Intravenous Therapy FAQ

IV Treatment & Vitamin IVs in Edmonton

IV Treatments can often be administered after your first visit.

*Intravenous Treatment Consultations are 15 minutes in length.

 Intravenous Treatment in Edmonton

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Edmonton's Top Intravenous Treatments

Our Naturopaths use Intravenous Treatments for these health concerns:

Fatigue & Low Energy 
Low Mood
Stress &Anxiety
Insomnia
Cosmetic enhancement 
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Immunity & Infection
MS, ALS & Parkinson's
Lyme Disease
Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue
Cancer Support 
Dehydration
Athletic Performance
Migraines & Headaches
Cognitive Enhancement
and many more!  

Intravenous Vitamin Therapy FAQ

Why even use Intravenous Therapy?

Intravenous Treatment allows our Naturopaths to bypass the digestive tract and facilitates 100% absorption of nutrients.

IV drips can create serum nutrient concentrations that are not possible when the same nutrients are taken orally.

For instance, the highest Vitamin C blood level after consumption of bowel tolerance doses of Vitamin C (the highest dose of Vitamin C one is able to take by mouth before having diarrhea from Vitamin C) is 9.3 mg/dl

Whereas Intravenous Therapy with a moderately high dose of Vitamin C (50 g) resulted in a level of 80 mg/dl or about 9 times higher.

Our Naturopaths can give up to 125grams of Vitamin C intravenously at our Edmonton office.

Typically the maximum allowable oral dose of Vitamin C in our experience is about 5 grams in a single serving.  

Similar to Vitamin C, oral consumption of magnesium results in only a small increase in blood Magnesium levels, whereas Intravenous Therapy with Magnesium can double or triple the serum levels which can be particularly helpful for increasing the cellular levels of nutrients. 

One favorite use of Intravenous Therapy at our office is to increase brain levels of particular nutrients for mood and cognitive enhancement.

It seems that certain patients presumably have a higher-than-normal requirement for particular nutrients like Vitamin B12, possibly as a result of impaired transport of these across the blood-brain barrier or accelerated breakdown of these nutrients in brain tissue.

Because of the large serum spikes attainable through IV Therapy administration we are able to drive more nutrients across the blood brain barrier.

What we've observed at our Edmonton office is that oral, sublingual, or intranasal administration of the same vitamins rarely appreciably and obviously improves fatigue, mood or cognition.

Likely because these other routes of administration cannot achieve the high serum concentrations that are attainable with Intravenous administration

How does Intravenous Therapy work?

Because of the aforementioned high serum levels attainable through IV Therapy, it can allow for more effective cellular repletion of nutrient levels.

The large rise in the serum concentration of nutrients from Intravenous Therapy provides a window of opportunity for deficient cells to take up needed nutrients.

As the cells are “flooded” repeatedly from Intravenous infusions those levels can build. 

It appears that some patients feel better and function better when they have higher levels (cellular and blood levels) of nutrients. 

Some explanations of the mechanisms behind Intravenous Therapy suggest that certain nutrients have been shown to exert pharmacological effects, that is, effects that are different  that their standard biochemical effects.

For example, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) is an important nutrient for energy production in the body as it is involved in creating levels of FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide).

Whereas, large doses of Riboflavin (400mg) can be used in mitigating Migraines in contrast to the RDA for Riboflavin which is around 1.3 mg daily for adults.

Therefore, it can be said that Riboflavin the in context of Migraines is effective in part due to a pharmacologic effect. That is, Migraines are not due to Riboflavin deficiency, rather, high doses can offset problems in energy production that is involved in the pathogenesis of Migraines.

Our Naturopaths add additional Riboflavin to our Vitamin Cocktails at our Edmonton office.

Interestingly, Riboflavin is included in minimal amounts in the original Myers IV Treatment and we began adding additional Riboflavin to our treatments in 2017. 

Vitamin C, also exhibits pharmacologic effects such as a direct anti-viral effect when high levels are achieved such as through IV Therapy. 

How much does a Vitamin IV Treatment cost?

Vitamin Intravenous Treatments unfortunately are not cheap.

Average prices in Edmonton costs range between $130 and $200 on average per Intravenous Treatment.

The Myers cocktail, which is a standard Vitamin IV Treatment is around $175.

NAD+ Intravenous Therapy ranges from $185 to $195 and Intravenous Glutathione treatment start around $145 to $165 and are often paired with Vitamin C for cosmetic purposes.

Other IV Treatments such as IV Curcumin, IV Phospholipids and IV Alpha Lipoic Acid are usually around $175 each.

How often do I have to come for Intravenous Therapy? 

The frequency of IV Therapy depends on the condition being treated as well as the IV being given.

