Vinpocetine increases cerebral metabolism; it increases glucose and O2 consumption; improves cerebral hypoxia tolerance; shifts glucose metabolism to the energetically more favourable aerobic pathway, but it increases the anaerobic pathway as well; it elevates the ATP concentration and the ATP/AMP ratio in the brain, and elevates the cerebral norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin levels.

Vinpocetine considerably improves cerebral microcirculation by inhibiting platelet aggregation, reducing the pathologically increased blood viscosity, and increases erythrocyte deformability. It also promotes O₂ transport into the tissues by reducing the O₂ affinity of erythrocytes.

It selectively and intensely increases cerebral blood flow and the share of the brain in cardiac output, it reduces cerebral vascular resistance without affecting systemic circulation (blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance). It does not elicit steal phenomenon; on the contrary, it primarily improves the blood supply of the injured and ischaemic area while it remains unchanged in the intact areas (inverse steal effect). It further increases blood flow which is already increased as a result of hypoxia.

Tablet: 1-2 tablets thrice daily, the maintenance dose is 1 tablet thrice daily.

IM Injection: Daily dose of 20-40 mg are to be given until improvement of symptoms is reached (for not longer than 10 days) then oral treatment should be applied. If this regimen fails, infusion treatment should be started.

IV Infusion: The daily starting dose is 20 mg in slow drip infusion (2 ampoules in 500-1000 ml infusion solution). This dose can be increased to 1 mg/kg body weight during 3 to 4 days. Treatment should be continued for 10-14 days depending on the tolerance of the patients and the dose should be gradually reduced before discontinuation of treatment.

The injection is chemically incompatible with heparin, therefore, it should not be injected in the same syringe.

Parenteral treatment- Severe ischaemic heart disease, severe rhythm disorders and pregnancy.

Transient hypotension, tachycardia may occur.

In Pregnancy and Lactation the drug is contraindicated.

In the acute stage until the improvement of symptoms parenteral treatment is recommended followed by oral treatment. In chronic cases oral therapy should be applied.

Store in a cool and dry place, protected from light and moisture.