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What is IV therapy?
Intravenous (IV) therapy or IV drip, is an effective, efficient method of restoring the body’s balance of electrolytes, vitamins, and water.
Water is essential for cellular homeostasis and life; a person can only survive without water for about three days. Water comprises 75% of the body weight in infants, 60% in adults, and 55% in the elderly.
When you feel dehydrated after a workout or a walk on a hot summer day, normally an electrolyte drink or a bottle of water will quench your thirst. Drinking water is important for a healthy lifestyle, but there are additional benefits to IV therapy.
IV therapy contains essential nutrients and minerals. Electrolytes are essential minerals with an electric charge. It is the movement of these electrically charged minerals in and out of cells that helps regulate hydration (the amount of water in your body).
Electrolytes are a powerful vehicle for maintaining healthy levels of water in the body.
Both IV hydration and drinking water have benefits for health and well-being, but IV hydration brings a faster and more efficient relief than just water.
What are electrolytes and what do they do?
Electrolytes are negatively charged atoms that exist in the body.
In addition to regulating water balance, electrolytes also regulate the nervous system, blood acidity (pH), blood pressure, and muscle function – including the most important muscle of all – the heart.
The electrolytes found in the body include:
- sodium
- potassium
- calcium
- bicarbonate
- magnesium
- chloride
- phosphate
What causes an electrolyte imbalance?
The causes of an electrolyte balance include:
- low levels of electrolytes and hydration after exercise
- prolonged periods of vomiting or diarrhea
- poor diet
- severe dehydration
- disruption of the acid-base balance, which is the proportion of acids and alkalis in the body
- congestive heart failure
- cancer treatment
- some drugs, such as diuretics
- bulimia
- kidney disease
- age, as the kidneys of older adults become less efficient over time
What are the symptoms of an electrolyte imbalance?
The symptoms depend on which electrolyte is out of balance, and whether the level is too high or too low. Symptoms of an imbalance can range from mild, temporary symptoms to serious long-term health problems.
A harmful concentration of magnesium, sodium, potassium, or calcium can produce one or more of the following symptoms:
- irregular heartbeat
- weakness
- muscle cramps and twitching
- changes in blood pressure
- excessive tiredness
- numbness
- confusion
- bone disorders
- nervous system disorders
- seizures
- convulsions
For example, a calcium excess can occur in people with breast cancer, lung cancer, and multiple myeloma. This type of excess is often caused by the destruction of bone tissue.
How do I choose between IV hydration therapy and drinking water?
The most important factor is your dehydration symptoms and their severity.
- Are you experiencing a mild headache or feeling slightly hungover?
- Did you not drink enough water the last couple of days?
- Are you experiencing severe muscle cramping, dizziness, and persistent fatigue?
In the last case, the powerful relief of IV therapy may be your best solution.
Vigorous exercise can cause athletes to lose 6% to 10% of their body weight through sweat. With the high effectiveness and speed of absorption, IV therapy may be the most practical solution.
A major benefit of IV therapy is its flexibility. In addition to rehydrating their thirsty cells, our clients visit IV Vitamin Therapy for immune system support, relief from being hungover, decreasing stress, improved energy levels, as well as for replenishment after strenuous activity, nausea, or stomach ache.
At IV Vitamin Therapy, our IV drips can be customized with additional supplements including vitamins, anti-inflammatory agents, antioxidants, and anti-nausea (antiemetic) medications.
Do sports drinks help dehydration?
For people who don’t engage in intense exercise (longer than 1 hour), sports drinks and other electrolyte-rich drinks are overkill. Sports drinks are designed for athletes, not sedentary individuals.
Also, they’re full of added sugar and food coloring.
How does IV therapy work?
One of the most common procedures in a hospital or emergency room is the placement of an IV (intravenous catheter) that allows fluids and medications to flow into the vein in the arm. We use this same technique to provide your body with hydration and nutrients instead of medication.
What happens during the IV therapy procedure? After a consultation with our licensed doctor to discuss your medical history and current health goals, you’ll come into our spa-like office for your IV therapy session. (We also offer a concierge service if you’d prefer to receive your infusion in the comfort of your home or office.)
