But experts say there is little scientific evidence backing the treatments. They also caution that medically unnecessary IV drips could be risky for some people particularly those who have heart disease or kidney problems.

For these individuals, getting too much fluid too fast could be harmful because their heart or kidney cant tolerate a lot of salts and fluids being introduced into their bodies, says Sam Torbati, M.D., co-chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Medically speaking, thats where there is the most potential for harm.

He recommends checking with your medical provider before visiting a drip clinic.

An IV can be lifesaving for a patient who is severelydehydrated, nutrient deficient or suffering from a massive infection. But many experts say theres no reason to get what is essentially an invasive treatment unless a doctor recommends it.

IV hydration is a great thing for people who really need it, says Robert H. Shmerling, M.D., senior faculty editor of Harvard Health Publishing, who has researched IV therapy. When it comes to these IVs on demand, the short answer is, Buyer beware. They are expensive and not clearly helpful in any scientific, proven way.

While its true that an IV can hydrate you faster than drinking fluids by mouth, Shmerling says, that doesnt necessarily translate into any kind of health benefit.

Onereview studypublished in the journalSports Healthfound no evidence that IV fluid administered to athletes enhanced performance or helped them rehydrate any better than oral fluids.

If youre able to drink fluids and your digestive system is working thats the best way to get them, Shmerling says.

If youre too sick or elderly to keep up with your bodys need for fluids by drinking, then you should be in a medical facility, he adds.

The claims for IV therapy go beyond simple hydration, however. At most clinics, you can choose from a selection of concoctions, depending on your goal. There are different cocktails to cure a hangover,boost the immune system, improve energy, help with workout recovery, treat jet lag, improve skin, remove toxins and reverse the signs of aging.

There is little evidence to back any of those benefits, Shmerling says, and the clinics are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The marketing has gotten way out ahead of the science.

In fact, most clinics include some variation of this disclaimer on their website and in marketing materials: The services provided have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Any designations or references to therapies are for marketing purposes only.

One of the few controlled clinical studies that looked at IV vitamin therapy compared to a placebofound that patients with fibromyalgiareported less tenderness and pain after receiving a specific infusion called a Myers Cocktail, a mix of magnesium, calcium, and vitamins C and B invented by a physician named John Myers.

But heres the catch: Patients in the study who were injected with just saline solution reported the same positive results a sign of a strong placebo effect, the studys authors wrote.

If you decide to try IV therapy, make sure youre getting the treatment in a safe, clean environment. Also ask who will be administering your IV and how much experience they have, Torbati advises.

Because you are getting a needle placed in your arm, there is a chance of pain or bruising or, in rare cases, infection or inflammation of the vein. Older patients tend to have smaller veins, so placing an IV in someone over age 65 is more difficult than in a younger person. The more frail and medically complex you are, the more cautious I would be about trying these things, Torbati says.

Its also important to ask exactly what substances will be going into your body.

Some drips have anti-inflammatory or anti-nausea medications that could cause an allergic reaction orinteract with drugs a patient is currently taking, Torbati says. Other infusions include prescription drugs such as ketorolac and lidocaine that could lead to life-threatening adverse effects in some patients, according to a 2014 study published in theJournal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

In 2018, supermodel Kendall Jenner was hospitalized after a bad reaction to a Myers Cocktail vitamin IV drip, according to news reports.

Although IV drips are low risk for most healthy people, medical experts generally recommend against them mostly because theyre expensive and unnecessary. The cost of a vitamin drip ranges from a $79 first-time special at some clinics to hundreds of dollars for a special cocktail delivered to your home by a mobile provider.

Theres nothing magical about getting vitamins in an IV, Torbati says. If you want extra nutrition,take a vitamin. If you have a headache, take a Motrin. Instead of spending hundreds on an IV, you can spend a nickel on a pill and get the same benefit.

Michelle Crouch is a contributing writer who has covered health and personal finance for some of the nations top consumer publications. Her work has appeared inReaders Digest,Real Simple,Prevention,The Washington PostandThe New York Times.

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The Truth Behind Trendy IV Vitamin Therapy - AARP