Yahoo Lifestyle The Buzzy Health Trend That's Filled With Controversy
As far as wellness trends go, IV therapy, sometimes called IV vitamin therapy, has had some serious sticking power. The treatment is now mainstream — and a multi-billion dollar industry, in fact — not just a fancy fad of the rich and famous (though, celebs like Chrissy Teigen, Rihanna and Madonna have documented their drips on social media). IV infusions are now as regular an offering at wellness clinics and medical spas as massages and injectibles.
IV therapy is marketed to aid an assortment of ailments:
Dehydration
Hangovers
Migraines
Jet lag
And there are other claims that the drips can help you boost immunity and “detox” the body.
While fans of IV therapy call it magic in a bag, not everyone in the medical community thinks it’s a wellness wonder.
“It’s important to note that IV therapy for non-medical reasons is still considered by many in the medical field to be a controversial practice,” says Brynna Connor, MD, a family medicine physician and healthcare ambassador at NorthWestPharmacy.com.
Here’s what you need to know about IV drips before you consider getting that jab.
What is IV therapy?
Getting an IV therapy infusion is a literal shot in the arm of nutrients and fluids. It works just the same as when you’re given an IV in a hospital, with a needle and tiny catheter inserted into a vein.
Infusions are a cocktail of sterile saline water plus vitamins and minerals, like magnesium, zinc, calcium, vitamin C and vitamin B12. Another popular ingredient is the antioxidant glutathione, which naturally occurs in the body and is thought to protect cells from free-radical damage and support immune function. Drips for migraines and hangovers may also include actual drugs, such as the NSAID pain reliever Toradol and anti-nausea drug Zofran.
“Think of IV therapy as a fancy dissolved multivitamin, which can achieve blood concentrations higher than if you took the multivitamin by mouth,” says Claire Murphy, MD, a pathologist and medical director of PeaceHealth’s Riverbend Hospital Laboratory and Blood Bank in Oregon.
When you ingest vitamins and minerals through food — which is still the best way to get them — or oral supplements, they have to make their way through your digestive system and get broken down before they’re absorbed by the kidneys and liver. Infusions speed up this process by delivering the same vitamins and minerals right from the IV bag to your veins.
“The premise is that when the vitamins and minerals are injected directly into the bloodstream, they bypass the digestive system, which allows you to feel the effects faster than you would if you were taking an oral supplement,” Dr. Connor says.
Does IV therapy work?
Infusions typically take 45 minutes to an hour to complete, but people often report feeling better within minutes. The effects of an infusion can last anywhere from a few days to two weeks. But why exactly people feel better isn’t totally clear: It could be the effects of rehydration, the burst of vitamins or even just a placebo effect.
Research into IV vitamin therapy is scant. Much of it has been conducted on infusions given in medical settings, not spas, including 2022 research that found IV therapy was an effective and generally safe way to rehydrate the body. There’s no conclusive evidence of the treatment’s efficacy with hangovers and other ailments.
“Very few studies have tested the effectiveness of these vitamin cocktails in people who do not have a true vitamin or mineral deficiency or chronic disease,” Dr. Murphy says. “Anecdotal evidence or personal stories are not considered strong evidence by scientists. In the end, it just becomes expensive urine, as your body removes all the excess.”
Is IV therapy safe?
Any medical procedure carries some degree of risk, but IV therapy infusions are generally safe when administered by licensed medical professionals.
That said, elective IV therapy is not regulated or approved by the FDA. In 2021, the FDA issued an alert raising concerns about unsanitary conditions and the use of contaminated drugs being mixed into infusions at some clinics, medical spas and mobile IV services. Plus, without FDA regulation, it’s impossible to know with any certainty exactly what’s in your IV drip, beyond what’s marketed.
Although rare, severe side effects such as septic shock and organ failure — even death — from incorrectly administered infusions have been reported.
“Poor quality and contaminated compounded drug products can lead to serious patient illnesses, including death,” Dr. Murphy says. “While these events seem rare, the IV therapy industry has grown so fast without regulation, it is likely these events are underreported.”
The American IV Association (AIVA) is a collective of medical professionals and business owners that was founded with the goal of standardizing safety protocols and treatment practices of IV therapy. AIVA has a certification program and directory of member businesses that have completed it.
“This was an industry that came on almost by public demand, and it came on very rapidly,” says AIVA board member Carrie Carda, MD, ABOG, MS, MHS, an OB-GYN, regenerative health practitioner, and National Medical Director for 10X Health System in Aventura, Florida. “Our whole goal is to keep it safe, because it is a medical procedure. The concentration of your fluid matters as does how you're mixing the ingredients and which ingredients you're getting for the symptoms you're having. Those kinds of things need to be governed by an appropriate authoritative body.”
What are the side effects of IV therapy?
Each IV therapy treatment is a little different, and each person may respond to it in different ways. Skin irritation at the insertion site is common. And any insertion of an IV into a vein carries a risk of infection.
Most of us could probably stand to be more hydrated and consume more vitamins and minerals, and IV drips do provide that. But the dosing and combining of these nutrients into an IV cocktail aren’t regulated, and too much of a good thing can be bad. Getting too much fluid too quickly can cause swelling and affect blood pressure. Exceeding recommended doses of vitamins and minerals can lead to toxicity.
Some people should avoid these treatments altogether, the experts caution — particularly those with high blood pressure, kidney and heart conditions.
“In people with abnormalities in blood levels of magnesium or potassium, such as those with kidney disease, or after excessive use of alcohol, a rapid correction can cause heart arrhythmias,” Dr. Murphy says. “In people with heart conditions or high blood pressure, IV therapy could lead to fluid overload, which can be harmful to the heart, lungs and kidneys.”
Ask your doctor first if vitamin infusions are safe for you, especially if you’re on any medications or have any pre-existing health conditions. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also avoid IV vitamin therapy, experts say.
How much do IV therapy infusions cost?
The price for IV therapy varies from place to place, but it’s likely going to run between $100 and $300 per treatment. And it will be an out-of-pocket expense. You may be able to use a health spending account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) to pay for treatments, but not insurance.
“Insurance typically doesn’t cover IV therapy in a nonmedical setting because it’s considered an elective procedure,” Dr. Connor says.
Bottom line
The biggest benefit of IV therapy likely comes from rehydration. There’s not enough quality research to support other claims. It might make you feel better in the short term, but IV therapy should never take the place of actual medical treatment from a physician or prioritizing a water-filled, nutrient-rich diet.
“Overall, IV therapy can manage some symptoms, but the actual root cause of the problem still needs to be identified and addressed,” Dr. Murphy adds. “If you are concerned about a [nutrient] deficiency, review your current diet and lifestyle choices and talk to a medical practitioner or nutritionist.”
In a nutshell: When it comes to IV therapy, proceed with caution and consult your doctor before you try it.
“This is a controversial topic among purists in medicine and the med-spa industry,” Dr. Connor says. “Although it may seem low risk, it’s important that, if you are going to engage in IV therapy, you find a highly skilled practitioner with sufficient training. When IV therapy is performed by people with little to no training, it can have very bad outcomes.”
Why trust Good Housekeeping
Stephanie Anderson Witmer, the author of this article, has written about health for Good Housekeeping, Prevention and other magazines and digital brands for more than 25 years. She conducted interviews with multiple doctors and healthcare professionals for their expertise and recommendations, and read research on IV therapy. In addition, the editor of this article has spent the last 12 years as a health editor, covering all things health, fitness, nutrition, and wellness and adheres to the highest journalistic standards.
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