Drug & supplement interaction

Vinpocetine + Naproxen

Naproxen brand names: Naprosyn, Naprelan, Anaprox, Anaprox DS, Naproxyn, and others.

Moderate Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Moderate

Naproxen falls into 2 drug categories that Vinpocetine can interact with; the most serious is rated moderate. Theoretically, vinpocetine might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
Interactions2
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Vinpocetine and Naproxen

These two interact in 2 distinct ways. Each one is explained separately below.

Why Are There 2 Interactions?

Vinpocetine interacts with whole categories of medication. Naproxen falls into 2 of those categories, so it can interact with Vinpocetine in 2 different ways. We’ve listed each one below — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them (Moderate).

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

1 of 2

Why this applies to Naproxen

Naproxen falls under CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES — the group Vinpocetine interacts with.

Theoretically, vinpocetine might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.
In vitro research shows that vinpocetine weakly inhibits CYP2C9. However, this effect has not been reported in humans.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence D

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the gist: your body uses a liver enzyme called CYP2C9 to help clear naproxen. Lab studies hint that vinpocetine may weakly block that enzyme. If that happened in people, naproxen could hang around a little longer than usual, which in theory might nudge up its typical side effects like stomach upset, heartburn, fluid retention, higher blood pressure, or a greater chance of stomach irritation or bleeding.

The honest part: this is only based on test-tube research and has not been seen in actual people, and the inhibition was described as weak. So I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Still, if you take naproxen regularly and want to try vinpocetine, run it by your pharmacist or doctor first so they can look at your full picture.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Kong L, Song C, Ye L, et al. The Effect of Vinpocetine on Human Cytochrome P450 Isoenzymes by Using a Cocktail Method. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016;2016:5017135. PubMed
Moderate

ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS

2 of 2

Naproxen also falls under ANTICOAGULANT/ANTIPLATELET DRUGS.

Vinpocetine might increase the risk of bleeding when taken with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs.
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. Vinpocetine also seems to have antiplatelet effects.
Severity Moderate Likelihood Possible Evidence B

Interaction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the thing to keep in mind with this pairing. Naproxen is a common anti-inflammatory pain reliever, and like other NSAIDs it can make your blood a little slower to clot and can irritate the stomach lining. Vinpocetine appears to have its own mild blood-thinning, anti-platelet effect, so stacking the two together may nudge your bleeding risk a bit higher.

In real life that could look like easier bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding gums, or stomach upset, and rarely darker stools that can signal bleeding in the gut. The evidence here is limited and the concern is possible rather than certain, so don't panic. Still, before combining these, please run it by your pharmacist or doctor, especially if you take other blood thinners or have a history of ulcers.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Akopov SE, Gabrielian ES. Effects of aspirin, dipyridamole, nifedipine and cavinton which act on platelet aggregation induced by different aggregating agents alone and in combination. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1992;42:257-9. PubMed
  2. Kidd PM. A review of nutrients and botanicals in the integrative management of cognitive dysfunction. Altern Med Rev 1999;4:144-61..
  3. Feher, G., Koltai, K., Kesmarky, G., Horvath, B., Toth, K., Komoly, S., and Szapary, L. Effect of parenteral or oral vinpocetine on the hemorheological parameters of patients with chronic cerebrovascular diseases. Phytomedicine. 2009;16(2-3):111-117. PubMed
  4. Kuzuya, F. Effects of vinpocetine on platelet aggregability and erythrocyte deformability. Ther Hung. 1985;33(1):22-34.
  5. Osawa, M. and Maruyama, S. Effects of TCV-3B (vinpocetine) on blood viscosity in ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. Ther.Hung. 1985;33(1):7-12.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Vinpocetine Also Interacts With Other Medications

Vinpocetine has 207 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Naproxen one above is among them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Moderate 207 No known interaction 2,623 (incl. Naproxen)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Vinpocetine

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Vinpocetine. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Vinpocetine or Naproxen

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Vinpocetine or Naproxen, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Naproxen

This page covers Vinpocetine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Naproxen page lists 311 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Asarabacca (major), Beer (major), Danshen (major) and Piracetam (major).

By severity: 7 major · 260 moderate · 44 minor.

Open the Naproxen interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Vinpocetine as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 630 real supplement products containing Vinpocetine, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Vinpocetine. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Naproxen too, on top of Vinpocetine — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Vinpocetine and Naproxen Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Vinpocetine
Top 25%

#242 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Naproxen
Top 5%

#56 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Supplement

About Vinpocetine

What is Vinpocetine?

Vinpocetine
  • Memory and cognitive support
  • Brain blood flow
  • Stroke recovery
  • Age-related memory decline
  • Tinnitus and hearing concerns

Vinpocetine is a lab-made compound based on a chemical from the periwinkle plant, and it is marketed mainly for memory and brain health. The evidence behind these uses is limited and not strong, and U.S. regulators have warned that it should be avoided by people who are pregnant or could become pregnant. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor before trying it.

Read the full Vinpocetine monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Naproxen

What Is Naproxen Used For?

Brand names: Naprosyn, Naprelan, Anaprox, Anaprox DS, Naproxyn, Navalbine, Naproxen, Naprosyn EC, Napro-Na, Aleve, Arthroxen, Synflex, EC-Naprosyn

Naproxen tablets, naproxen sodium tablets, and naproxen oral suspension are used to relieve the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis. They are also used for tendonitis, bursitis, and acute gout, and for managing pain and primary dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps).

Naproxen Sodium Controlled-Release Tablets are indicated for the same conditions plus the relief of mild to moderate pain. Several over-the-counter naproxen sodium products are indicated for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains from headache, backache, muscular aches, toothache, menstrual cramps, minor arthritis pain, and the common cold, and to temporarily reduce fever.

See full Naproxen drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Vinpocetine

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Vinpocetine — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
207Moderate
0Minor
2,622No known interaction
207 Moderate 2,622 No interaction
Moderate

207 interactions

Showing 60 of 207 moderate interactions — see all 207 on the Vinpocetine page.

No interaction 2,622 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Vinpocetine against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,622 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Vinpocetine list.

See the full Vinpocetine interactions page
See every supplement checked against Naproxen, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Vinpocetine monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Naproxen supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Naproxen, ranked by severity Naproxen drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Vinpocetine and Naproxen Together: Common Questions

Can you take Vinpocetine with Naproxen?
There is a moderate interaction, so it may be acceptable with monitoring or timing changes — but check with your pharmacist first. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
Why are there 2 interactions listed for Vinpocetine and Naproxen?
Naproxen belongs to more than one drug category, and Vinpocetine interacts with each of those categories a little differently. We list every one so nothing is missed — your overall risk is driven by the most serious of them.
How serious is the Vinpocetine and Naproxen interaction?
We rate it Moderate. This combination may require monitoring, a dose adjustment, or separating the times you take each one. Consult your pharmacist before using them together.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Still Have a Question About Naproxen and Vinpocetine?

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This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.