Ingredient 4 of 5
Vinpocetine in SonoVive: The FDA Warning and the Evidence
Vinpocetine is a semi-synthetic compound made from vincamine, a periwinkle alkaloid, and one of five named SonoVive ingredients. FDA warned in 2019 that anyone pregnant or who could become pregnant should not take it (FDA vinpocetine). A Cochrane review called its dementia evidence inconclusive (Cochrane vinpocetine). Sponsored articles report 2 mg per capsule, unconfirmed.
Written by the SonoVive editorial teamUpdated
The basics
What is vinpocetine?
Vinpocetine is not an herb. It is a compound made in a lab from vincamine, an alkaloid found in the periwinkle plant.
It was first developed in Europe as a drug (MSKCC vinpocetine). In the U.S. it shows up in supplements sold for blood flow to the brain. SonoVive names it fourth of its five ingredients. The vendor gives no amount and no reason for adding it to a hearing formula.
Vinpocetine is the ingredient with the clearest government warning in SonoVive. It also has the thinnest research of the five. The profile sets the few known facts beside what trials used.
| Label name | Vinpocetine (named, no amount published) |
|---|---|
| What it is | Semi-synthetic compound from the periwinkle alkaloid vincamine · Compound |
| Position on the label | 4 of 5 (order as named in the brief and on the Inside SonoVive graphic; no Supplement Facts panel is published, so order by weight is unknown) |
| Amount on the label | Not published (2 mg reported, unverified) |
| What research has used | 5-60 mg a day in dementia trials |
| Strength of evidence | Inconclusive |
| What it is sold for | Sold for blood flow to the brain |
| Main caution | FDA says do not take it if pregnant or could become pregnant. |
Regulation
What does FDA say about vinpocetine?
Two things, both on one FDA page dated June 3, 2019 (FDA vinpocetine). First, vinpocetine is linked to harm in pregnancy, so FDA says pregnant women and women who could become pregnant should not take it. Second, FDA states that vinpocetine "does not meet the definition of a dietary ingredient". That second view was a tentative conclusion FDA first reached in 2016.
| Question | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Safe in pregnancy? | No. FDA links it to miscarriage and fetal harm (FDA vinpocetine) |
| A dietary ingredient? | FDA says it does not meet the definition (tentative) (FDA vinpocetine) |
| Where it came from | Developed in Europe as a drug (MSKCC vinpocetine) |
| Helps Alzheimer's? | A systematic review found no benefit (MSKCC vinpocetine) |
| Tested for hearing or tinnitus? | No study found |
| Amount in SonoVive | Not published (2 mg reported, unverified) |
The FDA page is a consumer warning. It still tells you plainly how the agency views the ingredient. More background: vinpocetine's FDA status explained.
Who should skip it
Can you take SonoVive if you are pregnant or could become pregnant?
No. Because SonoVive names vinpocetine, FDA's warning applies to the whole capsule (FDA vinpocetine). MSKCC adds that National Toxicology Program data also suggest harm in pregnancy (MSKCC vinpocetine).
Do not take SonoVive. If an adult child is buying it for a parent, the warning still matters for anyone else in the home who might share the bottle.
Most SonoVive buyers are older adults, so the warning rarely applies to them directly. It does show that this formula is not as gentle as an herb list suggests. The vendor's disclaimer page only says pregnant or nursing people should consult a physician. It does not name vinpocetine as the reason.
Evidence, ranked
Does vinpocetine work for memory or hearing?
- Hearing aidsThe proven help for age-related loss
Hearing aids, including over-the-counter aids for adults with mild to moderate loss, are the standard treatment. (FDA OTC hearing aids)
- BacopaMemory trials, 12 weeks
Some gains in memory recall at 300-450 mg a day. Never tested for hearing. (Pase 2012 bacopa review)
- Huperzine A20 Alzheimer's trials
Some score gains, but poor study quality. Never tested for hearing. (Yang 2013 huperzine meta-analysis)
- GinkgoCochrane 2022: 12 tinnitus studies
Uncertain benefit; it may make little or no difference to how bad ringing feels. (Cochrane: Ginkgo for tinnitus 2022)
- VinpocetineCochrane: 3 dementia studies
Inconclusive, and FDA warns against it in pregnancy. (Cochrane vinpocetine)
- SonoViveNo study of the product
No trial of SonoVive for hearing, ringing or memory has been published. (FTC health products guidance)
Bar length shows how directly each line of evidence answers the question: will this help my hearing? It is our editorial summary of the linked sources, not a score from any study.
Vinpocetine sits near the bottom. A Cochrane review of 3 studies in 583 people with dementia called the evidence "inconclusive" and said it "does not support clinical use" (Cochrane vinpocetine). No trial has tested it for ringing in the ears or hearing loss.
Dose check
How much vinpocetine is in SonoVive?
The vendor does not publish it. Two sponsored articles report 2 mg per capsule, which we could not confirm.
