Thinking about taking a stab at IV therapy? Ask some questions first

5 hours ago 2
A patient is hooked up to an IV for a hangover treatment in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2012.A patient is hooked up to an IV for a hangover treatment in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15, 2012. Photo by Julie Jacobson /AP

Article content

IV therapy clinics are springing up around the country, touting quick ways to recover from a hangover or a hard workout. But doctors and regulators preach caution.

Financial Post

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.
  • Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
  • Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

  • Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.
  • Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
  • Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
  • National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
  • Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.

REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account.
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
  • Enjoy additional articles per month.
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors.

THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

  • Access articles from across Canada with one account
  • Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
  • Enjoy additional articles per month
  • Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

or

Article content

The services have been on a growth spurt since the COVID-19 pandemic, offering drips that promise to boost energy, gird immune systems or relieve joint pain. This is done from bags of intravenous fluids normally seen hanging next to hospital beds.

Article content

Article content

Article content

Customers must be willing to fork over as much as couple hundred dollars for each session — in some cases for a mixture of vitamins and supplements that would be considerably cheaper in pill form.

Article content

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

Article content

Proponents say this approach helps customers hydrate faster and absorb more of a vitamin or supplement than they would by swallowing pills.

Article content

But Dr. Sam Torbati, co-chair of emergency medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, says the therapy mostly helps people create “expensive urine,” with the body clearing what it doesn’t use.

Article content

How many IV clinics are there?

Article content

They’re hard to count, partly because some businesses just provide IV therapy while others offer it as part of a medical spa.

Article content

The practice grew popular during COVID-19, when access to doctors became limited and people grew more concerned about their immune system health, according to the American IV Association, an industry group.

Article content

Regulators in Ohio are following the trend closely in their state, which now has around 200 clinics. These businesses were largely unheard of there before the pandemic, said Cameron McNamee, a spokesman for the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.

Article content

Article content

What should customers know about IV therapy clinics?

Article content

Doctors say there are some good questions to pose before any treatment starts.

Article content

Customers should ask the person starting the IV how long they have been doing their job and what sort of training they have, said Torbati.

Article content

They also should know what’s in the IV drip. For instance, “Wonder Juice” treatment offered by the Restore Hyper Wellness franchise combines six vitamins and supplements that are available, in oral form, on the pharmacy store shelves.

Article content

Knowing all the ingredients comes in handy if someone has an allergic reaction.

Article content

Also ask where the company gets its drugs, if any are used. The answer should be a licensed pharmaceutical wholesaler, according to McNamee.

Article content

Otherwise, the drug could be counterfeit or substandard. Ohio regulators have suspended the licenses of businesses that purchased drugs on Facebook.

Article content

Customers also should make sure the clinic is in decent shape when they visit.

Article content

“If the office isn’t clean, then the IV room’s probably not clean either,” McNamee said.

Article content

Why are regulators concerned?

Read Entire Article