What Is IV Therapy? Uses, Benefits, Ingredients and Adverse Effects Explained

When employed in hospitals and clinics, IV therapy offers versatile applications, promoting rapid and effective interventions.

• Dehydration Treatment: IV therapy is instrumental in quickly replenishing lost fluids in cases of severe dehydration, such as those resulting from vomiting, diarrhea, or excessive sweating.
• Nutrient Deficiency Correction: For individuals with nutrient deficiencies, IV therapy provides a direct route to administer essential vitamins and minerals, ensuring rapid absorption and faster restoration of nutrient levels.
• Chronic Illness Management: IV therapy proves beneficial in managing chronic illnesses, like autoimmune disorders or inflammatory conditions, by delivering specialized medications that may not be as effective through oral administration.
• Post-Surgery Recovery: After surgical procedures, IV therapy aids in maintaining hydration and supplying necessary nutrients, facilitating a smoother recovery process.
• Cancer Treatment Support: In oncology, IV therapy is commonly used to administer chemotherapy drugs, ensuring precise and controlled delivery to target cancer cells while minimizing systemic side effects.

In the wellness sphere, IV therapy has gained popularity as a proactive approach to enhancing overall health and vitality.

• Energy Boost: IV therapy delivers a potent combination of vitamins and minerals directly to the body, providing a quick and effective energy boost ideal for individuals experiencing fatigue or low energy levels.
• Immune Function Improvement: The infusion of immune-boosting vitamins, such as vitamin C, helps strengthen the immune system, which aids in the prevention of illnesses and supports overall immune function.
• Wellness Promotion: IV therapy contributes to overall wellness by addressing low levels of vitamins, promoting hydration, supporting bodily functions, and fostering a sense of vitality and balance.
• Hangover Relief: After excessive alcohol consumption, IV therapy can help alleviate hangover symptoms by replenishing fluids and essential nutrients, providing a rapid recovery solution.
• Hydration and Skin Health: IV therapy contributes to skin health by ensuring adequate hydration and restoring skin-nourishing vitamins, promoting a radiant complexion and overall skin vitality.

For performance enhancement, Intravenous (IV) therapy has evolved as a precious tool for athletes and fitness freaks seeking to optimize their capabilities.

• Performance Enhancement: IV therapy provides a direct and rapid means of delivering performance-boosting nutrients, such as amino acids and electrolytes, to enhance endurance, stamina, and overall athletic performance.
• Quicker Recovery: Athletes can benefit from faster recovery times with IV therapy, as it delivers essential nutrients directly to muscles, aiding in the repair and recovery process after intense physical activity.
• Electrolyte Replenishment: IV therapy is effective in rapidly replenishing electrolytes lost through sweating during strenuous workouts, helping to maintain proper hydration levels and prevent performance-debilitating issues like cramps.
• Optimizing Oxygenation: Certain IV therapies include components that support better oxygenation of tissues, crucial for sustained energy and improved aerobic performance.
• Reducing Muscle Soreness: IV therapy can contribute to minimizing post-exercise muscle soreness by delivering electrolytes, minerals, and anti-inflammatory vitamins that support muscle recovery.

Electrolytes are minerals contained in the body that have an electric charge. Electrolytes are necessary to several essential body functions, including:

• Transferring vitamins & nutrients into cells
• Moving waste out of cells
• Supporting brain, muscle, heart, and nerve function
• Balancing water levels
• Balancing pH levels
• Vitamins and nutrients.

A vitamin infusion is typically a blend of vitamins formulated to address specific health concerns.

The primary ingredient in IV therapy is IV fluids, also known as saline solutions. IV fluids do more than just deliver vitamins and medications. IV fluids help hydrate the body, which is essential to proper body function. Hydration has two components – fluids and electrolytes.

Fluids and Tonicity

The volume-behavior of cells in a solution is known as tonicity. Cells have two parts- intracellular, which is the inside of the cell, and extracellular, which is the outside of the cell. Fluid may transfer between these two parts in a process known as osmosis to reach the ideal tonicity, which is the isotonic state.

