Hangovers are nasty: they cause nagging headaches, nausea, weakness, and body pain. And if you have work the next day, you’ll surely exhaust all means to get rid of the symptoms. Sure enough, one of the most talked about solutions nowadays is IV therapy due to its quick effects. But the question is, does IV hydration cure hangovers as it promises?
In this post, we will discuss how IV hydration works and whether it’s the silver bullet for hangovers. Read on to see if this cure will work for you.
What is IV hydration?
IV hydration, also known as hydration therapy or IV therapy, is an intravenous treatment intended to deliver nutrients straight to the bloodstream. It comes in a variety of infusions with different ingredients, depending on the needs of the patient.
This is administered using an IV bag, tubing, and needle; much like the ones you’ll get from hospitals.
Instead of chugging bottles of sports drinks, IV therapy is marketed as the better alternative. Unlike beverages, hydration therapy bypasses the digestive tract for faster effects.
Moreover, IV therapy aims to deliver a myriad of benefits, including hangover relief. But does it hold up to the hype? We discussed more of it below.
How do hangovers happen?
To understand whether IV drips work, it’s important to know how hangovers occur in the first place.
When you consume alcoholic beverages, your body will trigger a series of reactions. Collectively, these reactions will lead to the hangover symptoms you’ll feel the morning after.
Here’s what happens:
- Increased fluid loss. You’ll urinate more, which means you’re going to lose more fluids than normal. If not controlled, this can lead to dehydration.
- Depleted blood sugar levels. As alcohol makes your blood sugar level dip, you’ll feel extremely weak and exhausted. It will also make headaches worse.
- Slowed down stomach emptying. Alcohol will cause stomach acids to spike, which delays stomach emptying. This is the culprit behind nausea, vomiting, and stomach ache.
- Heightened inflammatory responses. This will cause physical pain as your immune system experiences an imbalance.
- Expanded blood vessels. Your blood vessels will expand, which causes throbbing headaches. On the other hand, excessive alcohol amounts can narrow the blood vessels which can cause the same effect.
- Reduced REM sleep. While alcohol makes you sleepy, it won’t give you quality slumber. It disrupts the REM cycle, which means you’re not getting restful sleep.
How IV hydration help cure hangovers
So how does IV therapy work for the above-mentioned symptoms? Nowadays, there are so-called Hangover IV drips that are made specifically for this problem.
For example, our Black Out IV is made of IV fluids, essential vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. It’s also infused with pharmaceuticals such as Zofran and Toradol.
Here’s how each ingredient works in treating hangovers:
- IV fluids. This saline solution restores all your lost fluids after a night of binge drinking. It also contains sodium, an electrolyte, which will help reset the imbalance in your system.
- Vitamin C. This vitamin will give your immune system a boost against all the free radicals due to alcohol consumption. It will also leave a refreshing feeling after the treatment.
- Vitamin B. You lose a significant amount of Vitamin B when you ingest alcohol. It causes muscle aches and cramps as well as brain fog.
- Magnesium. This is an electrolyte that mixes well with Vitamin C as a hangover buster. Increasing your magnesium levels will help in calming down your blood vessels.
- Toradol.This is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that lowers inflammatory responses and pain. It also provides instant relief from hangover-related vomiting and nausea.
- Zofran. Zofran (Generic: Ondansetron HCL) is a 5-HT3 antagonist, which means it helps treat vomiting, nausea, and bowel irritations. It provides great relief when paired with Toradol and the other nutrients listed here.
Overall, it’s important to note that these hangover hydration drips are not yet evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This means it’s not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, including alcohol poisoning.
IV therapy vs. oral hangover remedies
Even before IV drips became the craze, there are oral solutions many believe can combat hangovers. Some of these are Liquid IV Hydration Multiplier, Pedialyte, Powerade, and a long list of sports drinks.
Both IV and oral hangover remedies work but to different extents.
On the upside, oral hydration solutions are convenient. You simply mix it with water and you can drink it on the go. It’s also available in many supermarkets. The cherry on top is that these beverages come in a variety of appetizing flavors.
However, the major problem with oral solutions is their low absorption rate. It can also worsen nausea and vomiting, which defeats its purpose. Also, the effects are slower than IV drips since the drink will have to go through the digestive process.
So if you’re looking for a faster solution to hangovers, an IV therapy program would be ideal. The nutrients are delivered straight to your bloodstream. It skips the digestive tract and there’s very little chance that you’ll suffer from tummy issues.
Although it’s not as on-the-go as rehydration powders, IV drips are now available in concierge services. In this setup, providers will go to your location and bring the IV therapy to you. There’s no need to drive to a clinic while struggling with your hangover.
Pros: IV therapy for hangover
- Fast and immediate relief
- A personalized formulation for your needs
- No risk of further stomach upset
- Up to a 100% absorption rate
Cons: IV therapy for hangover
- Not as convenient as oral solutions
- Can take hours to administer
Pros: oral hangover solutions
- Convenient and easy to consume
- Available in various flavors
- Available in many stores
Cons: oral hangover solutions
- Slow effects
- Risk of irritating the stomach even more
- Not really made for hangovers
- The ingredient dosage is not personalized.
Beat hangovers with IV therapy
Do you want to beat or prevent hangovers? IV Concierge can help with a personalized infusion. We will help you bounce back from the symptoms using quality and premium ingredients.
All our hangover drips are made by our licensed doctor and board-certified nurses. During the therapy, our nurse will monitor your condition to ensure a comfortable wellness experience.
We will go to your location, so you don’t have to get out of the house. Our nurses can go to your home, office, hotel room, and so on. Our goal is to provide the best customer service, so you will defeat hangovers easily.
Call us anytime and our team will prepare your drip. We can also create a wellness program just for you.
To ensure that you’ll get immediate relief, you can book your hangover IV with us before your night out. You can also get a Pre-Party IV to prepare your body for the binge-drinking ahead.
Overall, IV drips are complementary solutions only. The best way to avoid intense hangovers is by drinking moderately.
