Scientific Name: Vinca Minor
Other Names: Common Periwinkle, Creeping Myrtle, Lesser Periwinkle, Myrtle, Periwinkle

Who is this for?

Uses

Note: The use of Vinca minor as a dietary supplement is not recommended because it contains chemicals called alkaloids that can cause serious liver and kidney damage.

Vinca minor is best known as the source of several prescription anticancer drugs, which were developed in the 1960s and 1970s. While these drugs are still used, they can cause serious side effects. Newer anticancer drugs may be more effective and less dangerous. Even though Vinca minor is also sold as an herbal supplement, its use is not recommended because it contains alkaloids (bitter-tasting natural compounds that contain nitrogen), which can damage non-cancerous cells in blood vessels, kidneys, liver, and nerves.

To support its traditional use to preserve or improve cognition (the ability to think, learn, understand, imagine, reason, and remember), a few small studies have tested the usefulness of Vinca minor for treating stroke and dementia patients. Dementia is an increasing deficiency in thought processes caused by stroke, Alzheimer's disease, substance abuse, brain infection, or injury to the brain or spinal cord. Various vinca alkaloids are believed to increase both the blood flow to the brain and the brain's ability to use glucose. These effects may have some potential to delay or prevent memory loss, increase the ability to concentrate, and relieve some types of headaches. Although some of the patients who took alkaloids from Vinca minor after having a stroke did show some improvement in functioning, the overall results of the studies were generally negative. Most Alzheimer's disease patients showed similar progressive deterioration whether or not they took vinca derivatives. Little further research is being conducted to prove or disprove Vinca minor's effectiveness for any cognitive disorder.

Precautions

The use of Vinca minor is not recommended. The FDA has placed it on a list of herbs that are not safe to use.

Because Vinca minor may have harmful effects on a developing fetus or an infant, it should be avoided by pregnant or breast-feeding women.

Individuals with low blood pressure or those individuals taking medications to lower blood pressure should not take Vinca minor due to the possibility that blood pressure may become too low.

Because Vinca minor has a drying effect on the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract, it can cause severe constipation. Individuals who are constipated or who are prone to being constipated should not use Vinca minor.

What side effects should I watch for?

Major Side Effects

Some of the chemicals in Vinca minor cause damage to the kidneys, liver, and nerves. Vinca minor can also cause general damage to cells--possibly resulting in numbness in the fingers and toes or muscle weakness.

In animal studies, the use of Vinca minor has reduced amounts of certain blood components. As a result, immune function may be diminished or blood pressure may become dangerously low.

Irritation, redness, blisters, or sores may result if drugs derived from Vinca minor come into contact with skin.

Less Severe Side Effects

Taking Vinca minor can cause constipation, nausea, reddening of the face, upset stomach, and vomiting.

What interactions should I watch for?

When a cancer drug derived from a plant related to Vinca minor is used in combination with mitomycin (another cancer medication), some individuals have developed severe problems with breathing. The risk of suffering heart damage is also increased when these drugs are used together. Individuals taking any cancer medication should be sure to talk with a doctor or pharmacist before beginning to use any herbal product.

Due to its potential to lower blood pressure, Vinca minor is believed to increase the effects of high blood pressure medications. Blood pressure lowering drugs include:

• ACE inhibitors such as captopril, enalapril, fosinopril, and lisinopril
• Beta blockers such as atenolol, metoprolol, and propranolol
• Calcium channel blockers such as amlodipine, nifedipine, and verapamil
• Diuretics such as Dyazide, furosemide, and hydrochlorothiazide

Signs that blood pressure may be too low include:

• Confusion
• Dizziness
• Fainting

No other interactions have been reported between Vinca minor and prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs, other herbal supplements, or foods. However, the anti-cancer drugs derived from Vinca minor interact with many other drugs. Additionally, because few reliable studies of Vinca minor as an herbal supplement have been conducted in humans, its possible interactions are not understood completely.

Some interactions between herbal products and medications can be more severe than others. The best way for you to avoid harmful interactions is to tell your doctor and/or pharmacist what medications you are currently taking, including any over-the-counter products, vitamins, and herbals. For specific information on how Vinca minor interacts with drugs, other herbals, and foods and the severity of those interactions, please use our Drug Interactions Checker to check for possible interactions.

Should I take it?

Vinca minor is believed to have originated in southern Europe. It now grows in most mild climates, where it is used commonly as a ground cover. Its small, dark, shiny leaves stay green all year and its characteristic flowers--usually light blue-purple--bloom most of the spring and summer.

Some of the chemicals found in Vinca minor and related plants were developed into some of the earliest prescription drugs to treat cancer. Some of these drugs are still widely used and newer, partly synthetic drugs derived from vinca species are being tested for cancer-fighting properties. However, the amounts of active chemicals in fresh or dried Vinca minor plants vary depending on how the plants are grown, harvested, processed, and stored. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not recognize Vinca minor as safe. Therefore, its use as an herbal supplement is not recommended.

Dosage and Administration

Directions for the use of Vinca minor supplements vary greatly. Their use is discouraged strongly due to serious side effects they may cause.

Summary

Historically, Vinca minor has been used to improve memory, but no reliable study results verify that it has any effectiveness for patients with cognitive decline. Some of the alkaloids found in Vinca minor are used in certain anticancer drugs because they disrupt the growth and division of rapidly growing cells. Unfortunately, these alkaloids also damage normal cells. Currently, Vinca minor is not recommended for any condition.

Risks

Vinca minor may cause damage to the kidneys, liver, or nerves. In addition, it may have harmful effects on a fetus if it is taken by a pregnant woman. Infants may be affected if a woman takes vinca minor while breastfeeding. The use of Vinca minor as an herbal supplement is not recommended.

Side Effects

Vinca minor can cause low blood pressure, constipation, gastrointestinal (GI) upset, and flushing of the face.

Interactions

A cancer drug derived from a plant related to Vinca minor caused breathing and heart problems when it was taken with another cancer drug called mitomycin. Whether a similar interaction occurs with supplemental Vinca minor is not known. Individuals who take cancer drugs should talk to a doctor before using any herbal or dietary supplements. Vinca minor could increase the effects of drugs that lower blood pressure, resulting in confusion, dizziness, or fainting if the blood pressure becomes too low.

Last Revised April 18, 2008

References

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Last Revised April 18, 2008

Note: The above information is not intended to replace the advice of your physician, pharmacist, or other healthcare professional. It is not meant to indicate that the use of the product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you.

In general, herbal products are not subject to review or approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They are not required to be standardized, meaning that the amounts of active ingredients or contaminants they contain may vary between brands or between different batches of the same brand. Not all of the risks, side effects, or interactions associated with the use of herbal products are known because few reliable studies of their use in humans have been done.

This information is provided for your education only. Please share this information with your healthcare provider and be sure that you talk to your doctor and pharmacist about all the prescription and non-prescription medicines you take before you begin to use any herbal product.

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