By Catherine Kempista
If you are one of the countless Delawareans who uses the arrival of the new year to set health and wellness goals, increase your physical fitness, or simply boost your energy, IV drip therapy may be one of the top results in your Google search.
A popular fitness and wellness trend among athletes, celebrities, and wellness enthusiasts across the country, IV drip therapy, or IV vitamin therapy, delivers a combination of electrolytes, vitamins, amino acids, and micronutrients directly into your bloodstream through an intravenous drip bag to rehydrate and quickly infuse clients with vital nutrients. The anecdotal effects of these treatments range from quick recovery from endurance sports like marathon running to more overall energy for the average client.
While the prevalence of IV drip bars may have surged in recent years, the practice was first developed and administered by Dr. John Myers in Baltimore in the 1970s. As an homage to his work in this industry, many infusion centers today offer a version of the Myers’ cocktail, which was the trademark combination of vitamins and nutrients administered by the late physician at the advent of the therapy.
Despite the popularity, locations in Delaware haven’t been as readily available as they have been in other parts of the country.
“It is a rising health trend nationally, but the Northeast has been very slow to pick up on it,” says Emily Green, RN, BSN, owner of LyteGuards, an IV infusion center in Trolley Square. “Getting an IV as a proactive health method in Texas or Colorado or California is so commonplace. They’re really around every corner.”
But like many national trends over time, IV drip bars and infusion services have finally come to the First State — to the delight of local clients who have been patiently waiting for their arrival.
“The first week they opened, I signed up and became a member that day,” says Nicole Smith, owner of Riverfront Counseling, LLC, and member at Restore Hyper Wellness in Greenville.
Coming to Delaware
Although the arrival of IV drip services in Delaware lagged, the prevalence of this alternative health-and-wellness treatment has taken off significantly in the last two years with both corporate franchises and locally-run businesses setting up shop in New Castle County.
For some, like LyteGuards, IV drips are the hallmark of their business, focusing solely on the delivery of infusions for clients. For others, like Restore Hyper Wellness, the infusions are just one of many different options on their menu of services, which also includes cryotherapy, red light therapy, compression therapy, facials, and mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy, among others.
Whether you are interested in giving it a one-time try or ready to sign up for infusions twice a month, the options are endless. Base infusions generally cost around $100 and increase in cost with each additional ingredient included in the IV drip. Most centers offer memberships to reduce the expense of each infusion for clients and incentivize monthly visits, as these services are generally not covered by insurance.
How Does It Work?
For first-time clients of IV drip therapy, both LyteGuards and Restore follow a process that prioritizes client safety.
“To get an appointment, you have to fill out a health history,” says Green. “That’s the very first part of the screen before you actually meet someone in person. As a nurse, you can’t approach anyone unless you know what they’re coming with.”
Emily Green says LyteGuards prioritizes client safety. Photos by Catherine Kempista.
Health histories and medical forms at both businesses are reviewed by registered nurses, who are also the only personnel authorized to administer the IV drip therapy at these locations.
According to Green, “There are two major red flags — a history of any sort of renal disease or any sort of cardiac disease. They very well may not be candidates for IV therapy.” LyteGuards’ doctor on staff reviews records where there are questions about a client’s health history.
“A majority of our clients are healthy, active, young adults to middle-aged adults,” says Julia DiFrancesco, RN, BSN, lead nurse at Restore Hyper Wellness. “But some clients have specific limitations for a variety of reasons. We run a full health history, and our nurse practitioner medically clears them before we administer the orders for that client.”
According to DiFrancesco, Restore requires any client who is under a doctor’s care for a recent surgery or chronic health condition to receive medical clearance from the treating doctor before an infusion can take place.
Julia DiFrancesco (l) and Taylor Newsome at Restore Hyper Wellness.
“Safety is paramount here,” says DiFrancesco.
Green, who has been a nurse for 29 years, agrees.
“This is like a soup-to-nuts health situation. I talk to people more now about their health than I ever have in my life,” says Green.
Once you are ready to infuse, the nurse will then guide you through the process of what would be the best combination of ingredients for you that day.
“If you’re going on an airplane and not looking to get sick, your immunity is your priority,” says DiFrancesco. “If you had the stomach bug four days ago, replenishing hydration and some quick micronutrients, with a sprinkling of immunity, is more of your priority. If you’re looking to recover from a weightlifting competition, muscle recovery is going to be your priority. Lots of people have symptoms and issues, but we prioritize them.”
The average infusion can take anywhere between 45 minutes to just over an hour depending on your chosen combination. Most clients can infuse up to two times a month, but some will choose to infuse right before a big trip for immunity or before a sporting event for peak hydration.
Inherent IV Risks
Because the drips are administered straight into your bloodstream, clients should be fully aware of all possible complications before electing this procedure.
According to Albert Ahn, MD at NYU Langone Health in an article published in Prevention Magazine, “Anytime you introduce something intravenously, there are risks. Make sure you’re going to a place that is well-certified and well-staffed and that does everything appropriately. You want to make sure everything’s completely sterile because you’re introducing something into the body that could potentially cause problems.”
These risks can range from air embolisms and blood clots to infection and irritation at the injection site. Clients should also be aware of all the ingredients included in their IV bag to mitigate the risk of an allergic reaction.
Feeling Better
For many of DiFrancesco and Green’s clients, it really comes down to how the infusions make them feel for the days after they receive the treatment.
Nicole Pritchett, who serves in the National Guard, was introduced to IV infusion therapy through a friend who invited Green to administer infusions at the gym she owned. Pritchett now visits LyteGuards on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.
“I usually get the Lemon, which has all the good stuff for my lupus. It helps with the pain I have with my inflammation,” says Pritchett. “My muscles don’t hurt as bad, and my body is getting that rejuvenation.”
Smith, who is a regular at Restore, will pair an IV drip infusion with another service, like compression or cryotherapy, to compound the wellness effects she experiences. For Smith, the benefits are two-fold.
“One is that my mind feels so good. I know I did something for me. And two, my Oura ring data tells me all my numbers trend in the correct direction after I come here.”
—For more information on LyteGuards, visit LyteGuards.com, and on Restore Hyper Wellness, visit Restore.com.
