Frequently Asked Questions

An IV Infusion, also referred to as IV Drip hydration or therapy, is the term used to describe intravenous micronutrient therapy (IVMT). IVMT delivers hydration, vitamins, amino acids, and essential nutrients directly into your vein for immediate relief and lasting benefits.

If we were to list every type of person that could benefit from an infusion, you’d be reading this for a very long time! To answer your question quickly, we’ll say this—most people would benefit from an infusion treatment.

The clients at Vitality IV don’t fit into a certain profile or demographic. If they have one thing in common, it’s a desire to feel better from the inside-out. Clients come from all walks of life, including:

• Anyone who feels exhausted from a stressful job or situation
• Athletes or fitness buffs
• Clients who overindulged in alcohol the night before and want to refuel and restore
• People gearing up for an event (wedding, party, speaking engagement, test, etc.) where they want to look or feel their best
• Work-at-home and stay-at-home parents looking for an hour of respite
• Retirees wanting to retain vitality and energy
• And so many others!

Vitamins and supplements are great. The only drawback to oral supplements is the low absorption rate. Often only 20% or less of oral vitamins and supplements are absorbed in your bloodstream where they need to be to get to your cells that need them.

Most vitamins are water-soluble, composed of large molecules, and are unable to be transported directly into the bloodstream. When you swallow vitamins and supplements, they have to go through your digestive system and be metabolized by the liver. It’s a long journey for them and the majority of the vitamin or supplement gets lost, not broken down, or excreted before it can do anything. They also compete to make it to your bloodstream, another factor contributing to the dismal absorption rate.

With an infusion, vitamins, amino acids, and nutrients go directly into your bloodstream, bypassing the long and complicated digestive process. The result? 100% absorption, zero nutrients lost.

The beauty of an infusion is how quickly you feel better. In bypassing the digestive system, the nutrients provide powerful, almost instant results. Of course, results depend on your specific body chemistry.

Another factor influencing your results is the type of infusion you get. For instance, Vitality’s BioDetox is excellent at removing toxins from your tissues and discharging them from your body. This discharge process can prove exhausting for your body and might result in fatigue immediately following your infusion. Fatigue is a normal reaction, and improvement in your overall well-being should begin within 24-72 hours.

Individual results differ per person and depend on your unique body chemistry. On average, clients say the treatment benefits last between two days to weeks after the session. When clients book their next infusion completely depends on their preference and how they feel.

Most people can safely benefit from infusion therapy, with one caveat. Not all infusion centers (often referred to as IV Drip bars, lounges, spas, or clinics) are created equal.

Infusion therapy gained massive popularity in recent years as a mainstream treatment for various health concerns. We’re ecstatic that so many people finally realize the immense benefits of infusion therapy! The only downside to this is the surge of questionable IV Drip bars cropping up everywhere.

Many IV Drip bars operate similar to a fast-food restaurant—walk in, choose any IV from a menu, pay, and voila! Of course, fast food has its place in society—it’s cheap and quick. Unfortunately, it’s also unhealthy and harmful to your body if you consume it regularly. We highly recommend you avoid IV Drip bars that operate similar to a fast-food model.

Before selecting an infusion provider, take the time to research your options. There are a variety of red flags you’ll want to avoid when choosing the best infusion clinic for your needs. For example:

• Only use IV Drip clinics certified as 797 compliant.
• Make sure a registered nurse is the one who administers your IV.
• Use IV clinics that have on-site compounding pharmacies.
• Ensure your IV clinic takes initial lab work or, at the very least, reviews your most recent labs before your first IV.

One of the benefits of getting an infusion at Vitality IV is the access you have to our team of licensed and registered nurses. We’ll discuss your medical history and take some basic labs to ensure you get the best infusion for your needs. This initial intake session and your lab work results provide the insight we need to help you achieve your goals.

The time you’ll spend at Vitality depends on your service. Traditional infusions take between 1-2 hours. “Mini” infusions take approximately 30 minutes. Booster shots (intramuscular injections) are just that, a quick shot.

