Drug & supplement interaction

Vinpocetine + Sildenafil Citrate

Sildenafil Citrate brand name: Viagra.

Moderate Interaction
The bottom line Moderate

Vinpocetine has a moderate interaction with Sildenafil Citrate. Theoretically, vinpocetine might increase levels of drugs metabolized by CYP2C9.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityModerate
LikelihoodPossible
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
Know someone taking this? Share
Interaction report

Vinpocetine and Sildenafil Citrate

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Moderate

CYTOCHROME P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) SUBSTRATES

Why this applies to Sildenafil Citrate

Sildenafil Citrate 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 for sildenafil (Viagra). Your liver uses an enzyme called CYP2C9 to help clear sildenafil out of your body. In lab dish studies, vinpocetine seems to weakly block that enzyme. If that happened in people, sildenafil could hang around a bit longer and feel stronger, which might mean more of its usual effects: headache, flushing, a stuffy nose, dizziness, or a bigger drop in blood pressure.

The reassuring part is that this is only seen in test-tube research, not in actual patients, and the blocking effect was described as weak. So this is more of a theoretical caution than a proven problem. Still, since both can lower blood pressure, it's worth a quick chat with your pharmacist or doctor before combining them.

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

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 Sildenafil Citrate one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

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 Sildenafil Citrate

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 Sildenafil Citrate, 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 Sildenafil Citrate

This page covers Vinpocetine only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Sildenafil Citrate page lists 160 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), American Mistletoe (major), Grapefruit (major), Hawthorn (major) and St. John's Wort (major).

Open the Sildenafil Citrate 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 Sildenafil Citrate 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 Sildenafil Citrate 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%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Sildenafil Citrate
Top half

#1,086 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 Sildenafil

What Is Sildenafil Used For?

Brand name: Viagra

Sildenafil treats two distinct conditions depending on the product. Viagra (tablet) and Vybrique (dissolving oral film) are approved for erectile dysfunction (ED) — difficulty getting or keeping an erection. Generic sildenafil tablets and oral film are also approved for ED.

Revatio and several generic sildenafil products (tablets, oral suspension, and injection) are used for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) — high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs — in adults to improve exercise ability and slow the disease from getting worse. Revatio oral suspension and injection are also approved for PAH in children ages 1 to 17.

See full Sildenafil 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
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
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
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Vinpocetine and Sildenafil Citrate Together: Common Questions

Can you take Vinpocetine with Sildenafil Citrate?
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.
How serious is the Vinpocetine and Sildenafil Citrate 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 Sildenafil Citrate and Vinpocetine?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

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.