is IV vitamin drip therapy worth the hype?

Meghan O’ Halloran

Dundrum Town Centres’ new Brown Thomas outlet is now offering IV vitamin treatment but what are the benefits?

There have been multiple safety concerns from medical professionals around how safe these treatments are.

Dundrum town centre opened the doors to its new Brown Thomas store last month, after closing its 12,000 square foot store BT2.

 According to the Irish Times, the outlet worth an estimated €12 million had 40,000 visitors in its opening weekend alone.

The department chain sparked interest when it announced that one of the features of its new store is the chain GetDrip’s new IV vitamin treatment.  

According to GetDrip, the treatment supports your health by directly delivering nutrients into the bloodstream either through a drip or into the muscle through an intramuscular injection.

Get drip states that this practise ensures that all nutrients bypass the gut for better absorption than receiving nutrients through food.

Prices range from €85 for basic hydration to €390 for an NADH Drip.

Booster Shot injections received after your first treatment range also from €35 to €55.

Zachary Mulvihill, an integrative physician at Weill Cornell Medicine said in a recent Washington Post article:

“I don’t recommend it to anyone unless there’s a medical necessity such as if someone has trouble with absorption from the stomach. Do you want antioxidants? Have a cup of blueberries. Do you want glutathione? Have cruciferous vegetables like kale and broccoli.”

“There’s a lot we can do more naturally that can improve your health and won’t require sticking a needle in you,’ He added.

A representative for Brown Thomas Dundrum has given more information this week on the procedure followed in their chain stores in relation to IV vitamin treatment.

The length of time for the treatment varies whether it is for energy or immunity.

 It is usually from 45 minutes to an hour for the treatment and this is followed by an Intermuscular booster in the upper arm.

This treatment is still relatively new and it has been suggested by medical professionals that more investigation is required on the safety regulations around such a new treatment.