If you imbibe a bit too much on New Year’s Eve — and live in Portland, Oregon — then the folks at Good IV want to help by giving you a shot of fluids directly into your veins.
The company (clinic?) offers three different types of hangover treatments administered via IV. And it doesn’t come cheap: The “Easy Does It” — which includes one liter of fluid and “comfort measures” from the staff — costs $110. Then there’s the “Heavy Handed” with fluid, anti-nausea or pain relief for $150. The “Good God!” is the most expensive of the three at a whopping $260 and includes two liters of fluids and “specially-formulated electrolytes and vitamins.”
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Good IV also offers other types of IV treatments for jet lag and sports recovery that will set you back $100. Oh, and they also have add-ons, including a dose of Pepcid or Zofran for $25. Yes, seriously.
The company isn’t the only one to offer IV therapy for various ailments — shops are now located all over the United States and have grown somewhat in popularity in recent years. The thought is that the mega-dose of vitamins can fix anything that ails us, but it’s not that simple.
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“There is absolutely no need for anyone to receive IV nutrients who doesn’t have a malabsorption syndrome and is able to eat,” California-based David Belk, M.D., told SheKnows. “It’s an incredible waste of money.”
Plus, it could be dangerous if the staff at these clinics doesn’t have medical training.
“IV lines can get infected, and who’s doing this?” he said, adding that there’s no guarantee you’re actually getting the vitamins and not just a placebo. “Is this being done by actual health care professionals? Are the IVs being placed by licensed nurses, doctors or PAs? Who supplies these nutrients?”
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Better idea: Take it easy New Year’s Day, drink some water and take some antacids (that you buy for, like, $7 at the pharmacy) and you’ll be back to normal in no time without spending big bucks.
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