IV Vitamin Therapy Drip for Better Health

Taking handfuls of vitamins and other supplemental health pills on a daily basis could get difficult and expensive. It requires a dedicated protocol that some research has shown may not be as beneficial as you thought. Soon, this self-care practice could become a thing of the past as more people investigate the supplements they really need as opposed to what they think they need. 

Days of taking that jam packed multivitamin which delivers a minuscule amount of the advertised “hundreds of milligrams per ingredient” are already diminishing. Highly potent individual supplements have taken place of the conventional multivitamin your parents may have grown up on but this has led to a breakfast or whole day of popping pills. 

Now, what seems like a more radical approach could actually be a more sane one. It is IV vitamin therapy or IV vitamin drips. The IV, which is short for intravenous or through the vein, is now being administered in all sorts of professionally maintained pop up vitamin therapy locations. This market is expected to reach just below fourteen billion dollars by 2024 and could be a health trend that empowers the consumer rather than takes advantage of them.

How It Works

When you ingest an oral vitamin supplement it immediately begins to be digested. Your digestive system is so powerful it usually breaks down most of the vitamin (even protective coated pills). In the end, if it is a 1000 mg dose of vitamin C, you end up with about 30-50%. This becomes taxing on your system as well as your wallet, all creating a false sense of health safety. 

Using IV therapy enables you to surpass the digestive tract and administer the dosage directly into your blood stream. This utilizes the full potency of whatever amount you are taking for optimal deliver to where it can help your body heal the most. 

Harvard medical School explains the procedure,

“A trained health professional puts in an IV by sticking a needle that’s inside a thin tube (catheter) through the skin into a vein. Once inside the vein, the needle is removed. The catheter is left in the vein and taped down to keep it from moving or falling out.”

Most Popular IV Vitamin Therapy Drips

IV vitamin drips have been around for a long time. Holistic practitioner and doctors alike use these drips for optimal delivery. However, more people are seeking immediate relief and are finding it at places known as Drip Bars and even mobile units that will come to your home. The most popular IV vitamin therapy drips include treating: 

• Jet lag 
• Hangovers
• Food poisoning
• Getting an “instant healthy glow” for skin and hair
• Dehydration from the flu or “overexertion” like running a marathon

Celebrities such as Kate Upton, Kim Kardashian, Simon Cowell, and Rihanna have all gone on record as receiving an IV vitamin therapy drip for one ailment or another. However, these infusions can also help those suffering from asthma, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, pain, allergies, angina, hyperthyroidism, sinus and respiratory tract infections.

Is it Safe?

IV vitamin therapy is fairly safe as long as it is administered by a professional. There is always the chance of infection at the insertion site as well as some side effects that could include nausea or dizziness. However, the vitamins used in an IV drip are water soluble so whatever your body cannot utilize will be excreted through the urine. 

According to Lindsay Slowiczek, a drug information pharmacist of PharmD,

“Commonly seen ingredients in an IV vitamin drip are vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium, and calcium. IV vitamin drips may also contain amino acids (the building blocks of protein) and antioxidants, such as glutathione.”

It is important to check with your doctor before receiving any IV vitamin therapy as it could contraindicate with medicines you may be taking or your medical history. 

Professionals Weigh In

Doctors and IV practitioners are weighing in on how IV vitamin therapy is rapidly growing. Well and Good reports on some doctor’s views.

Frank Lipman, MD, has been specializing in IV treatments for almost two decades and commented in 2018 on the rising interest in this potent delivery system,

“I’ve definitely seen an increase, in the last five years, IVs have been becoming more popular, It’s done everywhere now, not just in doctor’s offices. I think it’s going to be bigger in 2019 because people like a quick fix. And you generally feel good [with the treatments]. IVs have got all the components to be big in wellness.”

Manhattan doctor Erika Schwartz who runs Evolved Science, “a concierge medical practice” in NYC also commented, 

“No one wants to get sick, no one wants to feel tired, and people want to feel like the best version of themselves—therefore they’re very interested in safe and medically sound new and exciting approaches to obtain this feeling.” 

Talk to your physician or naturopathic doctor for recommendations on IV vitamin therapy and the specific “vitamin cocktail” that may benefit you. Do take note that in most cases it is not covered by insurance and could be pricey however, the benefits of an IV vitamin therapy drip for better health may be worth it.