How IV Therapy at a Naturopathic Practice Differs from Hydration Bars

Intravenous (IV) therapy is when a substance or drug is administered to a patient directly into the vein. Over the last 15 years, it has become very clear that IV treatments can help improve cold/flu symptoms, recovery, hangovers, and fatigue. Some intravenous treatments are approved by the FDA for the treatment of conditions such as heavy metal poisoning, dehydration, and nutritional deficiency.

The benefits of IV therapy include:

• Nutrients go right into the bloodstream
• Nutrients bypass the gut and avoid absorption issues
• Higher doses of nutrients can be delivered with greater tolerance
• Therapeutic doses of nutrients can be given
• Doses can be given quickly

IV therapy is an excellent way to get nutrients and hydration whether it be for optimizing health or restoring health. It has been hypothesized that as low as 10% and as much as 80% of our nutrients are absorbed from the food we eat.

The factors that impact your nutrient status are:

• Diseases of the digestive system such as IBS, Crohns, Ulcers, GERD, and Gastric bypass
• High level athletic training
• Menstrual irregularities and heavy menstrual cycles
• Infections
• Poor dietary intake of nutrients

Is IV Therapy Safe?

Generally speaking, IV vitamins and minerals are safe for most people. Most of the nutrients given in these preparations are water soluble nutrients easy for the body to absorb and to excrete. The vitamins and minerals and substances that are delivered in the treatments are pharmaceutically created nutrients that are obtained from a pharmacy or drug company. However, it is not as simple as just vitamins and minerals in a bag delivered through your veins. The concentration and the pH of the solution is of utmost importance and if it is too low or too high you can be harmed.

If you ever took biology or chemistry in high school, you may remember learning about osmolarity. Osmolarity is critically important in IV therapy. Osmolarity refers to the concentration of a solution and the movement of water from that of lower concentration to higher concentration. If you inject something into the blood that has lower concentration than the blood cells, then the red blood cells swell up as water moves into them and then they explode. If blood cells are exposed to a solution that is a higher concentration, the red blood cells lose water and then they shrivel up. These principles can also happen if an IV is administered too quickly.

In any IV hydration bar, there is more to the safety than just the fact that an EMT or nurse is administering it. Many hydration bars have menus that you can choose from. They offer ‘add ons’ for those who want to ‘boost’ the treatment or get higher doses of vitamins or minerals. I have seen the EMT at one hydration bar simply adding vitamins to the bag on the countertop based upon what a person was wanting and then hanging the bag to administer it.

Guidelines for Proper Administration of IV Therapy

Vitamins and minerals are generally considered safe and these IV nutrients are made in a pharmacy, but how these treatments are made and administered sets NatureMed apart from the hydration bars or drip rooms.

At NatureMed we follow federal guidelines for preparing and administering IV therapy. Our doctors and nurses are well versed and trained in nutrient therapy and are experts in this field. Our doctors have been delivering these nutrient protocols at NatureMed for over 20 years. Our doctors are not only extensively trained in this therapy, but are in some cases the creators of these treatments that are widely used by other clinics.

All of our treatments are checked for osmolarity and pH balance before administering them. Our nurse monitors the patients carefully to make sure that nothing is administered too quickly. We observe the most aggressive sterile technique in our IV room and pride ourselves on delivering IV treatments above industry standards.

Over the last several decades, it has been known that IV vitamin treatments can help with fatigue and recovery from illnesses. Since the pandemic, there have been even more studies demonstrating the benefits of IV vitamins for recovery from specific viral infections and many other conditions. IV hydration for recovery from athletics or significant cases of dehydration has been demonstrated to be effective in the scientific community. The same is true for chelation therapy for heavy metal toxicity and the complementary use of IV Vitamin C in cancer care.

At NatureMed Clinic we pride ourselves on attention to detail and safety when delivering IV therapy to patients. Our standards are in line with federal guidelines. Our patients know that when they come to us for IV therapy, they are going to get the best product and care and often for less than a hydration bar or local drip room.

View Our IV Therapy Menu