For instance, using the Myers Cocktail for energy, our Naturopaths usually administer one IV Therapy treatment per week (administration time is usually less than 20 minutes) weekly for 3-4 consecutive weeks to achieve sustained cellular and blood levels.

Further Intravenous Treatments are done every 4-8 weeks as a "booster" to maintain the effect.

Some patients are able to complete a series of IV Treatments and can go without further IV Treatments for long periods of time.

They then can "drop in" periodically for a booster treatment as needed a few times per year. 

For cancer, using IV Vitamin C for instance, patients usually do IV Treatments twice weekly for 15-20 treatments in order to assess a response.

Is Intravenous Therapy Safe? 

Yes, despite being somewhat invasive, IV Vitamin Therapy is a safe and has a low risk of adverse side effects when appropriate doses and administration rates are used.

Before undergoing any Intravenous Treatment, we always review your health history and assess labs to make sure there are no contraindications to treatment. 

Doses used are adjusted to the individual needs of a given patient, and every IV Therapy treatment in under medical supervision.

We've administered over 10000 Intravenous Therapy treatments at our Edmonton office with an almost non existent incidence of adverse effects.

Occasionally patients feel discomfort at the IV site during concentrated IV Vitamin Treatments. If needed we may dilute the IV Vitamins or may apply heat to the site.

Rarely, do patients feel more tired or "out of sorts" the next day after an Intravenous Treatment.

IV Vitamin C tends to be dehydrating so we encourage patients to drink additional water on the day of treatment. 

Who administers the Intravenous Therapy?

Your Intravenous Therapy will be administered by one of our IV licensed Naturopathic Doctors.

Our ND have done both basic and advanced IV Therapy training in addition to their standard training as Naturopathic doctors. 

How do I prepare for my Intravenous Treatment?

Staying hydrated the day before and day of your IV Treatment is helpful to increase the appearance of your veins.

Also feel free to use one of our heating pads to warm your arms right before your treatment.

Eating a snack or a small meal before your treatment is also great to reduce chances of nausea or lightheadedness. 

Our Naturopaths do a lot of IV Therapy at our Edmonton office and generally do not have issues with IV administration, even in those with "tricky" veins. 

Is IV Therapy safe for children?

Although we don't do IV Therapy in young children frequently, it is possible to do and safe to use in children.

Naturally doses are adjusted downwards based off of bodyweight.

Can you do Intravenous Therapy if you are pregnant?

We do a limited amount of IV Therapy in pregnancy.

In general, low doses of IV Vitamin C and IV Vitamin treatments like the Myers Cocktail, in lower doses with added folic acid are safe to administer in pregnancy.

In general, trace elements other than Magnesium are not given intravenously in pregnancy. Mostly IV Therapy in pregnancy is given for fatigue.

How long do Intravenous Treatments take?

The length of time for an IV Treatment differs depending on the therapy chosen.

Our fastest Vitamin IV is the Myers which is deliberately given in 10-15 minutes to achieve a large serum spike in nutrients. 

IV Vitamin C, IV NAD+ and Hydration IVs can take between 60-180 minutes depending on the doses used. 

Can you create specific an IV Treatment based off my individual needs?

Our Naturopaths do offer advanced Nutrient testing at our Edmonton clinic to determine if you need any additional nutrients in particular. 

How quickly does someone feel better after an Intravenous Treatment?

IV Therapy can give rapid results.

For energy, with a treatment such as a Vitamin IV, we usually see positive effects within 24 hours.

Improved sleep and reduced anxiety can happen the same day as a Vitamin IV Treatment.

IV NAD+ can frequently improve energy and cognition the same day as the treatment, often beginning right after the treatment ends. 

What ingredients are used in IV Therapy?

The Myers IV Treatments involve B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12), Magnesium, and Vitamin C.

However, our Naturopaths often customize and add additional nutrients (Selenium, Zinc, Calcium, Folate) depending on the condition being treated. 

Other common Intravenous Therapy ingredients include: NAD+, NADH, PolyMVA, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Curcumin and Glutathione. 

Individual amino acids such as Carnitine, Taurine, Tryptophan, Lysine and Proline can also be used in an IV.

IV Vitamin C in Edmonton

We work with IV Vitamin C Therapy

Vitamin C IV

Basic Vitamin C Information:

Beyond it's roles as an anti-oxidant and in immunity and collagen production, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid or ascorbate) is required for synthesis of some neurotransmitters and activation of some hormones. 

Humans have a mutated gene ascorbate biosynthesis and are unable to produce it as many animal species can.

Humans can only store a maximum of 2 grams of Vitamin C. 

IV Vitamin C, it can increase serum levels more than 100-fold: up to 30 mM/L (and in some cases up to 50mM/Lwhereas oral dosing achieves a maximum serum concentration of about 0.25 mM/L (due to the saturation of gastrointestinal tract sodium-dependent transporters).

