FAQ's

Traditionally used in the hospital setting, intravenous (“IV”) administration of medications and nutrition is more predictable, more customizable, and often more effective than any other route of administration. The effects of IV therapies can happen within seconds: for this reason, IV access through a tiny tube in a vein is imperative in the setting of a medical emergency or surgery, when quick results are needed. Nutritional and performance supplements can also be given through an IV, which is why PrIVvy exists.

What you experience during your infusion will depend on the supplement(s) you receive. A hydration treatment of a mineral-containing IV fluid may simply feel cold as it enters your hand or arm. Some supplements may cause a tingling, itching or warm sensation at the IV site, and up your arm for the duration of the infusion. Because many of our recommended therapies are potent and highly concentrated, you may feel different sensations throughout your entire body. Tingling all over, warmth in the throat or groin, flushing of the skin and lightheadedness may all result from dilation of blood vessels as a normal response to some supplements. These may be mildly uncomfortable. One advantage of IV therapies over injections into the muscle or under the skin, is that the nurse treating you can stop or slow down the infusion to your comfort level.

Some people will simply feel refreshed and relaxed. For those seeking relief from the ravages of a rough weekend, for sure you’ll feel like new with hydration and essential electrolytes back in balance. Some clients report heightened mental clarity. Have you been sick recently or been subjected to strenuous physical activity at work or in athletic competition? These stressors can not only deplete your body’s nutrient stores, they can actually break down muscle and other tissues to generate energy for recovery. IV supplements can enhance your natural recovery, allow you to regain strength, and build stamina.

Of course a healthy diet can give us most of what we need, but we cannot easily control our gut absorption, or the makeup of our microbiome.

IV vitamin therapy can quickly reset your body’s stores of essential nutrients, and help to maintain them at healthy levels regardless of your lifestyle or age. IV supplements can support you as you work toward improving your eating, exercise, and health habits.

Humans can live for years in a chronic state of nutrient deficiency, often with very few symptoms for most of their life.

Performance athletes, however, can feel the difference when their diet is deficient, and understand that supplements are essential for muscle growth, recovery and stamina.

Likewise, normal aging strains our bodies and minds by requiring energy production in the face of years of deficiencies. Normal cellular repair is hindered, the skin shows signs of aging, physical capacity is reduced and cognitive function can decline. While most of these processes are driven by a combination of genetics and environmental exposures that cannot be retroactively altered, vitamin and mineral supplementation is, like physical and mental exercise, at the foundation of a healthy lifestyle as we age.

PrIVvy makes injectable therapies available under medical supervision. Founded by a physician-nurse team, with formulations created by experts in medicine, pharmacy, and nutrition, PrIVvy provides the purest, safest IV therapies on the market, administered by skilled nurses with a keen interest and understanding of their effects. Our IV supplements are safely used every day in various settings. As with any medication or IV treatment, there are always risks. These include bleeding, infection, and allergic or other reactions to a treatment, but these are extremely uncommon, and if they occur, would typically be mild. Our PrIVvy nurses are trained to respond to any type of reaction, and have immediate access to a physician for guidance.

Vitamins and minerals, also called micronutrients, act as coenzymes in the biochemical reactions that take place in every living cell. Without these coenzymes, cells cannot generate energy for processes like respiration, growth, DNA maintenance and healing, digestion, muscle contraction, nerve function and cognition. If cells cannot create energy, they become damaged or die, and the entire living organism will not function properly, showing signs and symptoms of disease, or simply not functioning at its best.

The placement of the IV is only slightly uncomfortable; rarely, someone will find it painful, others will not be bothered by it at all. The nurse caring for you will ensure that you are comfortable and relaxed in our private consultation room when the time comes to place the IV. You will have the option of having a friend join you. Make sure that you have eaten and are reasonably hydrated before you come in to see us - this will make the IV placement easier, and will make it less likely that you will get lightheaded or pass out.

In medical terminology, such a reaction is called a “vagal episode” that is associated with a change in heart rate and drop in blood pressure, both of which will resolve completely over several minutes without any intervention. Rest assured that your nurse will stay with you and make sure that you are safe while monitoring your vital signs until everything returns to normal.

It is well-known and accepted in the medical and social sciences that nutrition is a basic need. Poor nutrition is associated with poor quality of life. Poor nutrition is both caused by, and results in, disease and disability: it’s a two-way street.

Did you know that almost 50% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D? Or that 80-90% of vegetarians are deficient in B12, and that almost half of the US population does not consume enough magnesium? Chronic deficiencies of these and other vitamins have been shown to contribute to inflammation, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and dementia. Vitamin deficiencies are also highly associated with susceptibility and response to infection, as sadly demonstrated in recent studies of hospitalized Covid patients.

Taking medications and nutrients by mouth relies on gut (intestinal) absorption, which can vary from person to person. Inflammation in the gut can significantly alter absorption, and can be found in persons with food intolerances, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory and autoimmune bowel disease, and obesity. Malabsorption can also result from surgery, medications, infections, parasites, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments, as well as diseases of the pancreas, liver and gallbladder.

The billions of bacteria that naturally exist in our gut, commonly referred to as our gut microbiome, are also contributors to our intestinal absorption and nutrient balance. We rely on “good bacteria” to synthesize certain vitamins for us, including thiamine, folate, riboflavin, Vitamin K and others. They also play a role in metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Meanwhile, “bad bacteria” can cause inflammation, poor nutrient absorption, infection and illness.

A lot of research is being done on the human microbiome, but much of its function remains a mystery. At some point in our lives, we all suffer from a faulty microbiome, some of us only occasionally, many of us chronically.

By bypassing the gut, IV therapy can quickly treat deficiencies in micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals, effectively stabilize your overall nutrition and metabolism, and ensure that your body has what it needs to function at the highest level.