Is IV therapy safe? Usually, and not for everyone. Cleveland Clinic calls IV rehydration common, simple and safe, with rare complications. Rare isn't never, and with congestive heart failure or end stage renal disease the fluid itself can do serious harm. In Flagler Beach, a provider clears you first, Lisa takes your vitals, and she stays until the bag is empty.
You'll hear it both ways. Some people say a drip is harmless. Others say it belongs in a hospital and nowhere else. So we looked up the most common claims. Here's what the sources say.
"It's only salt water and vitamins. What could go wrong?"
Plenty, and the vitamins aren't the first reason. A needle goes into a vein either way. UCLA Health's Dr. Crystal Glassy says IV drips carry all the risks of any other IV. Cleveland Clinic's list looks like this:
- Phlebitis. The vein swells because of the IV. It's one of the more common ones. Taking the IV out, a warm compress and raising the arm usually handle it.
- Infiltration. The line shifts and fluid gets into the tissue around the vein. It can sting and bruise, and it's typically easy to resolve.
- Infection. It can happen if the area isn't clean when the needle goes in.
- Fluid overload. Too much, too quickly. You can get a headache, high blood pressure and trouble breathing.
- Air embolism. Too much air gets pushed into the vein. It's rare. It can also be fatal.
Then there's what's in the bag. Cleveland Clinic's Health Essentials article adds vitamin toxicity when a dose is too high, plus bad interactions with medications you're taking. Your medications are on the list of things to have ready for your Good Faith Exam, the video visit with a provider before your first IV. Simply Hydrate has no vitamins in it, only a liter of normal saline, so vitamin doses aren't part of that visit. The needle and the fluid still are.
"Doesn't an IV belong in a hospital?"
Not always. Cleveland Clinic says complications of placing one are rare, and that many different kinds of healthcare providers train on it, first responders included. It also says providers get the line in on the first try 65% to 86% of the time. So a second stick does happen, and dehydration is one of the things that can make placement harder.
Who's holding the needle counts. Lisa started out drawing blood as a phlebotomist and went on to place IVs as an ER nurse, then worked pre-op and PACU. Over ten years in all, and she does every visit herself.
A living room still isn't an ER, and an IV won't stand in for your doctor. Our FAQ says the same. If you need a doctor, Lisa will say that. In an emergency, call 911.
"I feel fine, so I'm fine to get one"
Not necessarily. For some people the fluid itself is the problem. UCLA Health names congestive heart failure and end stage renal disease as two conditions with potential for serious harm from receiving fluids. Cleveland Clinic says it's best to avoid IV vitamin therapy if a healthcare provider is seeing you for pregnancy, kidney disease, high blood pressure or heart disease. Both say to talk with your own provider first. Do that before you book with anybody, including us.
We have two checks of our own. The first is that Good Faith Exam, and it happens before Lisa gets in the car. A licensed provider, not the nurse, reviews your medical history by video through Qualiphy, usually in about 5 to 10 minutes. It's included for new clients. It's good for a year. If your medical history changes, it ends sooner. Not cleared means no bag, and no bill for one.
The second is at the door. Vitals get checked before every infusion, and if your numbers aren't safe, we wait. One of Lisa's Google reviews, from Patty R., describes a Sunday appointment where Patty's blood pressure ran too high after several checks. Lisa came back later that day. It was still up, so she waited, and came back again the next day before she ran the IV. That's two trips back, and Patty got no bag the day she booked. You can read Patty's whole review on the Meet Lisa page.
"Aren't all IV places about the same?"
No. Dr. Glassy says the quality of care at these places can vary widely, and so does who gives the infusion. Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Melissa Young calls hydration clinics and spas largely unregulated, and tells people to ask if a licensed medical director oversees the place. Ask that. Ask anyone these questions. Ask us too. Here's how we'd answer.
- Who places the line? Lisa Gordee, RN. She owns the practice, so the nurse you text is the nurse who shows up.
- Who's the physician? Julia Lee, MD, supervises the practice. She has worked in Emergency Medicine, Urgent Care and Telemedicine since 2011.
- Who clears me? A licensed provider, in a separate telehealth visit. A Registered Nurse can give an IV but can't prescribe one.
- Do you leave once it's running? No. Lisa remains by your side from the first drop to the last, about an hour for most bags.
- What about supplies? Sealed. They come in with Lisa, along with the bag and the pole.
Get a vague answer to any of those, from anybody, and go by Dr. Young's advice: "If you see what looks like a red flag, walk away."
So is IV therapy safe for you?
A blog post can't tell you. Your own provider can, and so can the provider on your Good Faith Exam, because they'll have your history in front of them. If your health changes after that, tell us.
A house in Palm Coast, an office in Flagler Beach, the rental you're in this week. Same routine. Have a question before you book? Text Lisa at 386-387-9229 and you'll hear from the nurse who would be doing the visit. Once the bag is running, Cleveland Clinic's advice is to speak up if the IV site hurts, the line feels loose, or you get a headache or trouble breathing. Lisa is sitting right there, so say it out loud.
Quick answers
Is IV therapy safe at home?
Who should talk to a doctor before an IV?
Will Lisa ever say no?
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic: IV Fluids, health library page from a nonprofit academic medical center.
- Cleveland Clinic: Peripheral IV, health library page from a nonprofit academic medical center.
- Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials: Intravenous Vitamin Infusion Pros & Cons, an article from a nonprofit academic medical center.
- UCLA Health: Talk with Your Provider Before Undergoing IV Vitamin Therapy, from a university medical center, published November 2018.
General information about IV safety, and it can't weigh your own health history. It is not a substitute for medical care. Questions about your heart, your kidneys, a pregnancy or your medications belong with your own provider. In an emergency, call 911.