Can IVs boost your health to feel your best or is it just a fad?
I’m Dr. Alexa, licensed naturopathic medical doctor, certified functional medicine practitioner, and managing physician at Virasoap Natural Medicine in Meridian, ID. In addition to teaching infusion therapy to doctors in medical school, I’ve spent the last decade formulating and administering intravenous vitamins for thousands of patients in clinical environments.
IV therapy isn’t a magic cure-all, but it is a remarkable tool for a wide range of health concerns when applied correctly. I personally get a therapeutic grade infusion prior to travel, when I’m feeling rundown, or prophylactically if I’ve had an extended exposure to infection.
You may have had an infusion in the past. Or, maybe, you’re interested in getting your first drip. Either way, I want to share some of what I’ve learned as a doctor who specializes in this treatment so that you can make informed decisions for your health and wellness needs.
This guide will navigate you through the ins and outs of this solution for wellness in Meridian and Boise by explaining what to look for in a clinic and suggesting questions to ask your provider.
Key takeaways for health and wellness
- Health benefits can include improved focus, increased energy, and revitalized immune function.
- Issues like anemia, dehydration, brain fog, fever, headaches, nausea, and more can be treated.
- It can also support athletic performance, support chronic illness, and rejuvenate overall wellness.
- Not all IV ingredients or formulas are the same, and it’s important to know the differences.
What are the benefits of IV therapy?
I am a huge believer in the power of this treatment, but only when proper guidelines are followed. By educating yourself about how it works, and what to look for in a good treatment, vitamin infusions can help you reach your goals and strengthen your immune system.
1) Better absorption
IVs can help because they deliver fluids and nutrients directly into your bloodstream. The process involves inserting a small needle into a vein, usually in the arm or hand, and connecting it to a bag containing the desired fluids.
The fluid bypasses the digestive system, allowing for 100% absorption. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with compromised gut health or those who have difficulty absorbing nutrition through oral supplementation.
2) Higher doses
IV drip therapy delivers a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals to your cells due to the better absorption. It can also contain much higher doses of nutrients like magnesium, electrolytes, B vitamins including vitamin B12, and more, because the gut is bypassed.
For example, a common vitamin C capsule might contain 500mg, but a high-dose vitamin C infusion might contain 50g. This would be the equivalent of taking 100 capsules by mouth, which the body wouldn’t be able to absorb and would make you very sick. Don’t try it at home!
A high-dose IV, also called “therapeutic vitamin therapy“, is a powerful blend of vitamins formulated to evoke a specific immune or biological response in the body, and should only be administered under physician supervision.
3) Faster benefits
The effect of IV vitamins on your health and well-being is almost immediate. By replenishing your body with essential fluids, vitamins, and amino acids intravenously, you’ll notice a significant boost in your energy and vitality.
With no digesting needed, it takes less than a minute for the vitamins to travel through your body’s circulatory system. This means fast delivery of the nutrition at the cellular level to boost your mitochondrial response. This will help you feel your best, boost energy, and reduce oxidative stress.
Wellness in Meridian, ID: What do I look for in an IV drip?
A high-quality IV bar should offer a clean, professional environment, a wide selection of IV therapy options, and be staffed by licensed health professionals. Look for clinics that prioritize overall health and safety, who make sure that each treatment is tailored to meet your specific needs.
1) High-quality ingredients
Since the ingredients are being used intravenously, it’s vital that they are of the highest quality. This means that they should be:
- Compounded in the USA by an accredited pharmacy: There are thousands of vendors around the world but foreign and non-accredited pharmacy products do not get tested or regulated. This means that they could contain dangerous impurities or could have expired years ago, which could be very harmful to your body.
- Preservative Free: Preservatives are used by many companies to prolong the shelf-life of the ingredients, but these preservation agents that can be harmful to the body via intravenous delivery.
2) Proper formulation
Many practitioners of varying experience in IVs believe that low-dose or hydration only treatments are ‘harmless’ — even when being administered by untrained assistants. From my years of experience, I don’t think that’s true because:
- Without proper medical oversight, incorrect dosage or administration of IV fluids can lead to adverse reactions or complications. Understanding the chemistry of the ingredients used and biology of the body is crucial to patient safety and best outcomes.
- Just as an example, I often see poorly trained providers combine Glutathione in their “Myer’s Cocktail” or “general wellness” bags; but Glutathione should never be mixed with other ingredients, or even given on the same day as certain other infusions.
- The concept of osmolarity is also important in calculating formulas that can be rehydrating or dehydrating. If done incorrectly or the wrong type of fluid is used, a drip can actually leave the patient more dehydrated than when they started!
3) Personalized treatment
Customizing your bag is key to optimize the benefits of IV therapy. Personalizing treatment mean that the bag is mixed just for you and isn’t pre-made. This process may include a consultation with a physician or lab testing prior to treatment. That’s important because:
- One-size formulas do not fit all patients — there are many IV infusions and formula combinations, so it’s important to have yours designed for your unique health needs.
- Pre-mixed bags almost always require toxic preservatives to last. This is because real preservative-free ingredients have to be used the same day they’re opened and can’t be pre-mixed.
- Many ingredients are light-sensitive meaning that they are kept in dark containers prior to mixing. If they are pre-mixed, it’s possible that they’ve been exposed to light which destroys the nutritional properties.
4) Experienced staff
IV therapy should always be administered by an experienced healthcare professional in a clinical setting under licensed physician supervision.
- To ensure a safe and effective treatment, select a provider that adheres to the highest standards of care.
- This includes using sterile techniques, providing comprehensive health assessments before treatments, and customizing formulas based on individual health profiles and wellness goals.
- Throughout a session, a healthcare professional will monitor your vital signs and adjust the flow rate as needed.
Smart questions to ask your IV therapy provider:
If you’re like me, you read reviews of providers before you visit or call ahead to ask questions. The following are some baseline questions I always ask to confirm that a provider is putting patient wellness first:
- What are the specific doses of the included vitamins and minerals?
- Reason: If they avoid answering, the dose is either extremely low or they don’t actually know!
- Are the IVs administered and overseen by a state licensed medical professional?
- Reason: The answer should always be ‘yes’.
- Do the IVs include preservatives?
- Reason: Preservative agents allow the provider to keep the ingredients shelf stable for a very long time but they aren’t always good for you.
- Are your ingredients compounded in the United States?
- Reason: If they were compounded in a foreign country or the provider doesn’t know, you probably don’t want it injected directly into your body.
- Is your bag mixed in office or elsewhere?
- Reason: A bag should be mixed after you order it so that it is tailored to meet your specific health needs, and so that the ingredients are as fresh as possible.
Frequently asked questions about IV hydration, costs, insurance, B12, energy levels, and more
While there are many benefits that IV treatments provide, many questions can accompany these. From the safety of putting nutrients directly into the bloodstream to questions about performance and recovery, check out our comprehensive IV FAQs.
How to get in touch with providers of the best IV therapy in Meridian, Idaho
Finding the best IV therapy doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Look for providers that offer a wide range of IV options, prioritize safety, and are supervised by a licensed physician.
Getting a personal functional medicine consultation with lab work can also help to determine the most effective treatment to meet your health and wellness goals.
I’m partial to Virasoap Natural Medicine’s revitalizing IV therapy, but the Treasure Valley has numerous, caring providers who will be glad to help!