  We investigate the possibility that spiral inflation can be realized using
the near-conifold flux potentials for the complex structure moduli in type IIB
string theory compactified on a Calabi-Yau manifold. Using the explicit form of
the flux potential for complex structure moduli, we provide analytical and
numerical arguments showing that spiral inflation is difficult to support. We
also show that for this sector of low energy string theories, a viable spiral
inflationary scenario would owe its success to a de Sitter-like vacuum energy,
with minimal reliance on the non-gradient flow field trajectories which
characterize spiral inflation. We thus conclude that even though the near
conifold region has the requisite multi-sheeted potential called for by spiral
inflation, generically it appears that spiral inflation is not realized using
the complex structure flux potential alone.
