Vinpocetine pill health benefit and medical uses stroke, the proper dosage
Vinpocetine is chemically related to, and derived from vincamine, an
alkaloid
found in the periwinkle plant. Vinpocetine was introduced into clinical practice in Europe more than two decades ago for
the treatment of cerebrovascular disorders and related symptoms. Experiments with
vinpocetine indicate that it can dilate blood vessels, enhance circulation in the brain,
improve oxygen utilization, make red blood cells more pliable, and inhibit aggregation of
platelets. Vinpocetine even has antioxidant properties. Levels peak in the bloodstream within an hour and a half after ingestion. Vinpocetine easily crosses the blood-brain barrier.
See also
acetyl l carnitine supplement information for brain health.
If you have never tried vinpocetine supplement before, we suggest
you buy the 5 mg tablets only since higher dosages can cause lightheadedness and
dizziness. use low dosages at first until you find out how your body reacts to
it.
Vinpocetine pill 5 mg
Vinpocetine 5 mg and 10 mg
Vinpocetine supplement has been sometimes recommended
for more than once daily however many people may be sensitive to this supplement
and would do fine using half a capsule. Always start your first time with half a 5 mg vinpocetine pill
in order to see if you have any negative responses to it. By taking a small
amount of vinpocetine at first, you could avoid a vinpocetine side effect.
Vinpocetine
side effects
High doses of vinpocetine can cause side effects of dizziness, nausea,
lightheadedness, and a general sense of not feeling well.
Vinpocetine Research
Vinpocetine is a derivative of the alkaloid vincamine. Like vincamine, it
is found in small amounts in the seeds of periwinkle as well as other plants,
such as voaconga and Crioceras longiflorus. Vincamine has been used to treat age
related cognitive disorders with some success. Vinpocetine has similar actions
as vincamine. There have been quite a few studies with vinpocetine. Also see vinpocetine
additional research.
Dementia and Vinpocetine
Researchers at the
University of Surrey in Guildford, England administered
vinpocetine to patients suffering
from mild to moderate dementia (Hindmarch 1991). Two hundred and three patients included
in a placebo-controlled, randomized double-blind trial received every day for sixteen
weeks either 10 mg doses of vinpocetine three times a day, 20 mg doses of vinpocetine
three times a day, or placebo three times a day. There were no clinically relevant side
effects reported. Statistically significant cognitive improvements were found in favor of
active treatment groups compared to placebo. The patients on 10 mg performed slightly
better than those on 20 mg.
In a double blind clinical trial, vinpocetine was shown to offer significant
improvement in elderly patients with chronic cerebral dysfunction.
Forty-two patients received 10 mg vinpocetine three times a day for thirty days, then 5 mg
three times a day for sixty days. Matching placebo tablets were given to another forty
patients for the ninety-day trial period. Patients on vinpocetine scored consistently
better in all cognitive evaluations. No serious side effects were reported.
Memory
Twelve healthy female volunteers received pre-treatments with vinpocetine 40 mg
three times a day or placebo for two days according to a randomized, double-blind
crossover design. On the third day of treatment and one hour following
morning dosage, subjects completed a battery of psychological tests.
Memory was
significantly improved following treatment with vinpocetine when compared to placebo.
Vinpocetine may help with
Eyesight.
Alzheimer's not helpful
Fifteen Alzheimer patients were treated with increasing doses of
vinpocetine (30,
45, and 60 mg per day) in an open-label pilot trial during a one-year period.
The study was done at VA Medical Center, in San Diego, California. Vinpocetine failed to
improve cognition at any dose tested. There were no significant side effects from the
therapy.
Vinpocetine supplement Availability
Vinpocetine supplement is sold in 5 and 10 mg capsules.
Vinpocetine products
Vinpocetine products are available through various companies,
including Source Natural and Club Natural. There are several other mind
enhancers including
Bacopa Monniera, and the herb
Ginkgo biloba.
Recommendations
Vinpocetine appears to be beneficial in cognitive disorders that are due to poor
blood flow to the brain. Therefore, individuals with atherosclerotic vascular disease are
probably the most likely to benefit. Until long-term studies are available, regular
intake for prolonged periods should be limited to 10 mg once daily.
Vinpocetine and stroke
Effects of vinpocetine on the redistribution of cerebral blood flow and
glucose metabolism in chronic ischemic stroke patients: a PET study.
J Neurol Sci. 2005 Mar 15;229-230:275-84. National Stroke Center,
Department of Vascular Neurology, Semmelweis University, H-1085 Budapest,
Hungary.
The pharmacological effects of the neuroprotective drug vinpocetine,
administered intravenously in a 14-day long treatment regime, on the cerebral
blood flow and cerebral glucose metabolism in chronic ischemic stroke patients
(n=13) were studied with positron emission tomography in a double-blind design.
