IV therapy · London
IV vitamin drips, honestly.
For proven deficiency, malabsorption or clinical dehydration, IV micronutrients help. For general wellness in a healthy adult with a normal diet, there is no good evidence they beat oral supplements. We will tell you which one you are.
Why patients choose us
- 01
A GMC-registered doctor prescribes, a trained nurse cannulates
IV therapy is a medical act, not a spa treatment. We only refer to CQC-registered clinics where a doctor prescribes and a nurse cannulates in a clinical room.
- 02
Bloods before repeated drips
Before you sign up to a monthly package we check ferritin, B12, folate, vitamin D and U&Es. Most healthy adults do not need what these menus sell.
- 03
Independent, and free
We are paid by no clinic, so if the honest answer is oral supplements or a dietary change, that is what you will hear.
Indicative pricing
What a private IV drip costs in London.
Indicative ranges from the regulated London providers (Get A Drip, Reviv, IV Boost, Elixir Clinic). Unregulated pop-up "drip bars" are often cheaper - and rarely safe.
| Drip | Indicative range | Typical duration | Prereq |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myers cocktail (Mg, Ca, B-complex, vitamin C, saline) | £120 to £280 | 45 to 60 min | Same visit |
| Immunity or hydration blend | £140 to £280 | 45 to 60 min | Same visit |
| Hangover recovery drip | £150 to £250 | 30 to 45 min | Same visit |
| Biotin or collagen beauty drip | £180 to £320 | 45 to 60 min | Same visit |
| High-dose vitamin C (25 to 50g) | £180 to £350 | 2 to 3 hours | Bloods first |
| Glutathione infusion (600 to 1200mg) | £280 to £550 | 30 to 60 min | Same visit |
| Monthly IV package (four drips) | £950 to £1,600 | Per session | Bloods first |
Insurers do not usually fund elective IV vitamin therapy. Medically indicated infusions (IV iron, IM B12 for pernicious anaemia, IV rehydration) may be covered on the NHS or through private cover.
The journey
From enquiry to infusion - what happens, in order.
One team from first message to follow-up - including the honest answer about whether the drip is worth it in the first place.
- 01
Before
You tell us what you are hoping the drip will fix
A short, confidential form: symptoms, prior bloods, diet, medications and what you have been told the drip will do.
- 02
Before
We come back with an honest recommendation
Within one working day: whether a drip is medically indicated, whether bloods are needed first, or whether oral treatment is the better call.
- 03
Before
We arrange the appointment
A CQC-registered clinic, doctor consultation, allergy screen and consent. Usually within a few days.
- 04
On the day
Arrival, consultation and cannulation
Blood pressure, a brief medical check, cannula sited by a trained nurse. Any recent bloods reviewed by the prescribing doctor.
- 05
On the day
The infusion itself
30 to 90 minutes for a Myers cocktail; up to 3 hours for high-dose vitamin C or glutathione. You sit in a recliner throughout.
- 06
On the day
Home the same hour
A short observation, cannula out, written aftercare. Most people drive themselves home. No sedation involved.
- 07
After
Review and repeat only if indicated
A follow-up message a week later. Repeat infusions only if there is a documented deficiency or a clear symptomatic benefit.
When it helps
When an IV drip is the right call - and when it is not.
The short version: parenteral micronutrients help where the gut cannot absorb or the deficiency is proven. The rest is expensive placebo.
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Proven B12 deficiency or pernicious anaemia
Parenteral B12 (usually IM hydroxocobalamin) is the standard of care and works. Oral B12 does not correct pernicious anaemia.
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Vitamin D deficiency, low ferritin
A doctor may recommend IM vitamin D or IV iron where oral replacement has failed or is not tolerated - not a wellness drip.
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Post-bariatric or malabsorption
After bariatric surgery, in IBD or short-bowel syndrome, parenteral micronutrients have a real role - prescribed and monitored.
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Clinical dehydration (short-term)
Where oral rehydration is not tolerated - severe vomiting, migraine crisis - a saline drip helps. It is not a substitute for drinking water.
