Vinpocetine

Vinpocetine (brand names: Cavinton, Intelectol; chemical name: ethyl apovincaminate) is a semisynthetic derivative of vincamine, which is extracted from the periwinkle plant. It increases cerebral blood flow and is said to improve memory.

It is an inhibitor of phosphodiesterases I and IV, with an IC50 of approximately 10-5 M.

The substance is widely sold as a supplement; however, there appears to be some controversy over the possibility of adverse reaction, and low initial dose is recommended by some retailers. Vinpocetine is included in many performance-enhancing supplements to help with delivery of nutrients to muscles after workout. There is one isolated claim of agranulocytosis.

Possible Nootropic Properties
It has been claimed in some quarters that vinpocetine has applications to improving memory, and, possibly, improving other forms of cognitive function. Whether this has been confirmed scientifically and objectively is yet to be established.

Applications to muscle performance
Judging from the above, vinpocetine is regarded as having scientifically-verified applications to improving muscle performance/efficiency. The method via which this occurs is yet to be elaborated.

Side-effects
Overall, Vinpocetine side-effects reported in the literature are rare, usually minor, frequently disappear with prolonged use, and rarely require discontinuance of the drug.

Stomach/ GI upset; dry mouth, rapid heart beat, low blood pressure, and rash/ hives are the main (rarely-occurring) reported side-effects. There have been no real adverse effects to this drug during human trials.

Vinpocetine is not recommended for pregnant women (at doses higher than 2-5 mg).

Care should be taken when it is taken with other nootropics. It is always recommended that a physician be consulted before use.

Dosage
It is recommended that first-time users ingest only 2-5 mg of vinpocetine to make sure they are not hypersensitive to it. Users may then increase the dosage to 10-30 mg a day (which may, although very rarely, cause some side-effects).