While vitamin IV hydration therapy has been around for some time, recently it has been gaining in popularity and for good reason. While most people are familiar with the hangover drips made famous on reality shows and in Vegas, there are better reasons to get vitamin IV therapy. Some of those reasons are malnourishment, inflammation, and chronic dehydration, just to name a few.

So it’s good but it is it safe? The short answer is that it is safe but there are always risk with any venipuncture or invasIVe procedure. The risks include but are not limited to:

• Risk of infection at the injection site
• Infiltration of the vein
• Risk of thrombosis or bruising
• Risk of over-supplementing

While these things can happen, more serious side effects are rare. Most problems from getting an IV can be avoided by the practitioner following safe and sterile practices.

While rare, over-dosing on vitamins can occur as well. This is highly unlikely because the vitamins and minerals used in vitamin IV therapy are water-soluble so your body will take what it needs and expel the rest through urination.

Who is a Good Candidate for IV Therapy?

While most people are good candidates for IV therapy, there are a few conditions that contraindicate some for the service. CongestIVe heart failure, severe kidney disease, and pregnancy are a few of those things. Proceed with caution with diabetes, asthma, and hypertension. With these conditions and others, a few tweaks can ensure a safe treatment.

Everyone is different and has different nutritional needs so there is no one way to feel or expect after the treatment. Most people sleep great after a treatment and wake up feeling refreshed. Lifestyle and medical background will dictate how long you feel great. Few experience detox symptoms that are often described as flu-like symptoms as your body rids itself of toxins. While this is rare, if this occurs, symptoms usually subside in one to three days. Lastly, some companies use mass-production compounding pharmacies. These pharmacies use preservatIVes for longer shelf life and it is not unheard of for people to experience migraine-like headaches.

As previously stated, while IV therapy is considered a very safe practice, there are some risks. We believe that the benefits far outweigh the risks but as always, you should advocate for yourself. When considering an IV clinic or practitioner, ask what safety and sterile practices they use, question the intake process, and ask if they have preservatives in their products.

As with any new wellness practice, please check with your physician first.

Click here to read an article about the 7 benefits of vitamin IV hydration.