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General wellness in a healthy adult
No good evidence IV vitamins outperform a normal diet. Water-soluble vitamins (B, C) are excreted in the urine within hours.
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Anti-ageing or beauty claims
Glutathione, biotin and collagen drips are marketed heavily. The evidence for skin lightening, hair growth or anti-ageing is weak or absent.
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Immune boosting
A single healthy immune system cannot be "boosted" by a drip. Vitamin C and zinc have modest effects only in documented deficiency.
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Red flag: unregulated pop-up drip bar
Salons, gyms and hotel pop-ups without CQC registration, a prescribing doctor or a resuscitation kit are not safe places for IV therapy.
Drip options
What is actually on the menu.
The infusions you will be offered, and the evidence behind each one. NAD+ has its own longer page.
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Myers cocktail
The classic mix: magnesium, calcium, B-complex, vitamin C in saline. Popularised in the 1970s. No modern RCT has shown a benefit over placebo in healthy adults.
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High-dose vitamin C
25 to 50g of vitamin C IV. Studied in oncology adjuvant settings. Risks include oxalate kidney stones with repeated dosing, and haemolysis in G6PD deficiency - screen first.
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Glutathione
An antioxidant infusion, marketed for skin lightening. No robust evidence for that use, and the FDA has issued safety warnings about unregulated glutathione products.
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NAD+ infusion
A separate, longer infusion marketed for energy and longevity. Different price bracket and different risk profile - see our dedicated NAD+ page.
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Immunity or hangover
A saline base with electrolytes, B vitamins, anti-emetics and paracetamol. The saline and rest do most of the work; the vitamins do not have to.
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Biotin or collagen
Biotin at high doses interferes with thyroid and troponin blood tests. Collagen is broken down in the gut whether swallowed or infused - there is no shortcut.
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IM injections
B12, vitamin D and glutathione are often given as intramuscular injections instead - cheaper, quicker, and the right route for many of the same indications.
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Oral supplementation
For most healthy adults with a mixed diet, a supermarket multivitamin and a Vitamin D winter top-up cover the same ground for pennies. We will say so.
Our vetted London network
Regulated clinics only, we picked them.
CQC-registered clinics with a prescribing doctor and a resuscitation kit on site. No hotel pop-ups. No gym add-ons. No mobile "at your desk" drips.
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CQC-registered clinics with a GMC-registered prescribing doctor on site
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Cannulation by NMC-registered nurses trained in IV therapy
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Full resuscitation kit and anaphylaxis training in the room
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Baseline bloods offered before any repeat infusion or package
Safety and risks
What can actually go wrong.
IV therapy is a medical procedure and carries medical risks. Small in a proper clinic, real in an unregulated pop-up.
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Cannula site infection and phlebitis
The commonest complication. Any redness, swelling or increasing pain at the cannula site over the next 48 hours needs review.
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Extravasation
If the cannula slips out of the vein, fluid leaks into the tissue. Painful and, with vitamin C or calcium, can cause tissue damage.
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Allergic and anaphylactic reactions
B vitamins, thiamine and preservatives can trigger allergy. Reactions during infusion can be severe - never accept IV therapy anywhere without an adrenaline kit.
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Electrolyte disturbance
IV magnesium and potassium can drop blood pressure or affect heart rhythm - a real concern if you take diuretics, ACE inhibitors or have kidney disease.
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Fluid overload
A litre of saline is not neutral if you have heart failure, kidney disease or uncontrolled hypertension. This is why a doctor should prescribe.
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Oxalate kidney stones (high-dose C)
Repeated high-dose vitamin C raises urinary oxalate and can precipitate stones. Screen kidney function and hydrate. Avoid in known stone-formers.
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Iron and haemolysis (G6PD)
IV iron carries a small anaphylaxis risk. High-dose vitamin C can cause haemolysis in G6PD-deficient patients - screen if of relevant ancestry.
