For most people, an initial encounter with intravenous (IV) treatment occurs during a hospital stay or emergency room visit. Generally, not an experience one wishes to repeat. However, there’s a reason (or five) that IV therapy is the gold standard for getting people back up and running… and it isn’t just for hospital patients!
While the majority of adults can greatly benefit from IV nutrient therapy, certain populations are not candidates for IVs, and any reputable clinic will screen for contraindications. This includes people with cardiac issues and/or renal insufficiency, as well as anyone on dialysis. Additionally, always let the medical staff know about any life-threatening allergies, prescription medications, and supplements you take before receiving IV nutrients. Our trained and licensed medical staff is happy to discuss treatment options with your primary care provider, should you wish.
For everyone else whose heart and kidneys are functioning normally (yes, even pregnant women), IVs provide a direct route to hydration along with optimal physical, mental, and emotional wellness. Let’s break it down:
Hydration
Can you recall a time – perhaps after a long flight, an intense workout, or a severe illness – when you were dehydrated? It’s likely that you felt weak, lethargic, nauseated, dizzy or confused, and irritable. You may have noticed that your heart raced, certain muscles cramped or you felt a headache. This is because hydration is such an incredibly important component to the healthy functioning of every body system. Amongst other things, hydration assists in:
- carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells
- detoxing
- optimizing digestion
- decreasing inflammation
- normalizing blood pressure and heart rate
- lubricating joints
- protecting organs and tissues
- regulating body temperature
- maintaining electrolyte balance
- nurturing skin, hair, and nails
“Dehydration can cause brain tissue to shrink, which can result in lack of focus, low energy and fogginess… in fact, feeling tired or drained is often the first sign of dehydration.” – Dr. David Hefner, MedExpress
Demands on our time and resources often prevent us from taking in enough water throughout the day. Additionally, certain medications, health conditions, and substances can deplete our bodies of the water we do take in. Which leads us to our next point…
Direct Route
Even if you’re drinking the recommended “8 glasses of water per day” and eating a well-balanced diet (which you should definitely keep doing!), oral intake of nutrients is no match for an IV when it comes to efficiency. In bypassing the often unpredictable gut, IVs provide a direct route to our cells, ensuring that we get 100% of the nutrients and hydration we take in.
More Nutrients
Nutrient injections (shots) are a great way to give yourself a quick boost on a regular basis, however, muscle tissue can only handle so much volume at once. Additionally, muscle tissue is more sensitive to certain types of nutrients, such asvitamin C, which may cause irritation and tissue breakdown. Because IV nutrients enter the bloodstream directly, we’re able to tolerate many more types of nutrients and higher amounts of them. If you’re looking for a mega-boost of wellness, IVs get the job done.
Sustained Results
One of the most common questions we hear is, “Will I pee out all the nutrients?” The answer is yes and no. Vitamin C and all of the B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning they are not stored in the body. Therefore, our bodies need a continuous supply of them. When taken in “excess” (which is different for every individual), water-soluble vitamins are excreted. However, this does NOT mean that your body isn’t benefiting from the nutrients first. Put another way, would you stop sleeping just because you have to do it all over again the next night? Heck no! You continue to fuel the body, use the body, rest the body, and repeat. IVs give your body more fuel to work with, so most clients feel the benefits longer than they would with injections or diet alone.
Minimal Risks
Unless you have one of the aforementioned medical conditions, the potential for an adverse reaction to a nutrient IV is low. The most common adverse reactions include bruising at the insertion site or rash from the adhesives used to keep the IV in place. Phlebitis (inflammation of the vein) is another potential, but very treatable, adverse reaction. Our nutrient IVs are always administered by licensed medical professionals who are trained to recognize and respond to the most common adverse reactions.
Whether you’re looking to boost your immune system, recover from a busy week, or just maintain a healthy glow, our nutrient IVs can help you achieve your wellness goals faster. Visit one of our Bay Area lounges and ask a B12 LOVE practitioner which nutrient IV is right for you!