Vitamin C Cancer Data

High dose Vitamin C Intravenous Therapy for cancer is thought to stimulate production of oxidative species which are associated with IV Vitamin C's antitumor effects.

High dose generally refers to doses between 20 and 125g of Vitamin C per treatment. 

Moderate dose IV Vitamin C (5-20grams) in humans have shown improvements in quality of life and cancer-related symptoms.

For instance, 53 patients treated with 7.5 g IV C weekly for 4 weeks, plus standard therapy (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and hormonal treatment) versus 72 control subjects.

It was found that appetite, fatigue, depression, and sleep disorders during and after adjuvant therapy were significantly improved in the group receiving IV Vitamin C plus standard treatment. 

Mechanism of High Dose Intravenous Vitamin C: Intravenous administration achieves a high concentration of Vitamin C in the plasma and identical concentrations are achieved both in the plasma and in extracellular fluid surrounding cells.

It is in the extracellular fluid where Vitamin C is oxidized (loses an electron becomes an ascorbate radical.)

The electron from the vitamin C (via a metal catalyst like copper or iron) is transferred to an O2 molecule to make superoxide and then through superoxide dismutation (two hydrogens combine with superoxide) and hydrogen peroxide is produced (along with molecular oxygen) which is typically metabolized to water and oxygen according (via catalase enzyme) in normal cells.

Tumor cells lack catalase, leaving them vulnerable to hydrogen peroxide. 

Numerous case reports have been published showing benefit of IV Vitamin C Treatment in breast, bladder, ovarian, colon, kidney and liver cancer and lymphoma. Promising preliminary data exists for IVC in Pancreatic Cancer and GBM. 

Vitamin C Infectious Data

Vitamin C is needed for neutrophil function and can stimulate the production of interferon and other anti-viral cytokines, as well as direct antiviral properties such as hindering viral infection, replication and protein assembly. 

Anti-viral activity of Vitamin C has been repeatedly demonstrated:  Pharmacologic concentrations of Vitamin C have inactivated suspensions of herpes simplex viruses, cytomegalovirus, and parainfluenza virus as well as reduced the ability of herpes simplex virus, influenza virus and picornaviridea virus to infect cells.

Intravenous Vitamin C has shown some promising data in the fight against COVID-19.

With reduced mortality among hospital treated patients when Vitamin C IV Treatment was added to their care. 

Our Naturopaths have used 5-20grams of Vitamin C to treat viral infections of various origins in our Edmonton office with everything from colds, and flus to Epstein Barr and Shingles. 

Interested in Vitamin IVs? 

Get in touch
(780) 757-8378

IV Therapy - Myers Cocktail

The versatile, original IV Therapy Treatment

Myers Cocktail IVs in Edmonton

Myers IV Facts

What is the Myers Cocktail IV? - The Myers is a simple, highly concentrated, rapidly administered IV Treatment consisting of mostly B Vitamins, Magnesium and Vitamin C.

What can the Myers IV Treatment be used for? - Original uses for the Myers include: Fatigue, Migraine, Asthma, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Upper Respiratory Tract Infections, Seasonal Allergy, Narcotic Withdrawal, Chronic Hives, Athletic Performance, Hyperthyroidism and COPD. 

How much does a Myers IV Treatment cost? - At TruMed our Naturopaths use a stronger, drip format Myers which is usually about $150 per treatment. 

How many Myers IV Treatments do I need to feel better? - Frequently, patients that respond to the Myers will respond within 24 hours of their first injection. Occasionally, it can take 3-4 consecutive weekly treatments for a full response.

The Myers TruMed offers: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 & Magnesium

B1: Thiamine is involved in the first step of energy production just prior to the Krebs Cycle (Thiamine Pyrophosphate, CoA and NAD+ act on the Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Enzyme makes acetyl-CoA from pyruvate) which is why it's a crucial IV Ingredient for improving energy and demonstrates, in part, why IV NAD+ is helpful for energy.

Rightly so, Thiamine has been studied in post infectious fatigue and exercise induced fatigue. 

B2: Riboflavin is found in the body in two biologically active coenzyme forms, flavin mononucleotide (also called riboflavin 5’-phosphate) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD)precursor to FAD in the Krebs cycle and is what gives a B-Complex it's characteristic yellow color.

In the Krebs Cycle FADH is generated which in turn is an electron donor in the electron transport chain to generate ATP. 

So, for these reasons Riboflavin is an important part of our IV Treatments for energy. We've jacked up the Riboflavin content of our Myers IV for this reason!

B3: B3 occurs in 2 forms: niacin (nicotinic acid) and niacinamide (nicotinamide) - and the latter is used in IV Therapy primarily and both forms are precursors to NAD+. 

Niacinamide can inhibiting the enzyme, tryptophan pyrrolase and can increase the amount of tryptophan available to be converted to serotonin and therefore improve mood. 