Trials used 5-60 mg a day (ADDF vinpocetine). The ADDF notes that 30-60 mg showed benefit in dementia trials while 15 mg did not. It concluded the evidence "does not appear strong enough to support clinical implementation" (ADDF vinpocetine).
| SonoVive, reported per capsule | 2 mg (sponsored articles, unverified) |
|---|---|
| Lowest trial dose | 5 mg a day |
| Dose that did not help in trials | 15 mg a day |
| Doses that showed benefit | 30-60 mg a day |
So if 2 mg is right, one capsule gives 40% of the lowest trial dose and about one fifteenth of the 30 mg level. A small amount may mean a smaller effect and fewer side effects. It does not cancel the pregnancy warning, which FDA gives without a safe dose. Follow the directions printed on your bottle.
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What are the side effects of vinpocetine?
MSKCC lists flushing, rash, stomach upset and low blood pressure, plus one reported case of a dangerous drop in white blood cells (MSKCC vinpocetine). The bigger issue for older buyers is how it mixes with common medicines.
Blood thinners and aspirin
Vinpocetine may raise bleeding risk with anticoagulants (MSKCC vinpocetine). SonoVive also names ginkgo, which carries a similar risk with warfarin (NCCIH ginkgo). Two bleeding-risk ingredients in one capsule is a reason to ask first, and to tell your surgeon before any operation.
Pressure pills
Vinpocetine can add to the effect of blood-pressure drugs (MSKCC vinpocetine). Think of a 69-year-old on two pressure pills who already feels light-headed when she stands. She should check with her doctor before adding SonoVive.
Report any problem to FDA MedWatch at 800-FDA-1088 (FDA MedWatch). The full list is on the SonoVive side effects page.
Claim check
Is vinpocetine a natural ingredient?
Not in the plain sense. It is made in a lab from a plant alkaloid, and FDA does not treat it as a dietary ingredient (FDA vinpocetine). Yet the sales page claims 100% natural ingredients. That wording does not fit an ingredient FDA describes this way.
The brand's own graphic gives vinpocetine a panel next to the herbs, with no amount and no note on its status.
For how we weigh label claims, seals and missing lab reports, see SonoVive testing and quality.
Keep exploring
How does vinpocetine compare with SonoVive's other ingredients?
Bacopa and huperzine A have some memory data. Ginkgo is the only one tested for tinnitus. Vinpocetine has the weakest support and the firmest FDA warning. See who should avoid the formula on who SonoVive is for.
FAQ
Vinpocetine in SonoVive: common questions
Is vinpocetine banned by the FDA?
Not banned outright, but FDA warns against it. In June 2019 FDA said pregnant women and women who could become pregnant should not take vinpocetine. FDA also states it does not meet the definition of a dietary ingredient, a tentative view it first reached in 2016.
How much vinpocetine is in SonoVive?
The vendor does not publish it. Two sponsored articles report 2 mg per capsule, which we could not confirm. Trials used 5-60 mg a day, and only 30-60 mg showed benefit in dementia studies, so the reported amount is far below the doses that were tested.
Does vinpocetine help tinnitus?
No trial has tested vinpocetine for tinnitus or hearing loss. It was studied for dementia, and a Cochrane review of 3 studies called that evidence inconclusive. NIDCD says no supplement has been proven to help tinnitus and recommends sound therapy, hearing aids and counseling.
Can I take SonoVive while pregnant?
No. SonoVive names vinpocetine, and FDA warns that pregnant women and women who could become pregnant should not take it because of links to miscarriage and fetal harm. Breastfeeding mothers should also avoid it. Talk with your doctor about any supplement during pregnancy.
Can I take vinpocetine with blood thinners?
Ask your doctor first. Vinpocetine may raise bleeding risk with anticoagulants, and SonoVive also names ginkgo, which carries a similar warning with warfarin. Tell your surgeon or dentist about it before any procedure, and do not start it on your own if you take warfarin.
What are the side effects of vinpocetine?
Reported effects include flushing, rash, stomach upset and low blood pressure, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering. One case of a serious drop in white blood cells has been reported. It may add to blood-pressure drugs and blood thinners, so check your medicines first.
Is vinpocetine natural or synthetic?
It is semi-synthetic. Vinpocetine is made in a lab from vincamine, an alkaloid from the periwinkle plant, and was first developed in Europe as a drug. That is why FDA does not treat it as a dietary ingredient, despite the sales page's natural wording.
Who wrote this
Written and reviewed by
Plain-language pages built from the bottle images, the vendor's sales and help pages and linked public health sources such as NIH, FDA and Cochrane.
Last updated . Read our editorial standards and how we check reviews. This website is run by Sonovives, a USA authorized SonoVive retailer, not by the manufacturer. We earn money when you buy through our order links.
Keep reading
More about SonoVive
Vinpocetine and the FDA
Why FDA warns against vinpocetine in pregnancy and says it is not a dietary ingredient, in plain words.
Read more
Who it's for
A quick fit check for SonoVive: who might try it, who should ask first, and who should not take it.
Read more
Testing & quality
What each SonoVive badge really means, why no lab report is public, and what FDA does not check.
Read moreUSA Authorized SonoVive Retailer
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