A member of our highly trained staff will sanitize your arm and insert the sterile needle, after which the hydration and nutrients are free to flow into your bloodstream. Sessions last 20 to 60 minutes. Many of our patients use this time to work remotely, read a book, or just relax.
IV fluids do not pass through the gastrointestinal tract but immediately enter the bloodstream. This makes IV treatment an effective anti-nausea solution, as these symptoms can be alleviated in 20-40 minutes.
IV hydration therapy is much faster than oral rehydration; drinking multiple glasses of water requires absorption in the lower part of the digestive system, taking longer to rehydrate. Drinking fluids also results in more frequent urination, which can actually decrease your body’s electrolyte levels.
Does IV therapy also include vitamins and antioxidants?
It sure can! These are some of the most popular IV drips at IV Vitamin Therapy:
Glutathione
Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that slows the accumulation of harmful free radicals in the blood.
Vitamin B
Vitamin B infusions are recommended for the treatment of many different illnesses and used as a preventative measure for maintaining healthy bones, energy, weight loss, heart function, and more.
Vitamin C
Our specialized infusion of vitamin C boosts immunity and may also contribute to a healthy heart, eyes, and skin.
Vitamin D
Individuals suffering from vitamin D deficiency may display symptoms like weight gain, fatigue, brittle bones, digestive problems, and more. This infusion helps lessen symptoms when there is a deficiency.
Does IV therapy work or is it a placebo effect?
Medical professionals have opined that IV therapy is more than just a placebo effect and may offer an improvement to overall wellness.
Dr. Chiti Parikh, co-founder of the Integrative Health and Wellbeing Program at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, says some people are low on vitamins, to begin with.
“As per the Center for Disease Control (CDC), about 10 percent of the U.S. population is deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and iron, due to an unhealthy diet or a lack of proper absorption. In certain conditions, IV repletion of these vitamins and minerals can boost the levels in the body more rapidly. As these deficiencies are corrected, one might feel more energetic, clear-headed, and notice an improvement in the texture of skin and hair,” she explains.
Although IV therapy can provide multiple nutrients at once, it is not meant to replace a healthy diet. If you’re currently undergoing treatment for any medical conditions or on medications, consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any supplementation.
Are there any IV hydration therapy side effects?
There’s a slight risk of infection with IV vitamin therapy. Any time an IV is inserted, it bypasses the body’s first defense against bacteria: your skin. Although, the risk of infection is unlikely when IV therapy is performed by licensed medical professionals.
Before any treatment, you will speak with our licensed medical professionals at IV Vitamin Therapy to discuss your medical history and determine if you are a candidate. Some vitamins and minerals can have negative side effects if there are large accumulations in the body. With our in-house lab, we are also able to perform blood work to check your body’s vitamin and mineral levels.
Why choose IV Vitamin Therapy for your Beverly Hills rehydration?
Dr. David Nazarian is board certified in internal medicine and highly trained in the field of traditional and alternative medicine. He has been utilizing IV fluids and vitamin replacement therapies in conjunction with other treatment modalities to treat a variety of medical illnesses and conditions for over 10 years.
Our medical office follows strict guidelines and standards to ensure each patient receives the highest quality sterile vitamins compounded from the best pharmacies only. Our IV drip clinic utilizes only the very best vitamins purchased only from the best pharmacies and thus ensures that it has gone through a set of sterile processes, and quality assurances that meet our highest standards.
We are confident that if you have received IV vitamin treatments in the past at other places you will recognize the difference between our vitamins, our facility, and our practice.
Where can I get IV hydration therapy near me?
Busy? Our mobile IV therapy will come to you. Many of our clients who prefer to receive injections in the privacy of a home, hotel room, or office can choose our popular concierge house call service for mobile IV.
IV Vitamin Therapy is conveniently located in Beverly Hills and can provide IV services come to your home, hotel room, or office throughout the Los Angeles area. We serve patients near Beverly Hills, Bel Air, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Culver City, Hollywood, Venice, Marina del Rey, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Downtown Los Angeles, Encino, Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Burbank, Glendale, Hidden Hills, Agoura Hills, Northridge, North Hollywood, Topanga, Canoga Park, Reseda, Valley Glen, Chatsworth, West Hills, Orange County, Winnetka, Universal City, Silverlake, Echo Park, and many more.
Book now at 855-999-5577 or schedule an appointment online.
