"IV lines are usually absolutely necessary, but nobody likes getting them," my colleague Robert wrote in an article about how to get an intravenous line painlessly. He went on to explain that, although most hospital patients try to get out of having an IV inserted, staff will insist on it because IV lines are the fastest way to deliver life-saving treatment in case of complications — and hence, IV lines are placed preemptively, even if no fluids are planned to be delivered intravenously.
Where did this trend come from, and most importantly, is elective IV vitamin therapy actually safe?
Where Did Elective IV Vitamin Therapy Originate?
IV therapy centers that promise to deliver instant health and wellness in a matter of hours are, today, a part of the modern urban landscape — especially in large cities like New York and LA. It all stared with a John Myers, a medical doctor from Maryland. Before his death in 1984, he developed and tested a vitamin infusion that is now referred to as the Myers cocktail — and reported that it helped patients with a wide range of medical conditions, from asthma to cancer, from allergies to fibromyalgia, and from chronic fatigue to heart disease.
Despite the fact that scientific evidence that the Myers cocktail can help manage these conditions — and, we might add, also despite the fact that there is no evidence that the Myers cocktail offered at IV lounges everywhere today contains the same formula that Myers actually used — IV therapy centers claim that this IV drip isn't just helpful for people with chronic medical conditions.
Indeed, they're advertised as a way to "detox", "revitalize", "boost skin health", "look younger", "lose weight", and "gain energy". And that's just a few among many claims.
The Myers cocktail isn't the only IV drip you can get today — either within a medical spa with a futuristic and clean feel, or through a mobile service that comes straight to your door.
IV vitamin drips tailored to people with hangovers, those who want to boost their athletic performance, get some additional hydration, cure your food poisoning, or detox are also flooding the market.
The claims?
You can revitalize yourself from the inside out with an IV vitamin drip of your choice — or just choose the basic package, which includes nothing but saline — and basically cure all ills of modern life in an hour or so. Be healthier, more energetic, happier, and forget about hangovers.
Your body will readily absorb 100 percent of the vitamins it's given via IV, the IV lounges say, and that pesky digestive system can be bypassed entirely.
Is IV Vitamin Therapy Actually Safe?
One 2021 study, titled Consumer Intravenous Therapy: Wellness Boost or Toxicity Threat?, found that:
"There is insufficient evidence to conclude there is benefit from these expensive services provided often without the knowledge of the person's primary care physician but there is a possibility of harm."
Some things you need to consider before even thinking about getting IV therapy, for a hangover, for jet lag, or to simply feel better, include:
- Every time an IV is placed, there is a risk of infection. The benefit outweighs the risks in the case of patients who are receiving surgery, but that is not necessarily true for people who are suffering from a hangover that would clear up on its own in a day or two at most. The risk of infection is especially high when an IV is placed in conditions that are not sterile, such as your home.
- As with oral vitamin supplements, IV vitamin drips can only boost your wellbeing if you are deficient in the vitamins and minerals being delivered. It is still best to achieve optimal health by eating a health and varied diet. Toxicity is possible in cases where you are supplementing with nutrients you are not actually deficient in.
- Even saline, which is a mix of water and salt, isn't harmless. In people with underlying medical conditions, it can cause hypernatremia, or dangerously high sodium levels. It can also lead to high blood pressure, fluid retention, and kidney damage.
In the best case, you might actually feel better and experience no adverse reactions. Simply wasting money on a treatment that offers no benefit but also does no harm comes in second. However, as the American Council on Science and Health warns, IV therapy ended in death in one documented case so far. QuackWatch, meanwhile, points out that regulatory action has already been taken by certain jurisdictions, and calls for nationwide regulation.
"First do no harm" is the motto of doctors everywhere. IV lounges might have doctors and nurses on staff, but in forgetting that all-important principle, they are no longer practicing medicine.
Do you want to feel better? There's no quick fix. Eat well. Exercise. Get enough sleep. An IV line with some vitamins is no substitute for a healthy lifestyle — and there is currently absolutely no evidence that the benefits outweigh the risks.