Cells being in an isotonic state means that they have an equal concentration of fluids both inside and outside the cell. IV fluids come in three types of solutions to help a patient achieve tonicity:

• Hypotonic fluids – Hypotonic fluids help move fluids intracellularly, which rehydrates cells and may cause cell swelling. These solutions are administered to address diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or hyperosmolar hyperglycemia.
• Isotonic fluids – Isotonic fluids increase fluid volume in the body. These types of fluids are typically used to address situations like blood loss, dehydration, or are administered during surgery. [1]
• Hypertonic fluids – Hypertonic fluids transfer fluid extracellularly. This causes cells to shrink. These fluids are only used in specific situations, most commonly in Intensive Care Units (ICU) to treat pulmonary edema, a condition that results from fluid overload.  [2]

However, you can also get specific vitamins individually, or add them to a blended formula for an extra boost. Some of the most common vitamins in blends include:

Amino Acid Blends

An IV infusion can include a formulated blend of the 20 amino acids that make up the human body. One example is Lipostat Plus. Amino acids are considered “the building blocks of life,” as they are both part of our genetics and necessary for day-to-day body function. These amino acids are broken into three categories.

• Essential amino acids are not produced by the body and must be obtained through supplements or diet.
  • Histidine – vital to the creation of histamine, which helps defend against allergens. It also aids the digestive process and works as a neurotransmitter.
  • Tryptophan – important to the regulation of sleep cycles, as it helps produce melatonin and serotonin. Appetite, mood, and pain are also managed by serotonin.
  • Isoleucine – essential for growth processes, immune function, and metabolic function. It is found mostly in muscle proteins, providing energy and stimulating muscle growth.
  • Leucine – like isoleucine, is located primarily in muscle tissue, where it aids muscle growth and metabolic function. It also plays an important role in healing skin, muscle, and bone injuries.
  • Valine – can be metabolized instead of glucose if necessary and is believed to help preserve nerves’ myelin coverings.
  • Phenylalanine – vital to the creation of several brain chemicals, including those related to fight or flight response (adrenaline and noradrenaline) as well as dopamine, which is critical to skill-learning, feeling pleasure, and memory formation.
  • Methionine – necessary to muscle healing and produces sulfur-containing molecules used for numerous body functions.
  • Threonine – essential for a number of functions, including tooth enamel and bone growth, the formation of blood clots, and the production of tissue muscle, collagen, and elastin. [1]

• Non-essential amino acids can be produced by the body, but not necessarily in high enough amounts.
  • Asparagine – necessary for glycoprotein production and supports liver health. It also helps signaling and development in the central nervous system.
  • Glutamic acid – helps create glutamate, which helps facilitate cell communication that affects memory and learning.
  • Aspartic acid – aids immune response, helping to generate antibodies. It is also involved in the production of sperm and testosterone, as well as menstrual cycle regulation.
  • Alanine – helps breakdown tryptophan and vitamin B6. It also works with histidine to create carnosine, which reduces lactic acid accumulation resulting from exercise. [2]

• Conditional amino acids cannot be produced by the body due to certain conditions, like extreme stress, aging, or genetic disorder.
  • Arginine – essential for newborns, neutralizing ammonia in the liver and boosting T-cell production to help immune response. It also aids healing and the release of growth and insulin hormones.
  • Tyrosine – plays an important part in the production of brain chemicals like adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine, as well as thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism and give skin color.
  • Glycine – the primary amino acid in collagen, making it vital to the healthy growth of blood, muscle, skin, cartilage, and bone. It also helps produce creatine, giving energy to muscles.
  • Proline – makes up 15% of collagen, helping to reduce joint friction and heal cartilage. It also fights artery hardening by aiding the release of fat buildup, lowering blood pressure.
  • Cysteine – helps create beta-keratin, which is the main protein in hair, skin, and nails. Additionally, it helps make collagen, and works as an antioxidant.
  • Serine – manages neuron activity and helps other chemicals bind to NMDA receptors and is mostly located in the brain.
  • Glutamine – the most abundant amino acid in the bloodstream. It helps create proteins, detoxify the liver, fuels white blood cells, aids nutrient absorption, and preserves the intestinal lining. [3]

B-Complex Vitamins

B vitamins are a group of 8 vitamins that are water-soluble. Supplements containing all eight B vitamins are considered B-complex vitamins. The body does not store B vitamins, so they must be obtained through diet or supplementation, as they are necessary for many body functions.

