Decoding IV drips for wellness, and why they are becoming more popular in Mumbai

Three years ago on the morning of their wedding on January 11 entrepreneur couple Alyssa Chesson and Abedin Sham made an unusual visit to a Girgaumbased health and wellness hospitalThe mehendi ceremony the previous day had exhausted them and they needed a quickfix of energy for the eveningrsquos function a fresh glow for their big day They sat down together to be hooked up to a concoction of essential Vitamin C and Bcomplexes via an intravenous IV drip bypassing the ageold oral path of popping supplements ldquoWe had never heard of the hospital beforerdquo says 34yearold Chesson ldquobut we had seen how people mostly in Los Angeles were getting IV drips for energy boosts and wanted to tryrdquoDigital creator Alanna Panday with husband Ivor McGray mother Deanne Panday and brother Ahaan at the REVIV centre in WorliIt didnrsquot take an extensive research processmdasha few Google hits led them to KG Mittal Medical College and Hospital Questions were then put forth to the doctor ldquoMy major concernrdquo Chesson the travel food and fitness influencer tells us was ldquowhether the needle would hurt The second concern was if the process would leave a markrdquo If you need to know too there is no pain and no mark But all the energy she neededKendall Jenner and Hailey Beiber made it look like fun on The Kardashians to go through a day with a transparent drip running up their arm Model Yolanda Hadid Gigi and Bella Hadidrsquos mother got her IVs while battling Lyme disease on camera for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Adele Rihanna Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow all do it and now so do their fans in Mumbai Vitamins and nutrients are entering the veins of Mumbairsquos most tony lot in just under 30 minutesWorlibased restaurant Slink amp Bardot held a hangover brunch party in October last year along with REVIV for people to laze around with friends over a Sunday brunch and get rid of a hangover on the sideldquoIn the last three years I have taken IV therapy three to four timesrdquo says Chesson ldquoI took one last year just after I had COVID19 and was struggling with fatigue even after a month My dermatologist recommended I get an infusion to boost energy levels The recent ones were in July last yearrdquo The Peddar Roadresident believes the quickfix helps her in muscle recovery Chesson invests in her health daily is physically active on a healthy diet and takes oral supplements ldquoThe IV lifestyle is not a constant for merdquo she saysItrsquos not all health and glow thoughmdashPunebased automobile journalist Rohit Paradkar was prodded by his wife to try the nutriglow IV drip for his skin He admits to not seeing any glowing results but says it might be because he underwent just one sitting ldquoI was apprehensiverdquo says the 40yearold ldquoabout injecting my body with anything for beauty purposes but my wife somehow convinced me by sending a few links about the safety of the process I also trusted the doctors at the centrerdquo The couple took the IV route to a glowing skin this March but Paradkar is unsure if hersquod do it again ldquoHonestly I did not see a difference in my skin but my wifersquos skin has had a positive impactrdquo he says ldquoshe had been complaining of acne for two weeks and that has reduced post IV without a change in diet or routinerdquoAutomobile journalist Rohit Paradkar gave in to his wifersquos wishes to try the ldquonutriglowrdquo drip for glowing skin at a Punebased clinic He did not see any results in a single sitting on his skinMaking clinical therapies accessible in a spalike setting REVIV opened its first flagship centre in Worli in March 2021 The pandemic was a catalyst in changing the way people looked at beauty and health it made the notion of IV fluid therapies seem closer to preventive and holistic ways of looking after onersquos health Business boomed as social media gave it a shot in the arm and a second clinic opened up in Juhu in April last year followed by a third one in Powai in October Their IV therapies are priced between Rs 9900 to Rs 34900mdashwellness comes at a priceldquoOur IVsrdquo says Anjali Tripathi its cofounder and director ldquoare a combination of vitamins minerals fluids electrolytes and antioxidants that are naturally present in our bodies but deplete over time due to physiological and environmental factors Our IV infusions simply bring the vitamins back into balance allowing our bodies to function more efficientlyrdquo Their IVs fall into two categories wellness category for maintenance and recovery and another for recuperation ldquoMost of our patients opt for wellness IVs on a weekly basisrdquo she saysEntrepreneur and influencer Alyssa Chesson has taken vitamin IV therapies from Elixir Wellness for muscle recovery after exercise The effect she says lasts a few days and is an instant fix PicSameer MarkandeThen there is the ultraviv IV therapy ldquoIt rehydrates the body and gives you a muchneeded energy boost making it ideal for hangovers pain relief and nauseardquo claims Tripathi adding that the drip helps the body break down and get rid of toxins that alcohol leaves behind ldquoAntioxidants such as glutathione help detoxify your vitals while Vitamin B12 another crucial component of this drip is a wellknown antialcohol aidrdquo On an average six to 10 people in the city opt for it every dayThe trend has also well dripped into homes hotels weddings popup events gyms and even popular restaurants Slink amp Bardot held a hangover brunch in October last yearmdashwith a side of drip ldquoThe concept was new and fun and we were in the midst of launching our Sunday brunchesrdquo says Vicky Singh partner at the Worlibased restaurant ldquoSundays are usually lazy days when people go to the spa have leisurely lunches and we were figuring out how we can bring it all together Curing hangovers over brunch just made senserdquo Patrons with reservations were offered complimentary pricks ldquoThey were intrigued