If you’re suffering from a hangover, fatigue, or jet lag, there’s likely IV therapy for that. Favored by celebrities like Rihanna, Chrissy Teigen and Simon Cowellintravenous treatments are becoming more prevalent than ever with boutique clinics and mobile options popping up across the country.
But are the treatments (also known as IV vitamin therapy, IV hydration therapy, IV drip treatment, and IV infusion) safe? Depends on who you talk to.
In 2018, Jenner was famously hospitalized in 2018 after a bad reaction to an IV drip which includes NAD, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme that helps increase energy. But that didn’t stop him from getting the camera treatment again new era of The Kardashians with her friend and fellow model Hailey Beiber.
While there are times when IV treatments are medically necessary, such as when a person is severely dehydrated and cannot consume enough fluids or they are in dire need of a blood transfusion, elective IV therapy may not be effective or necessary.
“Some people with the flu (especially the very young and the very old) need IV fluids, but they are usually sick and belong in a medical facility,” Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, senior faculty editor for Harvard Health Publishing, wrote in a blog post. “Most people who exercise a lot, have a hangover, jet lag, or the flu can drink the fluids they need.”
What is IV therapy?
IV vitamin therapy is when high doses of vitamins and minerals are injected directly into your bloodstream by inserting a needle into your arm. There are many infusions available for different needs, such as recovering from a marathon or improving blood volume.
Joe Palumbo, medical director for the Heighta mobile health and wellness provider, estimates that there are about 30 to 40 vitamins and nutrients that can be combined with each other to create different treatments.
“When you start putting them in combination with each other, you start having a powerful effect… there is [an IV] which gives energy and weight control,” he said. “The big breakthrough there recently is NAD, which can provide many improvements from anti-aging to energy to immune function that even goes to cardiovascular protection and protection neurologically.”
Who can benefit from IV vitamin therapy?
While some experts say anyone, except those with severe heart, kidney or liver disease, can benefit from IV vitamin therapy, Shmerling maintains such treatments should be reserved for severe dehydration, severe infection or other conditions associated with a drop in blood pressure or cases of organ damage. and conducted only in a medical setting.
“I am not aware of any specific population, including the elderly, with evidence that ‘on demand’ IV treatment is more necessary than eating and drinking or seeking medical evaluation,” he wrote in a email at luck. “In fact, the elderly may have a higher risk of side effects from IV treatments.”
But Palumbo says he has observed 83- and 85-year-old patients benefit from the popular Myer’s cocktail IV therapy, which includes magnesium, calcium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C among other vitamins and nutrients.
“Nutrition is very poor in our elderly population. A lot of apathy arises and there is a lot of difficulty for them to maintain their adequate nutrition,” he said. “So an IV is a good thing [for them], but it’s about being respectful of their age. It’s not that they can’t have it, but you have to adjust it… What you give to a 20-year-old, you can’t give to an 80-year-old, so you have to. able to adjust it.”
What happens during IV vitamin therapy?
These days, it’s easy to book an IV drip or vitamin therapy online. Once you arrive at the clinic (or the medical professional comes to you), you may undergo a medical screening also known as good faith exam to review your medical history and determine the best course of treatment. The entire process can take about one to two hours, depending on the type of treatment you receive as some IV treatments are slower than others.
How much does it cost?
IV drip infusions usually start between $150 and $200, but can cost upwards of $350 to $800, depending on the ingredients, according to Ehsan Ali, a physician in and founder of Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor in California. News on Buzzfeed. Treatments are usually not covered by health insurance.
What are the side effects and risks of IV therapy?
While IV therapy is generally considered safe and effective, common effect includes:
- disease
- Bleeding at the injection site
- Bleeding from insertion
- Swelling at the insertion site
- Inflammation of the veins
The others risks and complications includes:
- Swollen or blocked veins (a condition called superficial thrombophlebitis)
- Heart failure or other complications in a person with heart disease or other medical conditions if too much fluid is given too soon
Should you try IV therapy?
“While serious medical complications from optional IV treatments are probably rare, the unproven benefits are not, in my view, worth even the slightest risk,” he said. “The availability of on-demand, optional IV treatments that bypass advice from your own doctor is part of a larger and growing trend that encourages medical testing or treatment without input from your own doctor.
Other examples include genetic testing, imaging tests (CT scanning, MRIs), or oxygen treatment. I’m all for patient empowerment, but in many cases the marketing of some of these services takes precedence over the science.
Additionally, IV vitamin therapies are not regulated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission charges iV Bars, a drip clinic with locations in Texas and Colorado, that makes unsubstantiated claims that IV cocktails can cure serious diseases, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and diabetes, and produce fast, long-lasting results.
“I hope people are aware that there is little or no medical evidence to support sales given for on-demand IV treatments or for testimonials praising these treatments for conditions like hangovers or jet lag,” he said. “Optional, at-home IV treatments are often a more invasive procedure than necessary and of questionable effectiveness in treating the conditions for which they are prescribed. My thought is this: if your digestive system works, use it instead of paying for an invasive and optional IV treatment.