SOUTHWEST Fla. – An IV for your hangover — you wouldn’t bat an eye if you saw an ad for that in Las Vegas.
But an advertisement on a bench in Fort Myers could catch your attention.
Rehydration on demand is available in our community.
Doctor Jean-Jacque Vel, the Medical Director of Remedy IV Infusions, said these treatments are used for more than just a “hangover cure.”
With the help of nurses, EMTs and pharmacists, IV treatments can be done at their Fort Myers office or in your own home.
There are a variety of cocktails tailored to your needs, from immuno-support to a weight-loss remedy. Depending on your cocktail, a prepared mix of vitamins, nutrients and amino acids are added to a saline bag.
“For in office use, I’m only allowed per those guidelines and per Florida statute it’s different in every state, to only make a certain amount of manipulations on the IV preparation,” said Pharmacist Lexie Hoffman. “We have to follow the manufacturer instructions to a T that way we keep the client safe and ensure that our product is sterile and stable.”
Before the IV is inserted, you’re asked to fill out a health history form. Once that’s reviewed and you’re clear to receive the IV, your blood pressure is checked. A licensed nurse or an EMT will use sterilized equipment to start your IV. Between 45 minutes to an hour, the bag of fluid will enter your bloodstream.
Hoffman said this process provides you with 100 percent bioavailable nutrients versus only absorbing a fraction through eating or drinking.
“If you’re not having your full spectrum of minerals and vitamins and amino acids, you could get them replaced and not have to worry about ‘did I get all of those things in my diet?’” Hoffman said.
But is this procedure safe? We asked an independent doctor this question.
“You can run into a whole host of problems such as air embolisms if they’re not done properly, infiltration of the medication outside of the vein under the skin… and if that medicine is caustic or harmful to the surrounding tissues you can have tissue issues related to that medication,” Dr. Edward Salerno said.
The Medical Director of Remedy IV Infusions said this can happen, but it’s rare.
“In the event that it does, our staff is trained to deal with these complications”, Vel said.
As often as every two weeks, clients receive a remedy. Vel explained the majority of people request rehydration IVs, while others seek immuno-support.
The cost increases by what is in your cocktail, which can range from $65 to $250.
“Our whole business model is surrounding you as the client, becoming a better individual, a better human if you will,” Hoffman said. “It’s not urgent, it’s not somebody sick and dying… it’s something where we can promote wellness.”
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