photo by Olaf Growald
Editor Brian Kendall takes a shot at intravenous vitamin therapy
The yellowish fluid dripped rapidly through the IV line — the room temperature of the liquid making my arm feel cold. The bag, which once held a liter of every vitamin, supplement, and mineral you may or may not know — a concoction of what one might deem as food for super-humans — deflated at an unexpectedly quick rate. I was told my skin turned a pinkish hue as my veins opened up to this medical brew. The medical brew in question is called the Texan, the most expensive ($259) IV drip offered at Replenish IV Hydration & Vitamin Therapy, located off Magnolia Avenue.
While I couldn’t immediately feel a difference, the list of supposed positive effects from my undergoing this treatment was as long as the list of ingredients of a classic mole sauce: hydration; energy; skin, nail, and hair growth; increased metabolism; anti-inflammation; improved sleep; immune system support; detoxification; etc.
“The way people react to IV therapy is different for everybody,” Chad Boulden, office manager at Replenish IV in Fort Worth, says. “Some people feel immediately energized, but I usually notice that it helps me sleep, which ultimately helps with my energy levels.”
It turns out Chad and I have the exact same reaction to the therapy. My muscles didn’t immediately grow to Hulk-like status, my energy didn’t reach the levels I typically have after a cup of nitro cold brew, and I didn’t even have to pass water an abnormal amount despite receiving a full liter of liquid. Instead, for the weeks that followed, my sleep patterns became far more regular, and, thus, my energy, alertness, appetite, and overall health were greatly improved.
There’s a slight stigma that IV therapy is more a cure for hangovers than anything else, but, according to Chad, such people make up a minority of their customers.
“Most people come in monthly,” Chad explains. “And we’ve also had a steady increase in customers over the past months, thanks to increased awareness about this form of hydration therapy.”
Yet, the idea of IV hydration therapy has been around since the 1970s when Dr. John Myers developed the Myers’ Cocktail, a blend of magnesium, calcium gluconate, vitamin C, vitamin B complex, and other multisyllabic ingredients I wouldn’t dare attempt to pronounce. You see, when you receive an IV hydration drip, which usually takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, it is administered in a medical environment. Those who administered my drip were registered nurses, and a physician checked my vitals and listened to my heart to ensure I was able to receive the IV.
According to Chad, the primary reason to receive IV therapy over taking a fistful of supplements via GNC or Sunflower Shoppe, is that your body will absorb 100% of the vitamins and minerals, thanks to the intravenous delivery.
Replenish is only one of several places that administers IV hydration therapy, and most offer a full menu of vitamin cocktails to fight dehydration, illness, and sleep deprivation. I just don’t recommend such therapy for those who fear needles.
Myers’ Cocktail
The first IV hydration therapy cocktail
Magnesium chloride hexahydrate 20% 2–5 milliliters
Hydroxocobalamin 1,000 mcg/mL (B12) 1–3 milliliters
Pyridoxine hydrochloride 100 mg/mL (B6) 1 milliliter
Dexpanthenol 250 mg/mL (B5) 1 milliliter
B complex 100 (B complex) 1 milliliter
Vitamin C 222 mg/mL (C) 4–20 milliliters