Intravenous (IV) therapy, a method of delivering vitamins and minerals directly into the bloodstream, has been gaining popularity as a potential remedy for a number of health issues.

Dr. Karen F. Miller, owner of Miller Functional Medicine Consulting in Alpharetta, says that many Americans are not getting sufficient amounts of the nutrients their bodies require. “When considering IV therapy, we must understand that we don’t get adequate nutrients from our current food sources in the United States,” says Miller. IV therapies can deliver nutrients directly into the bloodstream effectively, she notes, and more of the nutrients can get absorbed via IV than by other methods.
 

“There is no substitute for IV delivery,” says Miller. “When I was in residency at Emory [in the OBGYN program], we had people come into the emergency department having preterm contractions, and we gave them huge doses of magnesium to stop the contractions. It is not possible to absorb that much magnesium in the gut.”

Miller observes, “Currently, everyone I am treating with IV nutrients is receiving their IVs for a particular reason.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, she says, patients sought IV therapy for extra vitamin C; the focus has now shifted to managing chronic issues with improved micronutrient intake​​. The IV formula Miller and other practitioners around the country use is based on the popular Myers’ cocktail, whose ingredients include magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, and vitamin C1. “This formula was found to be beneficial for many common ailments, such as asthma, migraine, hypertension, fatigue and fibromyalgia,” says Miller.

The formula is also highly customizable. So, patients who usually have a reaction to certain vitamins, for example, can be accommodated.

Miller says the recommended number of visits varies depending on what is being treated. “When providing IV therapy for an acute issue, some people benefit from getting an IV twice a week, but once they have improved, they may only need an infusion every week or every other week. As they progressively get better, I have seen them benefit from getting an infusion once a month or every six weeks,” she says.

IV therapy is becoming more popular both as a response to certain health conditions and as part of a general wellness routine, and celebrities like Rhianna, Adele and John Legend have undergone the treatment.

Still, the scientific community remains cautious. According to a 2023 article by AARP, evidence supporting IV vitamin therapy is limited and often anecdotal.

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