Using Vinpocetine for tinnitus could provide a natural solution to a very common, yet hard to solve problem.
While some extreme tinnitus therapies include the prescription of Clonazepam – a benzodiazepine – most people are interested in herbal treatment options with fewer side effects.
Vinpocetine, a plant-derived remedy with countless benefits for mental health, may also be an effective treatment for some ear imbalances, especially those caused by stress or poor circulation.
The remedy, which is made from a flowering European plant known as Periwinkle or Vinca Minor, is often used to treat cardiovascular issues. The alkaloids of this plant also promises brain-enhancing nootropic benefits such as improved focus and memory.
But for tinnitus sufferers, Vinpocetine’s greatest effect is that it might solve the persistent, hard to pin down ringing in the ears that plagues so many people. Read on to find out what we know about the beneficial connections between Vinpocetine and tinnitus.



- Increases blood flow & brain metabolism
- Supports energy, focus & memory
- Combats free radicals & oxidative damage
What Is Tinnitus?
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Unlike disorders with more easily quantifiable symptoms, tinnitus is difficult to diagnose.
Its effects – namely a very persistent ringing or buzzing sound in the ear – are almost impossible to measure or test.
Perhaps for this reason, mainstream Western medicine has had a hard time agreeing upon a treatment for it. Employing everything from benzos to hearing aids to psychoanalytical talk therapy, doctors have struggled to find a working solution.
In the alternative medical community, Ginkgo Biloba has often been suggested for tinnitus relief. This is purported to alleviate symptoms via increasing blood flow to the ears. The process can take as long as 2 months of daily treatment.
Unfortunately, not enough data is available to establish Ginkgo as a reliable cure. However, Ginkgo’s renowned memory effects make the remedy useful even if tinnitus persists.
Another natural supplement, Vinpocetine, shares some of Gingko’s same benefits, such as memory enhancement. More importantly, using Ginkgo and Vinpocetine for tinnitus therapy has been shown to reduce symptoms in as little as 7 days.
How Natural Vinpocetine Works
Unlike harsh chemical pharmaceuticals, Vinpocetine is fully plant-derived. The periwinkle bush which supplies the medicine is also host to 50 other alkaloids.
Alkaloids are simply naturally forming plant compounds which are known to have medicinal effects in the human body. Vinpocetine has been harvested as a remedy with many safe uses throughout Europe for hundreds of years.
Vinpocetine is fully bioavailable and can cross the blood brain barrier. Its main action is to open blood vessels and help create better circulation in the cerebral cortex.
Unlike other compounds, Vinpocetine’s vasodilation effects are mainly focused in the brain. By increasing blood flow and distributing oxygen to brain cells, Vinpocetine can provide a dramatic boost to cognitive function.
Vinpocetine increases ATP and glucose production. These factors result in an overall sensation of heightened mental sharpness. Next, this biosynthesic alkaloid stimulates some of the most important neurotransmitters in the brain, such as a dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline.
It is not known exactly how these actions combine to relieve tinnitus. One theory posits that tinnitus is caused by neurological damage.
By nourishing brain cells with blood and oxygen, Vinpocetine could be contributing to long-term repair of the damaged tissue which causes the disorder. For this reason, using Vinpocetine for tinnitus indeed has some scientific basis and it is not simply a “folk remedy”.
Vinpocetine for Tinnitus Therapy
Several important medical studies have contributed to the excellent record of using Vinpocetine for tinnitus therapy.
Research papers published in 1986, 1996, and 2003 all confirm that Vinpocetine is effective against tinnitus brought on both by trauma and non-trauma causes.
The 2003 study pointed out that Vinpocetine may have a positive effect upon microtubules in the brain, assisting in tissue repair after an injury.
These same small structures are present in the inner ear. As many as 50 percent of test patients who were given Vinpocetine following noise-based hearing damage recovered normal ear function within a week.
Even those who weren’t able to fully eliminate all ringing did experience hearing improvements. These figures were far more favorable than similar tests done on Ginkgo Biloba supplements.
Best Dosages of Vinpocetine for Tinnitus
As with many natural plant-based remedies, there seems to be much latitude when it comes to determining dose. In most tinnitus cases, Vinpocetine needs to be taken every single day for 7-10 days before symptoms are relieved.
That daily dosage hovers around 30 mg for most people, though doses as high as 60 mg are still well within safe limits. While side effects are considered negligible at these doses, Vinpocetine can present problems for people with pre-existing liver conditions. Otherwise, daily supplementation is considered safe.
For nootropic use, Vinpocetine is most frequently taken as a part of a pre-packed stack known as Alpha Brain. This widely-discussed brain boosting supplement is known to increase memory, heighten mental acuity, and improve concentration ability.
Alpha Brain is able to achieve these effects in no small part due to Vinpocetine. Taken daily, supplements like Alpha Brain may be able to improve neurological function, making Vinpocetine for tinnitus therapy a great preventative measure as well as a treatment once symptoms manifest.
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Article last updated on: April 16th, 2018 by Nootriment
1 Comment
i think more pressure needs to be put on doctors to find acceptable cures for tinnitus because it is far detrimental than people without it can even understand. what is wrong with doctors? why are they not pushing harder to get it out there i only saw 1 commercial about tinnitus my entire 37 years on earth and that is just disgusting oh but you have countless commercials and people discussing diabetes and cancer and putting them all over magazines and everywhere whats up with that????????? tinnitus is actually far worse then anything it has destroyed my life and peace of mind and many others so please anyone who reads this we need to get tinnitus out there and talk about it and push for a cure for all causes of tinnitus it is not right for many to suffer from it. while most have a very small ringing in the ear some like me have a screaming in the ear that is loud and it is not acceptable so please we need to get the doctors to work harder to make more studies and get a cure.