Vinpocetine by NSI - Nutraceutical Sciences Institute

POSSIBLY EFFECTIVE

• Dementia. Oral vinpocetine, taken for up to 4 months, might improve cognitive function to a small degree in patients with dementia. It is unclear if long-term use is effective. Details: While some conflicting evidence exists (1784), several small clinical studies in patients with cognitive impairment due to various causes including dementia, Alzheimer disease, and vascular disease show that taking vinpocetine 5-10 mg three times daily for up to 4 months slightly to modestly improves cognitive function when compared with baseline scores or placebo (1787,1789,82151,82152,82153,82154,82179,82180)(82182,82183,92934). However, most of these studies were published prior to 1990 and used diagnostic and evaluative criteria that limit the applicability of these results to current clinical practice (10221,10827).

INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE

• Age-related cognitive decline. Although there has been interest in using oral vinpocetine for age-related cognitive decline, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of vinpocetine for this purpose.
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It is unclear if oral vinpocetine is beneficial in patients with AMD. Details: One small clinical study in patients with AMD shows that taking vinpocetine 10 mg daily for 2 months, in conjunction with conventional therapy, improves visual acuity and retinal function when compared with conventional therapy alone (82089).
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Although there has been interest in using oral vinpocetine for CFS, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of vinpocetine for this purpose.
• Epilepsy. Although there has been interest in using oral and intravenous vinpocetine for epilepsy, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of vinpocetine for this purpose.
• Hearing loss. It is unclear if oral or intravenous vinpocetine is beneficial in patients with hearing loss. Details: One small clinical study in patients with acoustic trauma shows that intravenous administration of vinpocetine 10 mg twice daily for 10 days is less effective than nicergoline, an ergot derivative, for improving hearing loss (82147). Another small, open-label clinical study in patients with sensorineural hearing loss shows that taking vinpocetine 10 mg three times daily for 12 months improves some measures of hearing capacity, particularly in months 6-12, when compared to baseline (106845). The validity of these findings is limited by a lack of control group.
• Memory. Small clinical studies suggest that oral vinpocetine might slightly improve memory in healthy individuals. Details: Two very small clinical studies in healthy individuals show that taking vinpocetine 40 mg as a single dose or vinpocetine 10-40 mg three times daily for 2 days enhances some measures of memory when compared with placebo (1796,1797). Additionally, one small clinical study in healthy adults shows that taking a combination product containing vinpocetine 10 mg, ginkgo extract 40 mg, and other ingredients three times daily for 2 weeks improves short-term memory when compared with placebo (8544). It is unclear if these findings are due to vinpocetine, other ingredients, or the combination.
• Menopausal symptoms. Although there has been interest in using oral vinpocetine for menopausal symptoms, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of vinpocetine for this purpose.
• Motion sickness. Although there has been interest in using oral vinpocetine for motion sickness, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of vinpocetine for this purpose.
• Stroke. Research on the use of intravenous vinpocetine to improve outcomes in patients recovering from ischemic stroke is mixed. It is unclear if oral vinpocetine is beneficial in these patients. Details: Some small clinical studies show that vinpocetine modestly reduces the residual effects of acute ischemic stroke (1785,10222,82087,82091,82120,82158,82159,82186). However, most clinical studies investigating the use of vinpocetine for stroke have been published in languages other than English and assessed intravenous formulations of vinpocetine not available in the US. One large clinical study shows that intravenous administration of vinpocetine 30 mg once daily for 7 days after an acute stroke, in addition to oral citicoline and aspirin or clopidogrel, seems to improve cerebral blood flow and measures of cognition, neurological function, and quality of life when compared with citicoline plus aspirin or clopidogrel (98226). A meta-analysis of 4 moderate-to-good quality clinical studies that included 837 adults with acute ischemic stroke, some of which are described above, shows that intravenous administration of vinpocetine in addition to standard care, followed by oral administration in some studies, reduces significant disability when compared with standard care. Vinpocetine also seems to improve cognition scores but does not reduce mortality (110744). The included studies used widely heterogeneous dosing regimens and excluded patients with severe strokes. However, a small clinical study not included in the meta-analysis shows that intravenous vinpocetine 20 mg followed by oral vinpocetine 10 mg three times daily for 3 months does not significantly improve neurophysical functioning post-stroke when compared with placebo (82074).
• Tinnitus. It is unclear if oral or intravenous vinpocetine is beneficial in patients with tinnitus. Details: A small observational study in patients with chronic unilateral or bilateral tinnitus has found that intravenous infusion of a specific vinpocetine product (Cavinton) 20 mg plus oral vinpocetine (Cavinton) 10 mg twice daily along with physiotherapy is associated with improved symptoms when compared to baseline (82099). However, a small clinical study in patients with tinnitus due to acoustic trauma shows that intravenous administration of vinpocetine (Cavinton) 10 mg twice daily appears to be less effective than nicergoline, an ergot derivative, for reducing tinnitus (82147).
• Urinary incontinence. It is unclear if oral vinpocetine is beneficial in patients with urinary incontinence. Details: One small, uncontrolled clinical study in patients with urinary incontinence shows that taking vinpocetine 10 mg three times daily for 2 weeks reduces daytime and nighttime frequency of urination when compared to baseline (82041). The validity of these findings is limited by a lack of control group. More evidence is needed to rate vinpocetine for these uses.