B-complex vitamins include:

• B1, aka thiamine – is necessary for metabolic function, as it helps convert nutrients into energy.
• B2, aka riboflavin – helps convert nutrients into energy and also works as an antioxidant.
• B3, aka niacin – is essential for DNA production and repair, metabolic function, and cellular signaling.
• B5, aka pantothenic acid – aids cholesterol and hormone production, as well as the metabolic process.
• B6, aka pyridoxine – is necessary for amino acid metabolism, red blood cell production, and neurotransmitter production.
• B7, aka biotin – regulates gene expression and aids metabolic function by breaking down carbohydrates and fat.
• B9, aka folate – is vital to amino acid metabolism, cell growth and division, and the formation of red and white blood cells.
• B12, aka cobalamin – is essential to neurological function, the development of red blood cells, and DNA production.

Although these vitamins are grouped together due to their shared characteristics, each one has a unique role. The body needs different amounts of each vitamin, which is accounted for in B-complex vitamin supplement formulas.

Glutathione

Glutathione is essential to several body functions, including the activation of enzymes, DNA creation and repair, protein production, and metabolic function. It is also the body’s most abundant antioxidant, neutralizing free radicals to protect the body from oxidative stress.

Glutathione supplementation might address several health concerns and help maintain glutathione levels that naturally lower as we age. Glutathione is easily broken down in the digestive process, leading to poor absorption rates. IV therapy is an ideal way to supplement glutathione, as it is delivered directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral which aids several body processes. It ensures healthy growth and maintenance of bones, helps muscle and nerve function, and also neutralizes stomach acid. It is necessary for bowel movements and assists the digestive process.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C plays an important role in numerous body functions. Because the body does not produce nor store Vitamin C, this water-soluble vitamin must be obtained through diet or supplementation.

Some examples of Vitamin C’s role in healthy function include:

• Antioxidant – helps neutralize free radicals (unstable atoms that cause cellular damage). It also acts to protect cells from being damaged, preventing oxidative stress.
• Immune response – stimulates the production of white blood cells and protects these cells from oxidative stress. It also helps strengthen the skin barrier, helping to protect the body from infection or illness.
• Neurotransmitter production – Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers necessary for body function. The body cannot build healthy neurotransmitters without Vitamin C.
• Tissue regeneration – Vitamin C is an essential co-factor that stabilize the proteins necessary for collagen formation. Collagen is needed to form the connective tissue in the body, such as blood vessels, skin, tendons, and ligaments. It is also essential for wound healing and scar tissue formation.
• Iron absorption – assists the body in absorbing iron to help prevent iron deficiency.

Having too much of a certain vitamin in your system can result in side effects which vary by vitamin. Examples include:

• Iron overload – can cause damage to multiple organs and body systems.
• Glutathione overload – can result in abdominal cramps, allergic reactions, bloating, and bronchial constriction.
• B-Complex Vitamin overload can vary:
  • Vitamin B3 overload – may result in skin flushing, vomiting, high blood sugar, and liver damage.
  • Vitamin B6 overaccumulation – can cause painful skin lesions, nerve damage, and light sensitivity.
  • B-complex supplements – may cause urine to turn bright yellow, which is harmless but noticeable.

Vitamins can change the way your body breaks down certain medications, altering the absorption rate, which may increase or decrease their efficacy. Some medications cause vitamin deficiencies. If you take prescription medications, you should be sure to disclose them to your healthcare provider before getting IV therapy treatments.

While IV therapy has many established medical applications, its use for non-medical purposes has sparked debates. Some view it as a beneficial tool for optimizing health and performance, especially in demanding lifestyles.

However, some express concerns about the potential risks and ethical considerations associated with using IV therapy for wellness or lifestyle reasons. Critics argue that the benefits may not always align with the perceived advantages, and unnecessary IV infusions may carry risks.

In professional sports, the use of IV therapies for rehydration and recovery has been a subject of scrutiny. Athletic organizations, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), strictly regulate the use of IV infusions by athletes. It is prohibited for athletes to use IV infusions for rehydration and recovery without prior Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) approval.

Some athletes may seek IV therapy for performance enhancement, raising concerns about fairness and adherence to anti-doping regulations. The controversies surrounding IV use in sports highlight the delicate balance between medical treatment, performance enhancement, and ethical considerations within the athletic community.