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Air or foreign-body embolism
A rare but serious event from poor cannula technique. Vanishingly rare in a proper clinical setting, less rare in an unregulated pop-up.
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Wasted money and false reassurance
The commonest "harm" is spending a lot on something that does not work, and ignoring a real problem (fatigue, low mood, poor sleep) that a GP could address.
Reading your infusion record
Your IV record in four parts. Read the last one first.
Any regulated clinic will send you a written record. If they do not, that is a red flag.
- 01 Consultation
What the doctor prescribed and why
A named GMC-registered doctor, the drip prescribed, the indication (medical or elective) and any bloods reviewed.
- 02 Infusion
What was infused, dose, and duration
Every ingredient, its dose, the total volume of saline, the infusion time and any medication given during (e.g. anti-emetic).
- 03 Observations
Vitals, cannula site, any reactions
Blood pressure and pulse before, during and after. Cannula site check. Any symptoms during the infusion and how they were managed.
- 04 Plan
Next steps and repeat interval
Read this first: whether a repeat is recommended, when, and what bloods to do before it. Or a clear "no repeat needed".
Recognised by major UK insurers
Elective IV vitamin therapy is generally not covered. Medically indicated parenteral treatment (IV iron, IM B12, IV fluids) usually is.
Frequently asked
Everything we get asked about IV drips.
Quick answers on evidence, cost, risk and where to have it done.
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Do IV vitamin drips actually work?
For proven deficiency and for clinical dehydration, yes. IM B12 for pernicious anaemia, IV iron for iron-deficient anaemia when oral iron fails, and saline for severe dehydration all have good evidence. For "general wellness" in a healthy adult on a normal diet, no. Water-soluble vitamins in excess are excreted in the urine within hours. There is no good randomised evidence that a Myers cocktail beats placebo for fatigue, immunity or hangover.
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Is a Myers cocktail safe?
In a CQC-registered clinic, with a GMC-registered doctor prescribing and a trained nurse cannulating, the risks are low - cannula infection, extravasation, allergy, and short-lived low blood pressure from IV magnesium. In an unregulated pop-up at a gym or hotel, the same drip becomes a genuine safety concern because there is no doctor, no allergy screen and no adrenaline kit on hand.
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How much does an IV drip cost in London?
A Myers cocktail is £120 to £280. Immunity and hangover drips £140 to £280. High-dose vitamin C £180 to £350. Glutathione £280 to £550. NAD+ £350 to £650 (see our dedicated NAD+ page). Monthly four-drip packages are £950 to £1,600. Get A Drip, Reviv, IV Boost and Elixir Clinic are the more established regulated London providers.
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Do I need blood tests first?
For a single Myers cocktail as a one-off, most clinics accept a doctor consultation without bloods. For anything repeated, for high-dose vitamin C, or for iron, we insist on baseline bloods first - ferritin, B12, folate, vitamin D, U&Es and (for high-dose C) G6PD screen where relevant. Otherwise you are paying to treat a deficiency you may not have.
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What are the real risks?
Cannula site infection or phlebitis, extravasation of fluid into the tissue, allergic reactions (including rare anaphylaxis to B vitamins or preservatives), magnesium and potassium disturbance, fluid overload in heart or kidney disease, oxalate kidney stones with repeated high-dose vitamin C, haemolysis in G6PD deficiency, and very rarely air or foreign-body embolism from poor cannula technique.
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Are the "anti-ageing" and "immunity boosting" claims true?
No, not in a healthy adult. Glutathione has no good evidence for skin lightening or anti-ageing, and unregulated glutathione has been the subject of FDA safety warnings. A single, healthy immune system cannot be usefully "boosted" by a drip - vitamin C and zinc help only in documented deficiency. Many clinics oversell these claims heavily; be sceptical.
Not sure it is worth it?
Send us your symptoms and any recent bloods. We will tell you honestly if a drip is the right answer.
Free, independent, and paid by no clinic. We are just as happy telling you to save the £280 as to book you in.
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