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POSSIBLY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately for up to 12 months (1784,1788,82041,82074,82089,82091,82120,82121,82151,82152)(82153,82154,82179,82180,82182,82183,104522,106845,110744). ...when used intravenously and appropriately, short-term (82074,82099,82147,82158,82159,82186,110744).

PREGNANCY: POSSIBLY UNSAFE
when used orally. In June 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statement of warning that those who are pregnant or who could become pregnant should avoid vinpocetine (95751). In rats, vinpocetine has been associated with an increased risk of miscarriage at a dose of 60 mg/kg daily and with reduced fetal weight and increased incidence of birth defects at a dose of 5-20 mg/kg. Based on pharmacokinetic analyses, a daily vinpocetine dose of 10 mg in humans is comparable to a daily dose of 5 mg/kg in rats (99701).

LACTATION:
Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

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ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = High •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = B Vinpocetine might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.  Details Clinical research shows that vinpocetine decreases red blood cell aggregation, as well as plasma and whole blood viscosity. This effect has been seen with intravenous vinpocetine 1 mg/kg and oral vinpocetine 30 mg daily (82101,82119). Vinpocetine also seems to have antiplatelet effects (1801,10061,82117).

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = D Theoretically, vinpocetine might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.  Details In vitro research shows that vinpocetine weakly inhibits CYP2C9 (92933). However, this effect has not been reported in humans.

WARFARIN (Coumadin) Interaction Rating = Minor Be watchful with this combination. Severity = Mild •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = B Vinpocetine might modestly increase the risk of bleeding when taken with warfarin.  Details Clinical research shows that the combination of warfarin and vinpocetine leads to slight increases in prothrombin time and the area under the concentration curve for warfarin. However, these increases were small, and researchers suggest that this interaction is not likely to be clinically significant in most patients (10829).

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General ...Orally and intravenously, vinpocetine seems to be well tolerated.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
Orally: Anxiety, dizziness, headache, flushing, gastric discomfort, sleep disturbances, and urticaria.
Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):
Orally: Agranulocytosis, arrhythmias, and seizures.
Intravenously: Arrhythmias.

Cardiovascular ...Orally, tachycardia, multifocal extra systoles, transient hypotension and hypertension, and palpitations have been reported with vinpocetine in clinical trials (1789,82118,82152,92936). One case of severe hypotension has been reported with oral vinpocetine (106845). Vinpocetine has also been reported to cause atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias, with the highest incidence occurring after intravenous or intramuscular administration (1789,82128,68753,82123).

Dermatologic ...Orally, vinpocetine has been reported to cause flushing, skin rash, and urticaria (82118,82120,82153,106845). Intravenously, vinpocetine has been associated with one report of allergic dermatitis (98226).

Gastrointestinal ...Orally, gastric discomfort, upper abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, heartburn, difficulty swallowing, and dry mouth have been reported with vinpocetine (1787,1789,10061,10221,82120,82154,82155,92936,106845). Intravenously, diarrhea has been reported with vinpocetine (98226).

Hematologic ...Orally, vinpocetine has been associated with one case report of agranulocytosis (82156).

Neurologic/CNS ...Orally, anxiety, drowsiness, headache, sleep disturbance, nervousness, excitation, hyperirritability, epileptiform convulsion, and vertigo have been reported with vinpocetine (1787,10221,68772,82118,82120,82151,82152,82154,92936,106845). Intravenously, dizziness has been reported with vinpocetine (98226).

Ocular/Otic ...Orally, vinpocetine has been associated with one case of eyelid edema (106845).

Pulmonary/Respiratory ...Orally, vinpocetine has been associated with one case of severe dyspnea (106845).

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