Vinpocetine For Brain Fog/Anxiety Might Not Be a Good Idea

[Lotus97]

I've been trying Vinpocetine for the past few days and I've experiencing inconsistent results. It seems to actually been making my brain fog worse. I'll post more later after I've been taking it for a few more days, but first I'm going to stop for a few days.

Has anyone else had problems from taking Vinpocetine? I came across a thread on another site where other people were having similar experiences. There were also some questions raised about it's effect on dopamine, NMDA, and AMPA.
http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/23457-vinpocetine-ditch-it/

 

[Hip]

I get good results from vinpocetine, and in fact I have taken 10 mg every day now for a long time. It makes my head a little clearer.

I also find it increase emotional tone, and since I suffer from some anhedonia and emotional flatness symptoms, I like things that seem to ramp up a my brain's flat emotional circuitry. But it is only a mild boost in emotions. Though I have read that other people find vinpocetine lowers their emotions, and causes depression. So it seems like there is a varied response.

One interesting thing about vinpocetine is that its bioavailability is only 7% on an empty stomach but 60-100% with food †. Big difference.

 

[ramakentesh]

While it is reputed to increase cerebral blood flow it may do so in ways that are counterintuiative in OI.

 

[Lotus97]

Vinpocetine increases acetylcholine which can be a good thing or a bad thing:
http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...acetylcholine-toxicity-the-cause-of-cfs.9757/
Vinpocetine does seem to have a lot of other benefits however. I wonder if it's not a good idea to take too many things that increase circulation because this says not to take with ginkgo or garlic (both of which increases circulation).
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-vinpocetine.htm

Vinpocetine is a drug synthesized from vincamine, an extract of the leaf of Vinca Minor L, or the periwinkle plant. It is identified by the chemical name of vinpocetine-ethyl apovincaminate and sold under a variety of trade names, such as Intelectol and Cavinton. It has been used to treat cerebrovascular disorders for decades in Japan, Hungary, Germany, Poland, and Russia. While it is still largely a prescription-based medication in Europe, it is available as a dietary supplement in the US and Canada.
This medication improves cerebral functioning by a variety of mechanisms. For one thing, it increases blood circulation in the brain by inhibiting an enzyme called phosphodiesterase. It also stimulates adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, the substance that provides energy in neural cells. This is significant since ATP availability tends to decrease with age and is a major cause of neural cell death. Vinpocetine is also valued for its nootropic effects, which means that it is considered to be a memory enhancer.
It also improves oxygen and glucose utilization in the brain. It is also credited with increasing the hormones, noradrenaline and dopamine. As a result, there is an increase in serotonin and acetylcholine concentration. The latter are neuromodulators found in virtually all autonomic ganglia, the clusters of brain cells that serve as bridges between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
In addition to increasing blood flow and neurotransmission in the brain, vinpocetine also exhibits antioxidant and neuroprotective activity. Studies have shown that its presence in the brain deters the formation of free radicals and lipid peroxidation. It also appears to protect brain cells from the toxic effects of glutamate and N-methyl-d-aspartate. While studies on the therapeutic benefits of this medication are still preliminary, researchers are hopeful that it may have the potential to treat or prevent ischemic stroke and Alzheimer's disease.
Oral doses of vinpocetine usually enter the blood stream within an hour, but are not generally well absorbed. When taken with food, though, bioavailability increases 60-100 percent. However, studies have shown that it is best delivered intravenously and absorbed via the central nervous system. More importantly, these studies have shown that it is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. Once its in the right neighborhood, the medicine is readily taken up by the thalamus as well as the putamen and caudate nucleus, the middle section of the brain.
Vinpocetine may produce side effects in some people. The most commonly reported are stomach upset, nausea, dizziness, headache, and dry mouth. In addition, it should not be taken while pregnant or nursing, by people with seizure disorders, low blood pressure, or those with a history of liver or kidney disease. Since vinpocetine has vasodilating qualities, it should not be taken with blood-thinning or antiplatelet medications, including Coumadin (warfarin), aspirin therapy, garlic, or ginkgo.

 

[ramakentesh]

Doesn't it have nitric oxide effects?

 

[baccarat]

I don't know if it does but it lowers blood pressure.

 

[Eiren]

I've been trying Vinpocetine for the past few days and I've experiencing inconsistent results. It seems to actually been making my brain fog worse. I'll post more later after I've been taking it for a few more days, but first I'm going to stop for a few days.

Has anyone else had problems from taking Vinpocetine? I came across a thread on another site where other people were having similar experiences. There were also some questions raised about it's effect on dopamine, NMDA, and AMPA.
http://www.longecity.org/forum/topic/23457-vinpocetine-ditch-it/

Necro thread alert!

But I started taking Swanson Gingko with Vinpocetine a few weeks ago, first once a day, then upped to 3x a day (so 15mg Vinpo per day). Then I had a really bad crash. Like, not just exhausted (though at first I thought it was just another bout of exhaustion) but also dizzy, cotton-ball head brain fog, and totally apathetic and "flat."

Sometime in the midst of laying in bed feeling too heavy to move last weekend I started having a little thought of "hmmm...maybe this could be a side effect of something?" The vinpo was the only new thing I was unfamiliar with, so I googled and didn't find much beyond the "increase blood flow, good for brain!" spiel I read back when I first decided to order it. Then I search PR and came across the above post and the linked discussion. And yes. Yes, I think it was the vinpo. I "liked" the first post that day, but didn't feel at all motivated to make this post until now.

I didn't take the vinpo since then, and I'm starting to feel better. So yeah, this is definitely one supplement that can have a bad effect. Though I must say that I am sensitive to meds, and have a bad reaction to a great number of them. I also can't handle SSRI and got serotonin syndrome once from a low dose of them. The effect vinpo can have on serotonin/dopamine may have been behind my reaction.

Basically, I'm going to go out on a limb and recommend that if you respond poorly to SSRI's or the like you should stay away from vinpocetine.

 

[godlovesatrier]

@Hip do you still take Vinpocetine? And does it still give you mental clarity? Some people seem to swear by its ability to clear brain fog.

Thanks.

 

[Hip]

@Hip do you still take Vinpocetine? And does it still give you mental clarity? Some people seem to swear by its ability to clear brain fog.

I have not taken it for some years, since my last jar ran out. I recently bought some more, but have not yet re-tested it yet. So can't give any answers until I do.

I also found in the past that vinpocetine seemed to slightly improve the blunted emotions of ME/CFS, so I want to see if it still does that for me.

 

[godlovesatrier]

Great. Let us know how you get on