If this is your first visit to Vitality IV, we recommend planning for 30-45 minutes for your initial consultation and lab work.

There are several things you can do to prepare for your infusion, including:

• You’ll enjoy a more comfortable and therapeutic session if you’re properly hydrated. Depending on which infusion you choose, some contain minerals and vitamins that dehydrate your body at the cellular level. Your body will respond to the IV nutrition more effectively if you arrive hydrated. Hydration also preps your veins before your treatment. If you’ve had difficulty getting IVs in the past, you might want to purchase the Vein Prep Kit in our Elements supplement store.
• Have a snack. Eat a small meal before your appointment to prevent low blood sugar or other issues that may crop up due to an empty stomach. You’re welcome to bring a snack and water bottle to your appointment. No worries if you forget. We offer complimentary snacks, water, and tea at Vitality IV.
• Get comfortable. Wear a comfortable shirt to your appointment. Short sleeves tops are preferable because they allow our nurses easy access to your arm. If possible, bring a sweater wrap or jacket (or any button-up or zip-up sweatshirt) to your appointment as certain IV fluids cause your body to feel cold.
• Enjoy your visit. Most traditional infusions are over an hour long. Your appointment is a moment for you to relax and destress. Feel free to enjoy your time with a book, magazine, music with headphones, or anything else that is quiet and calming. For maximum relaxation and reset, we also have add-on therapies available to enhance your infusion session.

All of the ingredients in Vitality IV infusions, minis, and boosters come from FDA approved compounding pharmacies in the U.S.A. The infusions and boosters are all prepared on-site by our USP 797 certified staff and equipment. Each IV is mixed in a bag of normal saline or sterile water right before your session.

If this is your first appointment, you may come into Vitality IV with an idea of what treatment you want, based on what you know about our infusions. At your initial consultation, we’ll discuss your health and wellness goals to identify the ideal infusion for you. We can even customize an infusion to suit your specific needs!

How often you should have an infusion depends on your unique needs and goals. Many clients come in regularly to fill up on essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Athletes tend to come in more often to maximize hydration and increase nutrient stores. It all depends though, for example if you’re coming in for a BioDetox infusion after a night of drinking, you may only need one session but if you’re fighting chronic fatigue or another stubborn condition you may need weekly infusions to help you start feeling better.

Although it’s hard to tell how many or how often someone should get an infusion because it is so individualized. Everyone has different needs and gets a plan to fit their individual needs. Requiring an initial consultation and labs allows us to customize a treatment plan to get you the results you are looking for. This treatment plan will be given and emailed to you to refer to as you continue along your journey with us. We will continue to check in and reassess where you are at in terms of symptoms and goals, and we will recheck labs as necessary to assure the treatments are successful!

Bruising is rare. If you tend to bruise easily, Arnica is a great homeopathic supplement you can take before and after your session to reduce the likelihood of bruising. Alternatively, if you have small or hard to find veins, you can purchase a Vein Prep Kit in our Elements supplement store to make the initial IV placement easier.

Feel free to discuss any concerns with the nurse at your initial appointment. You can also reach us at (add number or email) before booking your session.

Yes! As a new client, you will need to call or click here to book your initial consultation with our team. After your consultation and labs (results come back within 24 to 72 hours) we can schedule your first infusion treatment. Book your appointment at Vitality IV by calling us at (add number) or booking online, here.

Yes! All new patients start with an initial 30-minute consultation with our registered nurse, nurse practitioner, or doctor. At this consultation we will review your medical history and discuss your health and wellness goals, or symptoms you are seeking to improve with infusion therapy. We not only want to make sure your infusion therapy with Vitality IV is safe, but we also want you to get the most benefit possible from your treatments with us.

We want to customize your treatment plan with us to suit your individual needs so you get the best bang for your buck. We will talk about which infusion, mini, or booster suits your needs best, how frequently you should come in, and what other therapies you can do at the same time to improve your infusion experience.