and interestedrdquo says Singh ldquoTen out of a total of 75 who attended the brunch tried the therapyrdquoTanya Khubchandani Vatsa Dr Debeshi Bhattacharjee Vicky Singh Anjali Tripathi and Dr Stuti Khare ShuklaREVIV held a popup IV bar at Chunky Pandayrsquos niece lifestyle influencer Alanna Pandayrsquos mehendi ceremony on March 14 at her home On the menu wereHoneymoon Hydration for hydration athletic recovery and sunburn Cocktail Cure cold and flu hangover relief and inflammation Love Infusion jet lag energy levels and wellness and Happily Ever After Vitamin C immunity boost and detoxification The bride and groom their families and friends all took the IVay highway out of hangovers to the functions that followedElixir Wellness owner Tanya Khubchandani Vatsa has also hosted several popups at gyms offering energy and metabolism boosters before and after exercise sessions Chesson was part of one such event at Physique 57ldquoOur Metabolism Boost consists of amino acids and Bcomplexes which increase the bodyrsquos ability to burn fatrdquo she says ldquoBut itrsquos not like you start shedding kilos as soon as you unhook It gives you more energy to work out and be active which in turn helps you burn caloriesrdquoVatsa flies on the fluid regularly mainly for incessant migraines that she claims have now come down to two or three a month from the original 20 She also claims to have lost 13 kg by working out after the metabolism IVElixir Wellness started by Vatsa in 2022 has three centres in the citymdashat Bandra Juhu and Worli Chembur and Peddar Road are to get one each soon Their IV therapies are priced between Rs 1500 to Rs 15000 ldquoThe market for IVs has expanded hugelyrdquo says Vatsa ldquoWe started with 50 clients a month and now we have about 400500 clients a month across the three centresrdquoTheir most indemand drip is the Ultimate Skin which draws in 50 per cent of their total patron load a month ldquoIt requires six to eight sittingsrdquo says Vatsa ldquoand is a double shot of glutathione Vitamin C and collagen We recommend a package of six to eight sittings which are required to push the levels of glutathione in our bodies to sustainable levels It is an antioxidant made by our body that decreases with agerdquoThe trend may be shooting up but safety concerns are the bag they are hooked to In 2018 Kendall Jenner was reportedly hospitalised after a reaction to one such therapy ldquoIV glutathione is not recommended by the FDA yetrdquo warns Andheri Westbased Dr Stuti Khare Shukla a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon ldquoAnd it should not be used at all because we donrsquot have enough studies and trials around it Oral glutathione on the other hand has been doing very wellrdquo IV glutathione was earlier used primarily for kidney patients she informs Doctors reported skin lightening sideeffects and soon the skin industry enlisted it ldquoBut it is still a grey areardquo she warns ldquoespecially in the absence of studies about effects efficacy as well as sideeffectsrdquoHowever she says vitamins and supplements through IV are safe as long as it is done under supervision of a physician and in a clinical setting When asked about possible sideeffects Dr Shukla says that anaphylactic reactionmdasha severe allergic reactionmdashcould be a possible worryldquoAnother side effect could be overdoserdquo she adds ldquowhich can happen if a therapy is taken too frequently So talk to your physician on how often it needs to be repeated Some people also experience darkcoloured urine because of the multivitamins and the amino acidsrdquoDr Debeshi Bhattacharjee clinical cosmetologist Medical Head and Founder of Assambased Lueur Aesthetics adds ldquoA risk with vitamin IV therapy is that it bypasses all of your bodyrsquos gatekeeping functions As a result you could overload your bloodstream with vitamins injected all at once instead of allowing the stomach to digest them slowlyrdquo The result is vitamin toxicity depending on how many vitamins and minerals are already in your bloodstreamConsequently many medical professionals are concerned about the risks that come in conjunction with existing health issues ldquoWithout learning about the patientrsquos lab values medical conditions and current medications and supplements therapists may exceed the recommended daily intake of vitamins and nutrients The kidneys will work overtime to eliminate the unnecessary ones and be overwhelmedrdquo Bhattacharjee sees overhydration as another risk caused by frequent treatment Nausea headaches and confusion can be the symptomsHowever the wellness clinics assure that all safety guidelines are followed ldquoBefore each sitting clients undergo a rigorous consultation with our panel of doctorsmdashmedical history anxiety levels sleep patterns allergies etc are all taken into considerationrdquo says Vatsa ldquoA tailormade prescription is written down for each client based on their requirement and a concoction is then prepared by trained technicians All clients are under supervision during the process Although blood tests are not required for Vitamins C and B12 those requiring iron and Vitamin D shots undergo onerdquoClients are told not to be on an empty stomach and blood pressure and sugar levels are checked prior to any session says Vatsa ldquoWe do not make any medical diagnoses and our therapies are not intended to treat any medical conditionrdquo clarifies Tripathi ldquothey are designed to restore the bodyrsquos balance and help maintain wellness Not to mention all our vitamins and minerals are water soluble thereby eliminating the need for a blood testrdquo However she does advise precautionary blood tests in the case of underlying medical conditionsldquoWe do need a prescribing physician and registered and certified nurses to run the clinicsrdquo she adds ldquoAll of our medical staff are licensed and trained with years of experience All our personnel go through extensive training and strictly follow global protocols and guidelinesrdquoRs 1535kApproximate cost of IV therapies