B5: Pantothenic acid - is a component of coenzyme A (CoA) which, as explained above is needed to make Acetyl-CoA from Pyruvate which then enters the Krebs cycle, so it's an important part of the energy production process.

Also, Pantothenic acid is needed for Adrenal hormone synthesis and is therefore helpful for energy production in that regard as well. 

Our Naturopaths use Pantothenic acid in the Dexpanthenol form Intravenously. 

B6: Pyridoxine exists in nature in 3 major chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine. The phosphate ester of pyridoxal (pyridoxal 5’-phosphate or P5P) functions as a coenzyme and is the major biologically active form of vitamin B6.

It's the only B Vitamin that's not directly involved in the Krebs cycle but its role around the body is impressive as it's a cofactor for more than 50 different enzymes.

Our Naturopaths have used the Pyridoxine form in our IV Treatments for over 10 years, whereas P5P is the form we use exclusively orally and we added P5P in our IV Treatments in 2021.

B12: Methylcobalamin and Adenosylcobalamin are the biologically active forms of B12.

Hydroxocobalamin is also found in the human body that can be converted to the active coenzyme forms.

Cyanocobalamin is a synthetic compound used in many low quality nutritional supplements.

Our Naturopaths preferentially use Methylcobalamin, as it can increase Serotonin and Dopamine production as it acts on Tyrosine and Tryptophan hydroxylase enzymes via SAMe. 

B12 is used to make Succinyl-CoA - part of the Krebs cycle and when converted to succinate, it's involved in the electron transport chain for even more ATP production.

In 2021, we added Adenosylcobalamin to our Intravenous Treatments in addition to Methylcobalamin. We are hoping to see even more pronounced increases in energy using this form as it is the mitochondrial form of B12. 

Magnesium:  Magnesium is a cofactor for more than 300 different enzymes in the body.

In the context of energy production, ATP must bind to a magnesium ion in order to be biologically active "Mg-ATP."

Magnesium is responsible for the sensation of heat that can sometimes occurs during a Myers IV Treatment. 

Glutathione IV Therapy

The body's master anti-oxidant 

Glutathione IVs in Edmonton

Glutathione Facts

NAD+ IV Therapy

We offer Edmonton NAD+ IV Therapy Drips for Fatigue & Anti-aging


NAD IV Therapy in Edmonton

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is an important Vitamin B3 derived cofactor that drives the Krebs Cycle to produce its reduced form (NADH).

NADH serves as a key energy-transfer intermediate in the electron transport chain.

NAD⁺ is an important cofactor for numerous enzymes classes including: (i) the sirtuins (SIRTs) and the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs). 

SIRTS (SIRT1–7): Sirtuins are protein deacetylases - SIRT6, is linked to aging by regulating telomere stability and inflammation through NF-κB signaling. 

PARPS: Catalyze the transfer of multiple ADP-ribose from NAD⁺ and PARP1 is important in DNA damage detection and repair, as well as in a cell’s decision to repair itself or die after an insult.  

Dietary uptake of NAD+ precursors, such as  nicotinic acid (Niacin), nicotinamide (Niacinamide) and nicotinamide riboside (NR), which in mammals are converted into NAD+ through the salvage pathway and the kynurenine pathway converts Tryptophan to generate NAD+. 

Nicotinamide and Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) become nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) which then converts to NAD+ which suggests that oral intake of NMN is preferable to all other NAD+ precursors. 

NAD+ as NADPH is involved in converting oxidized Glutathione (GSSG) back to reduced Glutathione (via Glutathione reductase). 

Our Naturopaths usually use NAD+ in doses from 250-2000mg when given intravenously but more commonly between 250-500mg for fatigue, and cognition. 

Our Naturopathic Doctors have a ton of experience with NAD+ and have seen some impressive results for fatigue, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, athletic performance and cognitive clarity. 

Rationale for intravenous administration of NAD+ is that it has poor oral bioavailability because upon oral ingestion, NAD+ is broken down (into nicotinamide primarily, NR and NMN)

IV NAD+ Treatments can be combined with IV Vitamins (primarily those used in the Myers IV) for an additive effect as they support  each other in the main biochemical pathways. 

Although NADH is the end product of NAD+, we have seen much more profound results with NAD+ over NADH.

Our Naturopaths consider B3 derived IV Therapy with conditions known to have mitochondrial dysfunction such as neurodegenerative conditions and chronic fatigue.

IV NAD+ is generally well tolerated but can give profound nausea when given too quickly so the IV Treatment is generally run not faster than 250mg per hour.

Intravenous NAD+ can be a long treatment length often ranging from 1-3 hours.

Interestingly, NAD+ Intravenous Treatment can act extremely rapidly with some patients feeling markedly better even before leaving the office.