These are only a few of the problems that IV Therapy is able to solve or improve through an infusion of vitamins and minerals. The treatment has once taken the necessary, if even uncomfortable, medical procedure of an IV drip and revolutionized it. Now, IV Therapy has become a sound way to increase the amounts of nutrients that the human body can absorb, and is a valuable way to better one’s health.
How Does IV Therapy Help People?
The first IV vitamin drips were developed and administered by a doctor called John Meyers, and this began in the 1970’s. His proprietary blend was lost when he died, but physicians attempting to recreate it have devised one that includes: Vitamins B & C, magnesium sulphate, calcium gluconate, and selenium. This was around the time that the idea for IVs as more than useful for blood transfusions began to take hold, and from there the concepts of IV Therapy blossomed.
When undergoing a vitamin IV drip, the vitamins are delivered directly into the patient’s bloodstream, which makes it much easier for the patient to get higher doses of vitamins into their body. This is because the drug in question does not have to travel through the digestive system and be broken down in the stomach in order for it to be utilized by the cells — when administered intravenously, the absorption of vitamins by the cells in the body increases from an average of 50% to 90%. This marked improvement is the basic thinking behind IV Therapy– that if the cells that are responsible for keeping a human being healthy can be properly alimented with all of the nutrients required for healthy function, the person in question may enjoy a variety of health benefits, among which are:
● Increased immune system function
● Healthier skin and hair,
● The replenishment of fluids in the body (which may alleviate hangover symptoms)
● The process of purging the body of built-up toxins, a process known as detoxification
Additionally, there have been several notable conditions that have responded positively to Dr. Myers’ original cocktail treatment, which include asthma, migraines, fibromyalgia, allergies, and sinus and respiratory tract infections, among many others. Traditionally, people who have illnesses that interfere with nutrient absorption such as lactose intolerance, malabsorption, or trauma or inflammation in the intestines as a result of injury are good candidates for IV Vitamin Therapy.
There is no limit to which vitamins the IV therapy can work with. Due to the nature of the process, any vitamin that can be given as an oral supplement or administered through another mean is a possible candidate for inclusion in an IV therapy, leaving only the patient’s unique problem as the only criteria for devising a treatment. Commonly seen ingredients in vitamin drips, however, can include vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium, and calcium– additionally, depending on the type of treatment you are receiving, they may even include antioxidants such as glutathione or amino acids, which are crucial to building proteins.
Like every other medical treatment that requires the use of a needle, there is a very small risk of infection, as the needle creates a direct path to the bloodstream. Due to the advancements of modern medicine, however, the risk of infection is highly unlikely when the procedure is performed by a medical professional and the patient provides a detailed, comprehensive medical history.
PRE-TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS
That being said, there are many things that you can do to increase the comfort, effectiveness, and smoothness of your procedure before you take a seat for your IV therapy, which we have outlined below:
● It is extremely important to remain hydrated before and after your treatment, and this means drinking twenty-four ounces of water before and after your treatment. Proper hydration increases the ease of IV insertion, and facilitates proper kidney function during the IV Therapy.
● Proper nutrition is also key, and eating a good meal before arriving for your therapy, or eating during the treatment, are both options that are available to you, that will increase your comfort throughout the procedure. This meal should include protein such as meat, beans, fish, nuts, a protein bar or a shake– protein is important to keep blood sugar levelled out during treatment.
● Exercise, however, should be avoided for two hours before and after treatment takes place, in order for the body to recover and properly absorb the IV treatment. For similar reasons, it is important to not drink coffee or tea, or caffeinated soft drinks prior to your appointment– this is because caffeine dehydrates the body and makes it more difficult to properly place the IV.
● Do not take any supplements or drink milk before your IV therapy begins– you may do these four hours after your treatment has been completed.
DURING TREATMENT
Those are all things that are best to do before or after your IV Therapy treatment takes place– but that does not include when you are actually receiving it! There are a few important notes that you should keep in mind while receiving your IV therapy:
● Firstly, it is important to remain in a normal seating position, with a straight back and uncrossed legs. This is because the contents of your IV therapy need to be able to easily circulate throughout the body to be absorbed by the cells, and closing the body off by sitting at odd-angles makes this more difficult.
● It is imperative that your IV is comfortable. If there is any pain past the prick of the initial injection, you should let the person that is administering your therapy know immediately, as it is supposed to be a pleasant, energizing experience.
● Bathroom: You are free to use the bathroom at any time during your IV therapy, but there are a few things that you should know first. Primarily, you should roll the IV pole with you where you go, by holding it in the hand of the arm that does not have the IV in it.
● If blood backs up into the tubing of your IV during treatment, do not be alarmed. This is a relatively common occurrence, and is solved by sitting down– upon doing so, the fluid in the drip chamber should continue to flow unimpeded, and the blood will return to its proper place in your body. If this does not happen, and blood remains in your tubing, you should immediately alert the person administering your IV.
POST-TREATMENT INSTRUCTIONS
Once your treatment has concluded, you should be well on your way to feeling the refreshing, hydrating, energizing effects of the IV Therapy that you have just undergone. At the end of your treatment, a bandage will be applied to the IV site. If you bruise easily, you may want to consider leaving the bandage on for an hour or longer– otherwise, you are free to remove it after fifteen minutes. Just as you did before your treatment, you should take special care to hydrate your body with upwards of twenty ounces of water.
Additionally, once you return home, there are a few more things that you can do, to maximize the cleansing and energizing experience of your IV Therapy:
● Taking Vitamin C is extremely good for immune health, as well as skin health, and assists the body in ridding itself of toxic chemicals and heavy metals.
● Rest is also important, as the body can only function at peak performance when it is well rested, which is why you should keep rest in your mind when your therapy is over.
● Replacement minerals must be taken when chelating 1-3 times per week. It must be a separate trace mineral supplement and taken as directed, even though you may be getting some minerals from other supplements. Many common brands that exist over the counter are poorly absorbed by the body, so be sure to ask your team about the one that you are taking.