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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. A clinician can tell you which group you fall into.

A stethoscope on a clinical desk

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
Myers cocktail (Mg, Ca, B-complex, vitamin C, saline) £120 to £280
Immunity or hydration blend £140 to £280
Hangover recovery drip £150 to £250
Biotin or collagen beauty drip £180 to £320
High-dose vitamin C (25 to 50g) £180 to £350
Glutathione infusion (600 to 1200mg) £280 to £550
Monthly IV package (four drips) £950 to £1,600

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.

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Post-bariatric or malabsorption

    After bariatric surgery, in IBD or short-bowel syndrome, parenteral micronutrients have a real role - prescribed and monitored.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Immune boosting

    A single healthy immune system cannot be "boosted" by a drip. Vitamin C and zinc have modest effects only in documented deficiency.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • NAD+ infusion

    A separate, longer infusion marketed for energy and longevity. Different price bracket and different risk profile - see the dedicated NAD+ page.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  1. 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.

  2. 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).

  3. 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.

  4. 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

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Elective IV vitamin therapy is generally not covered. Medically indicated parenteral treatment (IV iron, IM B12, IV fluids) usually is.

Frequently asked

Common questions about IV drips.

Quick answers on evidence, cost, risk and where to have it done.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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 the 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.

  • 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, baseline bloods first are the sensible standard - 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

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