What Is IV Nutrition Therapy — and Does It Work?

Learn how IV nutrition therapy works, its potential risks and benefits, and who should try it.

• Partial Parenteral Nutrition (PPN) PPN is given to those who can eat but are dealing with malnutrition and need additional calories or specific nutrients.
• Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) TPN is for those whose digestive systems don't work properly, and the only way to source food and nutrients is through the bloodstream.

• Water
• Carbohydrates
• Proteins
• Fats
• Vitamins
• Minerals

A reputable clinic has medical oversight from a physician or a nurse practitioner. Your vitals will be checked, and you'll be asked to complete a health screening or questionnaire before you receive IV therapy, says Steve Rallis, a doctor of chiropractic medicine, doctor of naturopathy, and the chief medical officer for the DRIPBaR Canada. Then, the IV is administered by a nurse.

The nutrient solution will be made according to your needs, Rallis says. You'll receive a steady supply of the solution through the IV while you sit, with sessions lasting approximately 20 to 60 minutes. You should be monitored during the session, and your vitals should be rechecked once the injection is completed, Rallis says.

Many IV drip companies recommend coming once every two weeks, though this depends on the person and their reasons for going in the first place, Rallis says. Expect to go more than once. "If it's for fatigue, as an example, you're unlikely to see the benefit until you've done around six to eight IVs," Rallis says.

The potential benefits of using medical IV nutrition therapy include:

• Faster Nutrient Absorption It takes longer to absorb nutrients from food or supplements because it takes time for your gastrointestinal (GI) system to break them down. But an IV delivers nutrients directly to the bloodstream to be used immediately.

  [8]

  Moreover, the bioavailability (the amount of a nutrient that can be absorbed and used in the body) is nearly 100 percent when it can bypass the GI system through IV therapy.

  [2]

  If you're insufficient in a particular nutrient, this may help deliver nutrients more efficiently than diet or supplements.
• Higher Nutrient Doses The GI system may filter out nutrients, but going the IV route for medical or wellness purposes allows the body to take in higher doses of a particular nutrient than it would be able to reach going the oral route, Rallis says. For example, oral consumption of vitamin C maxes out at 1.3 to 4 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Meanwhile, the IV route can reach more than 350 mg/dL. Some people benefit from getting high doses of specific nutrients. High doses of vitamin C, for example, have been shown to improve symptoms in cancer patients.

  [9]

  Taking too-high doses may cause oxalate kidney stones (a solid mass that forms in the kidneys).

  [10]

  But the risk for overdoses is likely lower when the solutions are prepared by licensed pharmacies.

  [2]

• Hydration Boost IV solutions containing water and electrolytes (minerals that carry an electric charge and help regulate bodily fluids) boost your hydration levels when used for medical purposes. "It works amazingly well and fast," says Sahil Dayal, MD, an emergency medicine resident at West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. For this reason, people who are recovering from excessive alcohol intake or are vomiting as a side effect of chemotherapy are good candidates for IV therapy, Dr. Dayal adds. Outside of these specific needs, IVs with electrolytes and water won't do much beyond making you need to pee more, as you would if you drank several bottles of water, he adds.

Medical IV nutrition therapy is generally safe because it's prescribed by a physician and administered by trained health professionals in an appropriate setting. But IV nutrition therapy for wellness carries potential risks because it's not necessarily prescribed or administered with the same level of oversight.

The potential risks of IV nutrition therapy include:

• Vitamin Overdose A practitioner might administer an IV solution without a blood work analysis or without considering current medical conditions or medications.

  [2]

  That can lead to a dosage that’s too high in specific nutrients. Too much vitamin C, for instance, can lead to oxalate kidney stones and stomach issues, including cramps and diarrhea.

  [12]

  An IV business that has licensed pharmacists preparing the solution may minimize this risk.

  [2]

• Blood Clots Blood clots can form where the catheter and vein connect.

  [1]

  This can happen when the lining of the blood vessel gets inflamed because of damage from catheter insertion.

  [13]

  You may experience pain and tenderness along the affected vein, and the vein may feel stiff or cord-like.

  [14]

• Blood Infection You may develop a blood infection if the needle or catheter contains bacteria. "Anytime you make a hole in your skin, you're leaving yourself open to infection," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist in New York City and the author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You From Label to Table. A blood infection may spread throughout the body, leading to a life-threatening condition known as sepsis.

  [1]

• Medication Interactions The nutrients in IV solutions may impact the effectiveness of other medications or supplements or cause side effects. "If you have medical conditions or are on other vitamin supplements or medications, then you really need to check with your healthcare provider to be sure you're not going to get anything that will interact with something you're already taking," Taub-Dix says.

  [5]

• Electrolyte Imbalances Adding extra electrolytes to the body can disrupt the balance of electrolytes, leading to an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), muscle weakness, or seizures.

  [3]

• Overhydration Overhydration, or getting too much water through the IV, can lead to confusion, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

  [2]

These potential complications are rare, but they do exist if IV therapy is not administered properly, Dayal says. The risk of complications is lower when IV therapy is prescribed, administered, and monitored by healthcare professionals in a medical setting.

IV nutrition therapy may help people with nutrient deficiencies and those with absorption issues get the nutrients they need to keep the body functioning properly. For example, Dayal says that people with pernicious anemia (those who cannot absorb vitamin B12) can source the nutrient through an IV instead.

If you decide to use IV therapy for wellness, be sure to tell your healthcare provider so they can consider it when making recommendations.

• Intravenous (IV) nutrition therapy is used in medical settings when people cannot eat or absorb nutrients through their digestive system. It has also become popular among the wellness crowd.
• Many people add IV nutrition therapy to their wellness routine to battle fatigue, boost hydration, improve immunity, and lower stress. But research doesn't confirm these benefits.
• Whether administered in medical or nonmedical settings, IV nutrition therapy can carry risks, including blood clots, excessive doses of vitamins and minerals, blood infections, and interactions with medications.
• Keep your healthcare provider in the loop when using nonmedical IV nutrition therapy.