FHE Health offers many patients IV vitamin therapy. This is a holistic tool that allows us to treat the body’s immediate needs. Many people who come into the facility are dehydrated due to the impact of alcohol and drugs on the body. When dehydration exists, it limits the body’s and brain’s ability to heal and recover, especially if an individual is faced with detoxification or withdrawal. IV vitamin therapy may offer help to some individuals.
What Is IV Vitamin Therapy?
As noted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, many people who have an addiction to drugs, especially opioids and alcohol, lack important nutrients in their diets. This lack of nutrients may lead to the inability of the metabolism to work, limit the immune system’s function and cause diarrhea and vomiting. Our goal with IV vitamin therapy is to rapidly supply the body with the nutrients it needs to overcome this deficiency quickly.
In a study published by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, it was found that poor nutrition impacts both the psychological and physical health of an individual. It also determined that in individuals with substance use disorders, it can impede recovery by making it more difficult to stop using drugs or alcohol. Improving nutrition, then, becomes critical.
IV vitamin therapy is the process of infusing vitamins and minerals into the body intravenously through a vein. Over a period of a few hours, a bag of vitamins, minerals and saline solution is added into the body through this line. The process is virtually painless and is done as part of many patient’s treatments.
What Vitamins Are Used in IV Therapy?
The vitamin combination provided varies based on your needs. Most often, it contains a mixture of B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium. It may also include amino acids and antioxidants. All have the goal of restoring your body’s overall hydration balance. However, it can also work to improve your electrolyte balance. In doing so, we may be able to ensure your central nervous system, heart and even muscles are getting the balanced vitamins and minerals they need to operate properly.
When you receive IV vitamin therapy, our team of professionals will discuss exactly what is included in the product. Generally, this makeup of nutrients will give your body the best chance to recover from dehydration in the short term.
What Is the Process of Receiving Vitamin IV Therapy?
Individuals who are dehydrated or who continue to suffer the effects of withdrawal from alcohol or drug use benefit the most from IV vitamin therapy. Your medical team will determine whether you might benefit from it. If so, the process of receiving IV therapy is very simple to administer in our clinical environment.
We provide the treatment to you intravenously, either during your outpatient visit or amidst your residential stay. An IV will be placed into your arm or another vein. The IV connects to a bag of saline solution that contains a specific vitamin therapy. Over a period of 30 minutes to an hour — occasionally a bit longer — the solution moves into the vein and throughout the body.
At FHE Health, we always monitor your vitals during this process to ensure there is no risk or adverse interaction. After the procedure, the technician removes the bag and the IV. Most people begin to feel the impact of the vitamins right away. You may feel a bit more energized or less tired. Some people also feel less nauseous from the effects of withdrawal or other medications.
What Are the Benefits of IV Vitamin Therapy for Mental Health and Addiction Treatment?
There are several key benefits to using IV vitamin therapy. Each individual’s needs are a bit different, though.
Withdrawal Support
In some ways, the use of IV vitamin therapy may help improve the chances of long-term sobriety. This is not to say it will help you stop using drugs or alcohol — it’s not a cure. However, it can minimize some of the impacts of withdrawal from drugs and alcohol.
One of the reasons many men and women struggle to stop using drugs and alcohol on their own is because of the sheer pain and overwhelming thoughts that occur during withdrawal from the substance. In most cases, it becomes physically impossible to simply stop. IV vitamin therapy may keep some of that pain from occurring by balancing electrolytes and keeping you hydrated. As a result, you feel less of the physical impact.
To be clear, withdrawal symptoms can still occur. However, you may see some improvement with the use of IV vitamin therapy. As a result of this, some people are able to remain on the path toward recovery a bit more easily.
Importance of Nutrition
Proper nutrition is also a key component here. Many people with a mental health disease or addiction lack proper nutrition in their day-to-day diet. As a result, these infusions help supplement the diet to ensure the organs are getting the proper amount of nutrition they need to function properly. When the body lacks nutrition, simple tasks are difficult.
With proper nutrition, the benefits are numerous:
- The brain functions as it should or is more capable of managing the tasks the body needs.
- The heart beats properly and steadily with the right nutrients in place.
- The individual cells within the body can heal and recover from the damage from the toxic substances consumed.
- The immune system is capable of functioning at its highest level.
- The neurochemicals in the brain may improve, aiding in overcoming anxiety, depression and other difficulties.
In many ways, vitamin therapy works to provide the body with the fuel it needs to function the way it should. It does not cure underlying health problems, but it can give cells the nutrition they need to do their job.
Aids in Detoxification
There is some evidence that IV vitamin therapy helps to flush the body of the toxins present. Simply put, if you are taking in more fluid, your liver and kidneys go to work to remove the waste from your body more efficiently. Most people who have a substance abuse disorder have some level of toxin buildup in their body, mostly deep within the cells. With proper hydration and the cells functioning in the right manner, it is possible to get rid of those toxic chemicals.
Improving Energy and Mood
Many men and women report feeling better nearly immediately after they receive an infusion like this. The added fluid and nutrients go right to work in the bloodstream without needing to go through the digestive process. As a result, it begins working faster to help you to feel better sooner.
This generally creates more energy and can reduce overall fatigue. Many individuals feel better and experience reduced cravings after an IV vitamin infusion.
Risk of IV Therapy
There is a risk of infection with IV therapy of any type. Our team follows proper procedures to minimize any risk to you. We also disclose these risks with you upfront.
In addition, FHE Health provides you with a treatment plan designed to help you with addiction; some other organizations do not. Additionally, many areas have limitations on the amount of oversight into third-party clinics and services offering these infusions. While there are many IV therapy clinics popping up across the country, not all are held to the rigorous standards that we are as a licensed addiction treatment and mental health facility. It is also important to avoid any product that encourages you to do this at home. It cannot provide the same quality of nutrition and carries a significantly higher risk of bleeding and infection.
How We Can Help You at FHE Health
We provide IV vitamin therapy as one component of our treatment services at FHE Health. This is just one part of our medical integration into both mental health services and addiction recovery treatment. It may not be ideal for all patients; our team is happy to discuss options with you.
Individuals ready to make a change can work directly with the skilled and experienced team at FHE Health. Our professionals provide a full consultation for you as the first step. From there, we create a customized treatment plan to address your specific health needs. IV vitamin therapy may be a valuable tool in improving your health. We encourage you to learn more about how it can help you on your path towards recovery.
