A therapy that goes straight to your bloodstream, many are choosing to get hooked up but doctors say there are risks you need to know of before choosing to receive I.V. Infusion Therapy.
Victoria Fortnum finds herself at Aqua Sol for I.V. infusion therapy once a week.
“I feel like when I walk out the door, I just have a bit more energy and I sleep better,” the Cape Coral resident said. “So that's a huge plus. And I also feel like my muscles and everything just relax a bit further, than they typically do if I'm dehydrated or just feeling a little run down.”
Each time Fortnum sits in the chair she sees it as a better way to take her vitamins.
"They contain vitamins and minerals,” Aqua Sol Cofounder Shawna Brioux said. She is also a registered nurse. “Our client today is receiving a Myers cocktail, which is the best infusion to cover all bases because it has the most amount of vitamins and minerals in it. And then we have things for, like, the athlete's amino acids for recovery and repair and then things for energy like b-complex, B12.”
Brioux is a registered nurse who helped start Aqua Sol after the pandemic. She worked with other nurses and doctors to open the office.
"We were just wondering why there's nothing to prevent these pandemics and people getting sick and avoiding all the medications,” Brioux said. “So we came up with the idea to have a holistic approach to prevent these things from happening.
But Dr. Joseph Bandeira said there are risks you need to know about before getting hooked up to an I.V. Infusion.
“What runs through my mind is the need for an emphasis,” he said. “A lot of the purported benefits of I.V. Infusion Therapy are simply not backed by any type of rigorous clinical research, or trials. So it's, it's a little worrisome. It's a little worrisome.”
He said some facilities are not FDA-regulated, meaning they are not operated by medical professionals.
You should always talk to your doctor first to see if you are a good candidate for I.V. Therapy.
“The potential risks, fortunately, they don't happen frequently, but they do happen,” he said. “They can include skin infections, phlebitis if that infection enters the bloodstream, it can result in septicemia or sepsis requiring hospitalization for I.V. Antibiotics. It can also result in allergies to the lungs that could lead to death.”
These types of cocktails go straight from the bag, into your bloodstream. So if something goes wrong, make sure the staff can help you in an emergency.
“Ask them,” Dr. Bandeira said. “What are the measures that they have in place in the event of, an adverse outcome? Do they have, CPR-trained staff? Do they have a defibrillator in-house? Do they have an epinephrine pen? In the event of anaphylaxis, ask that. I think you. May be surprised by the responses you get.
Brioux said their office is prepared.
“So the whole process is they will receive vital signs if they're good to go, then we'll start the I.V.,” she said. “We'll connect it to the bag and then the bag should run around 45 minutes. And then we will take them, their vital signs again, and then that's pretty much it. They're good to go.”
They have plenty of doctors and nurses on staff.
“So we do have a lot of referrals come in from doctors because they refer their patients over to us, because oral supplements, you probably only absorb around 30% and then I.V. Is three times that amount,” Brioux said. “So 99% of that is going straight to all of your organs.”
There are certain medical conditions they choose not to treat, like diabetes and congestive heart failure. If you don't have these conditions, and you're a good candidate, Brioux said your body will thank you.
“This liter is like your recommended amount of fluids for a day, so it's not a shock, it's more of like a thank you,” she said. “That’s because a lot of us don't drink enough water. We don't consume enough healthy food."
Remember, look up information on the I.V. center before you get hooked up.