily. See the interactions section below.
• You take other medicines. Some combinations need to be avoided - again, see below.

Take it exactly as your doctor prescribes, and take it after food.

• The usual adult dose is one tablet twice a day. In the studies of this combination in adults, the dose used was one tablet twice a day, and no more than two tablets were taken in 24 hours.
• Take it after a meal, or with food. NSAIDs are easier on the stomach when they are not taken on an empty one.
• Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water. If you find tablets hard to swallow, speak to your pharmacist.
• Space the two doses about 12 hours apart - for example, after breakfast and after dinner.
• Do not exceed two tablets in 24 hours unless your doctor has told you otherwise. If your pack holds 500 mg of paracetamol per tablet, two tablets a day means 1 g of paracetamol from this medicine alone, so count it in your daily total.
• Keep the course short. Indian packs carry a boxed warning, added on the recommendation of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, that use of nimesulide should ordinarily be restricted to 10 days, and that liver function tests should be assessed periodically if longer clinical use is warranted. In the European Union, nimesulide treatment is capped at 15 days. Follow the duration your doctor has prescribed.
• There is nothing to taper when you stop. This medicine is not meant to be taken continuously. If your pain is still there after the prescribed course, go back to your doctor rather than continuing on your own.
• Do not share it. Do not give your tablets to anyone else.

Most people get no more than mild stomach upset, but this medicine can cause serious problems in a small number of people.

Common side effects include:

• Indigestion, stomach ache or stomach discomfort
• Nausea, and sometimes vomiting
• Loose motions or diarrhoea
• Feeling dizzy
• Headache
• Skin rash
• Raised liver enzymes, which show up on a blood test. This is fairly common with nimesulide and is usually picked up early.

Rare but serious side effects - stop the medicine and get medical help straight away if you notice any of these:

• Liver injury. Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes, dark urine, pale stools, pain in the upper abdomen, unusual tiredness, or nausea that will not settle. Serious liver injury with nimesulide is rare: in the European Union, the estimated risk of acute liver failure needing a transplant is about 5.6 cases per million people taking it for a year. When it does happen it can be severe - a review of published case reports found that of 33 people who developed serious liver injury on nimesulide, 15 (45%) needed a liver transplant or died.
• Stomach ulcer or bleeding. Severe stomach pain, vomiting blood, black tarry stools, shortness of breath, or pale skin.
• Kidney problems. Blood in your urine, swelling in your ankles, feet or hands, or breathlessness.
• A severe allergic reaction. Swelling of the face, throat, tongue or lips, a raised itchy rash, hoarseness, or difficulty breathing or swallowing.
• A serious skin reaction. Red, peeling or blistering skin, with or without fever.

Do not drive or use machines if you feel dizzy or unwell after taking a tablet, until you are back to normal.

Yes. Several medicines should not be taken with it, so always show your doctor or pharmacist the full list of medicines you take - including anything you bought without a prescription.

• Other NSAIDs - ibuprofen, diclofenac, aceclofenac, naproxen or aspirin. Taking two NSAIDs together increases the risk of stomach ulcers and bleeding, so do not combine them.
• Any other product containing paracetamol. Paracetamol is present in many cold, flu, headache and body-ache remedies. The amounts add up, and it is not safe to take more than 4 g of paracetamol a day from all sources together.
• Blood thinners such as warfarin. Both paracetamol and NSAIDs can interact with warfarin, so your doctor will need to monitor you closely.
• Steroid medicines, such as prednisolone.
• Antidepressants - some can raise the risk of bleeding, so your doctor may want to review them while you are on this course.
• Medicines for high blood pressure - NSAIDs can make them work less well and can affect your kidneys, so your doctor may need to check your blood pressure and kidney tests.
• Alcohol. Drinking alcohol while you take an NSAID increases the risk of stomach irritation and bleeding. Do not take a paracetamol-containing medicine if you drink three or more alcoholic drinks every day, and talk to your doctor about alcohol while you are on this course.

There are no particular foods to avoid. Take the tablet after a meal.

If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember - unless it is nearly time for your next dose. In that case, skip the missed dose and carry on as usual. Never take two tablets at once to make up for a missed one.

An overdose of this medicine is a medical emergency. Paracetamol is the ingredient that makes an overdose dangerous: too much of it can damage the liver, and there may be no warning signs at first - you can feel completely well and still be at risk. If you have taken more than your prescribed dose, go to the nearest hospital emergency department straight away, even if you feel fine, and take the strip, box or leaflet with you. Do not wait for symptoms to appear.

Signs may appear a day or two later. Watch for the liver and stomach warning signs listed in the side effects section above, along with sweating, loss of appetite and unusual bruising or bleeding.

In an emergency, call 112. For an ambulance, call 108.

• Keep the tablets in the original strip or container, tightly closed.
• Store them at room temperature, away from excess heat and moisture. Do not keep them in the bathroom.
• Keep the pack out of the sight and reach of children.
• Check the expiry date and do not use the tablets after it.
• If your pack carries different storage instructions, follow those.