Following the consultation, the registered nurse will draw the labs necessary for you to safely receive your treatments.

For your safety we do require some basic labs prior to your first infusion session (we require labs even for boosters). Infusions are so safe because you really can’t “overdose” on the vitamins and minerals that are being infused which is because if your body doesn’t need them, you will just excrete them in your urine. Think of your kidneys as a safety feature, if your bucket is already full of Vitamin C, your kidneys will just drain the excess so you don’t overflow. To do this, your kidneys need to be healthy and we will be sure of this by checking a few labs.

For most of our infusions we just draw a CBC (complete blood count) and CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel) which costs $10.50 at the time of service. We are mainly checking on the functioning of your kidneys, but at the same time, these two baseline tests will tell us a lot about your system and overall health and we can use this information to further customize your infusions and boosters.

Check out our diagnostics page for more information about what we can learn from your CBC and CMP results!

If you will be receiving an infusion or mini that is considered “oxidative”, like our BioImmune with Hi-Dose Vitamin C, or BioOzone, for example, three initial labs are required, a CBC, CMP, and G6PD ($33.00 for these three labs).

Now we are getting a little fancy, but for these oxidative therapies, basically the nutrients add oxygen to cells which “detoxes” them in a sense. We just have to make sure you have G6PD, or glucose-6-phosphate-dehydronase, to protect your cells from being broken down by the powerful oxidants! It is very interesting and mind-jumbling, so if you would like to learn more about this lab and why it’s important and what it can tell us about you, check it out here!

If you’ve recently had bloodwork, awesome! If it has been drawn within the last 4 weeks or so, Just bring your results to your consultation, our registered nurse will review them with you and if you have the results we need for your infusion you will be all set.

Again, you’ll be happy you chose Vitality IV for your infusion, mini infusion, or booster because we also have so many options when it comes to optimizing absorption and ensuring you get the most benefit from your treatment.

Check out our Add-On therapies to learn more about our Sonix vibrational plate ($35/session) you use before your infusion to stimulate your lymphatic system and open up your cellular membranes for improved detoxification and vitamin absorption.
You might choose to enhance your detoxification and improve your DNA repair mechanisms and mitochondrial function with our NanoVi Single Oxygen ($65/session) you use while you infuse your nutrients!

Need some relaxation while you infuse? Relax while laying on a PEMF mat ($45/session), which pulses electromagnetic energies into your body supporting your detoxification, cellular rejuvenation, and vitamin absorption.

Add an Amp Coil ($65/session) treatment while receiving your infusion and treat your cells to some restorative energy while you also align your body’s natural rhythms with the Earth’s naturally soothing sound waves.

Another option to optimize your detoxification and reduce inflammation while you infuse would be to do an Ion Foot Bath ($65/session). Did you know that your feet have about 10,000 large pores, crazy right? With the aid of ion, we can gently “pull” toxins out supporting your entire system. You will not only feel this detox, but you will also see it in the water when you are done!

You can pay via cash, check, or credit card. While we do not accept insurance, we do accept HSA and FSA.

Our staff of registered nurses are highly skilled in IV starts and will make you as comfortable as possible. Some clients experience a slight burning sensation during the IV drip insertion that lasts a minute or two. During the drip, you should not feel any pain or discomfort. If you experience any pain, please notify the nursing staff.

We want your entire visit to be as relaxing and restorative as possible—even when it comes to parking! Vitality IV offers on-site parking in our convenient location at the BioMed Center New England, 111 Chestnut St, Providence, Rhode Island.

We totally get it! While not new, IV Drip Therapy can be intimidating if you’ve never done it. From the minute you walk into Vitality, our registered nurses and esteemed staff do everything they can to ensure you’re comfortable, confident, and ready for your treatment. If you have questions or concerns before you book, please contact us at (add email or phone). At Vitality IV, an informed client is our best client!