What is IV therapy?
IV therapy is the delivery of fluids, electrolytes and vitamins directly into a vein through a small catheter, so they enter the bloodstream without passing through the digestive system. A standard wellness drip is a bag of sterile saline with additives mixed in, given over roughly 30 to 60 minutes by a licensed clinician. It is a delivery method, not a treatment for any specific disease.
What is actually in an IV drip?
The base of almost every drip is sterile saline — sodium chloride in water — which is what does the actual rehydrating. Everything else is an additive: B-complex and B12, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and in some drips amino acids or antioxidants such as glutathione. A Myers cocktail, the most widely known formula, is a specific combination of magnesium, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin C first described by Dr John Myers. The fluid is doing more of the work than most marketing suggests.
What types of IV drips are there?
Most providers organise drips by goal rather than by chemistry. Ours run from a plain hydration drip through recovery, immune, energy, beauty and pre-event formulas, and a few higher-dose options such as NAD+. The differences between them are real but smaller than the names imply — several formulas share the same base and differ by two or three additives.
Six of the formulas we run. The differences are real but smaller than the names suggest — several share the same saline base and differ by two or three additives.
How long does an IV drip take?
Most drips run 30 to 60 minutes once the line is in. NAD+ is the exception and takes considerably longer, typically 90 minutes to two hours, because infusing it quickly causes an uncomfortable flushing sensation. Add roughly 15 minutes at the start for screening, vitals and placing the line.
What does getting an IV actually feel like?
The needle stick is the only genuinely uncomfortable part, and it lasts a second or two. After that a small flexible catheter stays in the vein — the needle itself is removed — and most people feel nothing beyond a cool sensation up the arm as the fluid runs. Some report a metallic taste with magnesium or B vitamins, which is normal and passes. You can read, work or talk throughout.
Is IV therapy safe?
In healthy adults, administered by a licensed clinician using pharmacy-sourced ingredients, IV hydration is low risk. The realistic risks are bruising at the site, vein irritation, and rarely infection. The more serious risk is fluid volume: an IV adds a meaningful amount of fluid to your circulation quickly, which matters if your heart or kidneys are already struggling. That is why screening is not a formality.
Who should not get an IV drip?
Anyone with active heart, kidney or liver disease should not have an elective drip without their physician's clearance, because the added fluid volume is the problem rather than the vitamins. Pregnancy and breastfeeding require OB approval. A prior allergic reaction to IV fluids or additives, and G6PD deficiency paired with high-dose vitamin C, are both hard stops. If you have symptoms that could signal something serious, you need a physician, not a wellness drip.
How much does IV therapy cost?
Our drips run from $249 to $849 depending on the formula, with the higher end reflecting NAD+ and the more complex combinations. IV therapy is a private-pay wellness service; it is not billed to insurance, and it is not covered by Medicare. Some clients use HSA or FSA funds, which depends on the plan.
Does IV therapy actually work?
For genuine dehydration and electrolyte depletion, yes, and that is well established — it is the same principle hospitals rely on. For a healthy, already-hydrated person seeking a general wellness boost, the evidence is much thinner, and any provider claiming otherwise is overselling. We wrote a longer, more sceptical piece on whether IV therapy actually works rather than burying it here.
What is mobile IV therapy?
Mobile IV therapy is the same treatment delivered at your home, hotel or office instead of a clinic. A licensed Registered Nurse travels to you with the supplies, screens you on arrival, places the line and stays for the duration of the drip. The clinical standard should be identical to a clinic; the only difference is the location and, usually, a travel fee outside the immediate service area.
How can you tell a legitimate IV provider from a risky one?
Ask four questions. Who is placing the line, and are they a licensed RN rather than a technician? Where do the ingredients come from — a licensed compounding pharmacy, or an unregulated supplier? Is anyone screening your history, medications and allergies before the drip, or does booking go straight to payment? And does the provider stay with you for the infusion? A provider who cannot answer all four plainly is one to skip.
The honest summary. IV therapy is a delivery method, not a cure. It works well for genuine dehydration and electrolyte loss. For general wellness in a healthy person the evidence is thin, and the fluid is doing more of the work than the vitamin list suggests. It is not a substitute for medical care, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.