The regional and global cerebral metabolic rates of glucose (CMRglc) and
cerebral blood flow (CBF) as well as vital physiological parameters, clinical
performance scales, and transcranial Doppler parameters were measured before and
after the treatment period in patient groups treated with daily intravenous
infusion with or without vinpocetine. While the global CMRglc values did not
change markedly as a result of the infusion treatment with (n=6) or without
(n=7) vinpocetine, the global CBF increased and regional CMRglc and CBF values
showed marked changes in several brain structures in both cases, with more
accentuated changes when the infusion contained vinpocetine. In the latter case
the highest rCBF changes were observed in those structures in which the highest
regional uptake of labelled vinpocetine was measured in other PET studies
(thalamus and caudate nucleus: increases amounting to 36% and 37%,
respectively). The findings indicate that a 2-week long intravenous vinpocetine
treatment can contribute effectively to the redistribution of rCBF in chronic
ischemic stroke patients. The effects are most pronounced in those brain regions
with the highest uptake of the drug.
Vinpocetine Research Update
Human positron emission tomography with oral 11C-vinpocetine
Vas A, Christer H,
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry Section, Karolinska Institute,
Stockholm.
Orv Hetil. 2003 Nov 16;144(46):2271-6.
Positron emission tomography (PET) is a useful tool for the
investigation of certain physiological changes and for the evaluation of the
distribution, and receptor binding of drugs labelled with positron emitting
isotopes. Vinpocetine (ethyl-apovincaminate) is a neuroprotective drug widely
used in the prevention and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. In the
clinical practice vinpocetine is usually administered to the patients in
intravenous infusion followed by long-term oral treatment. Until presently human
data describing vinpocetine's kinetics and brain distribution came from ex vivo
(blood, plasma, liquor) and post mortem (brain autoradiography) measurements.
AIM: The authors wished to investigate the kinetics and distribution of
vinpocetine in the brain and body after oral administration with PET in order to
prove, that PET is useful in the non-invasive in vivo determination of these
parameters. METHOD: Vinpocetine was labelled with carbon-11 and the
radioactivity was measured by PET in the stomach, liver, brain, colon and
kidneys in healthy male volunteers. The radioactivity in the blood and urine was
also determined. RESULTS: After oral administration, [11C]vinpocetine appeared
immediately in the stomach and within minutes in the liver and the blood. In the
blood the level of radioactivity continuously increased until the end of the
measurement period, whereas the fraction of the unchanged mother compound
decreased. Radioactivity uptake and distribution in the brain were demonstrable
from the tenth minute after the oral administration of the labelled drug
(average maximum uptake: 0.7% of the administered total dose). Brain
distribution was heterogeneous (with preferences in the thalamus, basal ganglia
and occipital cortex), similar to the distribution previously reported by the
authors after intravenous administration. Vinpocetine, administered
orally to human volunteers, readily entered the bloodstream from the stomach and
the gastrointestinal tract and thereafter passed the blood-brain barrier and
entered the brain. Radioactivity from [11C]vinpocetine was also demonstrated in
the kidneys and in urine. The study demonstrates that PET might be a useful,
direct and non-invasive tool to study the distribution and pharmacokinetics of
orally administered labelled drugs active in the central nervous system in the
living human body.
Vinpocetine email questions and comments
Q.
I started with vinpocetine and stayed on it
for several months. Amazing I noticed a new clarity for a day or so when I
began. The problem I had was when I went off. Head flutters for two weeks, (I
thought I was coming down with a head-cold). Sometimes, I thought I was going to
faint. I thought this was permanent for a few days and was ready to go to an MD.
But it passed.
Q. Will vinpocetine help our daughter's ADD (tested and
verified by Neuropsychologist), or can you recommend another natural product
with proven results.
A. We are not aware of studies with vinpocetine and ADD and we
doubt it will help. Please discuss this
ADHD info with
her doctor and we wish you well.
Q. I am interested in trying vinpocetine for my 88 year
old mother. However, she is currently taking the SSRI drug Citalopram. Is there
any information on interaction affects of vinpocetine and these drugs?
A. We are not aware of any research that have examined the
interactions between citalopram or other SSRI drugs with vinpocetine. Older
individuals are much more likely to have side effects when more than one
medication or a medication and supplement are combined. As such, if her doctor
approves, the initial vinpocetine dose should be minimal, no greater than half a
5 mg tablet or preferably on a day when she is not taking the SSRI.
Q. Would vinpocetine mind booster interact with
tribulus terrestris extract
herbal supplement?
A. We don't recommend taking them the same day, particularly if the
vinpocetine dosage is greater than 5 mg.
Q. My doctor has me on vinpocetine mind booster
pills and I added curcumin
plant since it has so many health benefits, and potentially helpful in Alzheimer's
disease. I take 5 mg of the periwinkle extract and 500 mg of the
curcumin and have not come across any side effects.