Do you want to add another invigorating modality to your treatment plan? If so, IV therapy from our Toronto clinic may interest you! When combined with other therapies, a wholesome diet, and exercise, intravenous therapy can support optimal functioning with vital nutrients. 

At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, custom health strategies can tackle chief health concerns, especially those related to mineral deficiencies, depression symptoms, immune function, iron levels, thyroid conditions, and low energy levels. 

Getting health care as a personalized service offers treatments based on your biological needs. Due to our adherence to functional medicine principles, our clinic aligns with this view for customizing our IV drip treatments. We administer vitamin IV therapy (IV vitamin infusions) for our patients, and doses of nutrients are freshly tailored on a daily basis for their health goals. You may want to check our previous blog post on understanding key vitamins and nutrients that may be included in your IV therapy.

So why should you consider IV therapy drips? And what should you expect from our Toronto IV Lounge? We explore the positive effects that may result, how it’s administered, and details about our practice.  

Beneficial effects of customized intravenous vitamin therapy

When combined with lifestyle modifications and administered regularly, therapeutic doses of vitamins could impact various parts of health. Here are some potential health gains from IV nutrient therapy: 

• IV fluids can alleviate an electrolyte imbalance, which may be triggered from dehydration. 
• It provides the body with optimal hydration after physical exertion or fluid loss due to an illness.
• Can offer improvements to cellular health, and may act as an immediate cellular energy source; could protect against cellular damage, too. 
• Could contribute to improving muscle recovery from heavy athletic performances.
• May provide essential vitamins to increase red blood cell production. (Red blood cells are needed to carry oxygen throughout the human body.) 
• Can help alleviate a hangover symptom (i.e. brain fog).
• May provide mineral replenishment or address other nutritional deficiencies (i.e. vitamin A, vitamin C, levels of vitamin B, NAD+, glutathione), especially when used as a post-surgical drip, immune drip, or anti-aging IV drip. 

One key benefit of IV therapy is how it immediately delivers nutrition. Vitamin drips are connected to a patient’s vein through an IV tube. Then, the nutritional solution enters the bloodstream, instantly providing the body with nutrients. As this treatment bypasses your gastric system (digestive tract), filtration isn’t required – so you’re assured an instant, complete absorption of nutrients. IV treatments are even suitable for those with malabsorption issues, as oral supplementation can trigger their unwanted side effects (i.e. nausea, vomiting). 

Do you want to know how we administer intravenous therapy? Continue below for a sneak peek. 

What to expect during an IV Lounge visit

Inside our clinic, we operate our exclusive IV Lounge. You must become a new patient to get IV therapy drips from us. This requires attending an initial consultation with our health care team. During this time, a complete diagnostic session will take place to disclose your medical history, genetics, current allergies, and lifestyle. We also discuss your chief health concerns and suggest pertinent functional medicine lab tests. The risks behind IV therapy will also be disclosed. 

Once we’ve rallied the key components of your health issues, we customize your treatment plan. This strategy is slated for your biology, and may include intravenous infusion as adjunct support. (Take note: the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre applies an integrative approach to health. IV therapy is an elective treatment and may be combined with other functional treatments, such as allopathic/Western medicine, naturopathic medicine, herbal remedies, booster shots, oral supplementation, acupuncture, lifestyle modifications, bio-identical hormones, and/or other modalities.) 

On the day of your first IV drip session, here some things you might come across: 

• Our health care team will freshly compound your intravenous drip with no added preservatives. This will happen on the day of your appointment, and we only use natural ingredients. Your compounded IV solution is specially tailored for your needs (i.e. mental clarity, lack of energy, liver detoxification, etc.)
• You will be greeted by a team member and directed to our IV Lounge, where you’ll be seated comfortably. Prior to administering IV therapy, a team member will check your vitals, such as your blood pressure levels and heart rate. 
• Your session will be closely monitored by either a medical doctor, naturopathic doctor or nurse practitioner to ensure safe administration. Occasionally, a health care provider will check your IV tubes and vitals throughout the treatment. 
• If you’re uncomfortable during your IV drip therapy, please speak up! We may adjust the IV flow if you experience pain at the treatment site.  
• When your intravenous drip session is done, a team member will remove the IV from your vein. Gentle pressure will then be applied onto the treatment site to reduce mild bruising or bleeding. You may also be given additional after-care tips. 

By taking these measures, we safely nourish your body through vitamins, while replenishing your levels of hydration. Request your initial consultation with us – our health providers are ready to guide you toward optimal function!

About the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre

Each patient is unlike one another – what works for one patient may not necessarily be ideal for another. We recognize this! From skin vitality to chronic inflammation, we can adapt treatments for different health conditions and lifestyles. 

If you have any health concerns, just let us know. IV drip vitamin therapy may be catered to concerns related to: immune health, cellular functioning, fatty liver, chronic pain, cognitive function, glucose metabolism, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, blood pressure regulation, functioning of nerves, and more. 

Have you seen our IV Lounge infusion menu yet? If not, we invite you to take a peek! To accommodate different needs, we can compound a mixture of vitamins (i.e. vitamin E, vitamin A), major minerals, a powerful combination of amino acids such as glutamic acid (L-glutamic acid), and N- Acetylcysteine. We can also tailor drips with antioxidant properties, including glutathione, alpha lipoic acid and ascorbic acid (vitamin C). 

Request your session by filling in our contact form.  Let’s be your guiding light for IV therapy in Toronto! Together, let’s explore which key nutrients may be suitable for your optimal health and functioning. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

 

References 

Foster MN, Carr AC, Antony A, Peng S, Fitzpatrick MG. Intravenous Vitamin C Administration Improved Blood Cell Counts and Health-Related Quality of Life of Patient with History of Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Antioxidants (Basel). 2018 Jul 16;7(7):92. doi: 10.3390/antiox7070092. PMID: 30012948; PMCID: PMC6070822.

Gibson JS, Leff RD, Roberts RJ. Effects of intravenous delivery systems on infused red blood cells. Am J Hosp Pharm. 1984 Mar;41(3):468-72. PMID: 6702849.

Hoorn EJ. Intravenous fluids: balancing solutions. J Nephrol. 2017 Aug;30(4):485-492. doi: 10.1007/s40620-016-0363-9. Epub 2016 Nov 29. Erratum in: J Nephrol. 2020 Apr;33(2):387. PMID: 27900717; PMCID: PMC5506238.

“IV Fluids” from the Cleveland Clinic, reviewed on August 3, 2021, viewed on May 27, 2023. 

“What to know about IV therapy,” from Medical News Today, medically reviewed by Darragh O’Carroll, MD, by Sarah Charmley on September 13, 2022, viewed on May 27, 2023.