IV hydration and vitamin therapy, sometimes known generically as intravenous nutrient therapy (INT) is all the rage these days. It is a favorite among people looking to boost overall health and wellness. Others seek it out as a way to get over a hangover. If you decide to do it, here is a good piece of advice: only do it with a doctor.

The fact that INT makes use of an IV drip makes it an invasive procedure. It may be minimally invasive, but it is invasive, nonetheless. Licensed doctors and their clinical staff are the most qualified to perform such procedures. They are the ones to trust.

The History of INT

Although INT is billed as a new and revolutionary treatment for overall good health, it’s not new at all. The therapy was developed by Baltimore physician John Myers, M.D. in the 1960s. He was the first to come up with the vitamin and mineral cocktail now affectionately known as ‘Myer’s cocktail’.

INT is a therapy offered by the pain management doctors at pain clinic Lone Star Pain Medicine. They say that no one knows for sure exactly what was in Myer’s original formula as he didn’t keep meticulous records. Like other clinics, Lone Star uses a modified version of what is believed to be the original vitamin therapy cocktail.

As for Myers himself, he champion INT as an alternative treatment for a whole host of medical conditions. Other doctors followed his lead, promising that the intravenous cocktail could successfully treat everything from cancer to cardiovascular disease.

The FTC Stepped In

Unfortunately, INT’s emergence as a chic treatment for A-list celebrities caused a surge in retail sales as well. That led to retail clinics making all sorts of unsubstantiated claims regarding the procedure. The FTC finally stepped in, warning INT providers to stop making medical claims unless they had clinical evidence to support such claims.

For the record, this is yet another reason to see a doctor if you want access to INT. At Lone Star, the treatment is not associated with any unsubstantiated claims. Lone Star doctors do not promise INT will cure what ails you.

Rather, the treatment is promoted as a way to encourage better overall health by giving the body a cocktail of nutrients science has already proven it needs.

Vitamin Supplements Given Intravenously

While there is no scientific evidence suggesting INT can cure cancer or cardiovascular disease, there is plenty of scientific knowledge explaining what various vitamins and minerals do for the body. For example, we do know the body consumes more vitamin C when it’s fighting off a cold. So taking vitamin C supplements when you’re sick is probably a smart idea.

All of this is to say that INT should not be dismissed as quackery based solely on a lack of clinical studies and a handful of bad actors guilty of making unsubstantiated claims.

The other side of the ‘INT is quackery’ coin is the general assumption that anything in healthcare that fails to line up with Western medicine’s obsession with prescription medications and invasive procedures cannot possibly work. It is simply not true.

Chiropractic was once thought of as quackery by the majority of American doctors. Decades of research ultimately proved them wrong. We may eventually see the same thing with INT.

While we wait for that research, do yourself a favor and talk to your doctor before you undergo INT. Should you decide the therapy is right for you, only have it administered by a licensed doctor or nurse. That is always your best bet for medical treatments anyway.

Infographic Created By Boston Analytical, Expert Analytical Testing for the Pharmaceutical Industry