Vinpocetine is a man-made chemical resembling a substance found in the periwinkle plant Vinca minor. People use it as medicine.

Vinpocetine production requires considerable laboratory work, stretching the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) definition of a dietary supplement. Vinpocetine is sold by prescription in Germany under the brand name Cavinton. It has also been referred to generically as cavinton. Although website advertising claims that "more than a hundred" safety and effectiveness studies have been funded by the Hungarian manufacturer Gedeon Richter, few double-blind controlled clinical studies have been published. Double-blind controlled clinical studies are considered the gold standard for establishing safety and effectiveness.

Because some people think vinpocetine might improve blood flow to the brain, it is used for enhancing memory and preventing Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that harm learning, memory, and information processing skills as people age.

Vinpocetine is also used for preventing and reducing the chance of disability and death from ischemic stroke. This is the type of stroke that occurs when a blood clot stops blood flow in the brain, causing brain cells (neurons) to die because they are not receiving oxygen. People try vinpocetine for preventing and treating stroke right after it happens because they think vinpocetine might help keep blood from clotting and might also protect neurons against the harmful effects of oxygen deprivation.

Other uses for vinpocetine include treating symptoms of menopause, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and seizure disorders; and preventing motion sickness.

Healthcare providers sometimes give vinpocetine intravenously (by IV) for treating seizure disorders and stroke.

How does it work?

It is not known exactly how vinpocetine works, but it might increase blood flow to the brain and offer some protection for brain cells (neurons) against injury.