IV vitamin drip treatment gave a real boost to my life!

I have recently been privileged enough to be invited to have a vitamin infusion at CosmeDocs, Harley Street London – and I couldn’t be happier with the results.…for anyone considering the treatment, here is the low-down.

Now, I’m a small town girl. I spend most of my days in the Peak District surrounded by beautiful green scenery, fresh air and an unhealthy amount of sheep. So when the opportunity arose to visit London I was excited, when I found out it was to have the I.V vitamins I was VERY excited!!

Like most of you reading this blog, I had heard about vitamin drips through the medium of social media (remember when Rhianna posted THAT insta photo of her cannulated arm) and have been fascinated ever since. As I am interested in beauty and trying to hold onto my youth (as long as humanly possible), I already take a daily multivitamin, allegedly targeting skin hair and nails, drink my daily required amount of water and generally eat a good diet, so the vitamin infusion to further enhance this sounded like perfection in a little clear bag.

The science behind the infusion is relatively simple, a number of vitamins and minerals are infused together and administered by a trained medical professional, through a cannula or tiny butterfly needle, directly into your bloodstream. There are a number of possible infusions that can be tailored specifically to your individual need such as, the energy boost, the immunity boost etc. in which different combinations of vitamins, minerals and nutrients are administered. According to the Intravita (one of the leading market trainers) website,

“More than 1 in 3 people take daily supplements and while we know they are beneficial, few people realise that the body’s natural absorption process can render up to 85% of a vitamin pill useless – so only 15% of the active nutrients may actually find their way into the bloodstream.

With Intravenous Nutrition the nutrients enter the bloodstream directly and immediately. Much higher concentrations of nutrients are delivered directly to the body’s cells through intravenous therapy, allowing the body to better absorb and utilise these nutrients”

So, all sounding good so far, sign me up!

I travelled down to London and got in a cheeky night out with my best friend, who I haven’t had the opportunity to see for years as she selfishly moved for work after university. As you can imagine, I didn’t get to bed at the usual 11pm. So, feeling a bit groggy and not exactly looking my best, the next morning, I headed out, on the tube in search of the infamous Harley street.

As I arrived at the beautiful number 10 Harley street, I felt like a celebrity, all I needed were the dark weather-inappropriate (it was raining and heavily overcast) sunglasses and a wide brimmed hat…..actually looking back, I wish I had dressed up for the occasion….. The imposing black glossy door had me all excited for the treats awaiting me within.

I was shown into a lovely bright, airy treatment room, made comfortable in a large white chair. As I was feeling a bit on the cold side after the tube journey (and the rain) I was brought a blanket, and settled in. I was given a consultation, discussed the pros of the treatment as well as the minimal risk of side effects, given a consent form to sign and Dr Burke set to work.

The IV was prepared freshly for my personal use in the clinic, I was both amused and surprised to see that the colour was BRIGHT neon yellow. Inside this little bag of wonder I had the ‘Myers cocktail,’ a long established combination of vitamins and minerals used through medicine and cosmeceutical practices for a substantial period of time, the benefits are well documented and I couldn’t wait to try mine out.

So Here’s the science This freshly prepared little yellow bag of goodness contains all sorts of vitamins and minerals essential for life. Traditionally our bodies met their requirements for these vitamins and minerals through the food we ate, but as our food is now mass produced, the soil based nutrients previously abundant have become depleted (according to research at the university of Texas Austin’s dept. of chemistry and biochemistry) leading to a decline in the nutritional value of say, a carrot eaten in 2015vs a carrot eaten in 1950 meaning that now we have a decreased intake of vitamins, minerals and trace elements through diet alone. So to boost my vitamin and mineral levels the

Myers cocktail I had contained the following:

Magnesium which is not produced by the body, its source comes direct from your dietary intake, Magnesium is essential for a number of functions within the body and is linked with energy, sleep and stress.

Calcium the most abundant essential mineral in the human body. Calcium is essential to bone health, muscle contraction and electrical conduction within the cardiovascular system. When a person become deficient in calcium, the blood reserves are used to support the skeletal system, low levels of calcium can cause rough hair texture, brittle nails, muscle cramps and insomnia (fetch me a glass of milk).

Selenium is fundamental to human health, it is a potent antioxidant, it boosts immunity, improves brain function is anti-aging and is an all-round super mineral.

Zincs role important for normal cell growth, it is vital for the immune system to function optimally, it promotes healthy hair, skin and nails, it is a mood stabiliser and essential for fertility.

Vitamin C required for the growth, development and repair of all body tissues.This essential vitamin maintains a healthy immune system.

The B Vitamins, b1,b2,b3,b5,b6,b7,b9,b12 B Vitamins play several important roles within the body. They help convert food into energy, are involved in cell metabolism, promote cell growth and division, enhance the immune system, maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, and they ease stress.

Glutathione – ‘The mother of all antioxidants is critical for one reason, it recycles antioxidants, it is an essential part in helping your body through the detoxification process. It has been clinically proven to increase energy levels and be beneficial to people suffering from a number of health concerns.

Science lesson over, here is what to expect from the treatment. Once the IV was prepped, the Dr set to work on me, I was reclined, given a towel to rest my arm on and it was time – DUMDUMDUUUUUUM. Unlike a lot of the population, I don’t have a fear or aversion to needles, so I wasn’t scared at all of the often terrifying phrase ‘sharp scratch’ but as I’m a tricky customer, I always require a little more prodding than is ideal, this was handled beautifully by the team, and soon I was cannulated, taped in, hooked up and ready to rumble.

As the yellow elixir of youth and goodness began to enter my bloodstream I could almost immediately taste it, it tasted like taking a tub full of multi vitamins in one go, you know that chalky, irony, orangey taste that they have? Well JUST like that, weird right?

As the magnesium began flowing around my veins I felt a hot flush, it was quite pleasant for me as I was quite chilly, but I have read that this can be quite intense for others, I felt a little light headed (a common side effect as due to a reduction in blood pressure) and I had a few palpitations, when I mentioned this the drops per minute rate was reduced by the amazing nurse on the cosMEdocs team and the side effects dispersed, I lay they feeling warm snuggled under my blanket and unusually relaxed, I could have nodded off there and then.

From the first drop to the last I was in there approximately 25 minutes and afterwards I was given a fizzy drink and a jam donut – NOMNOMNOM – as the Vitamin C within the drip can cause blood sugar levels to drop, not that I need an excuse to dive into a donut! I was advised to stand slowly and to take the rest of the day steady and that was it, I was free to go.

I spent the rest of the day making the most of my best friend and being in London by browsing make up shops, wandering Oxford Street and discussing skin care with the nice ladies at the Chanel counter in John Lewis (I need a new moisturiser). I did notice that I was incredibly thirsty following the treatment, so take a bottle of water with you, also much to my amusement, my urine was NEON yellow! I took the rest of the day easy as advised, and even had a lovely nap on the train home. I slept well that night which is a refreshing change and did not feel wide awake as I was warned could happen.

I had been taking notes in my dips in energy and mood in the days leading up to the IV session, with my levels always dipping at around 10:30am (I get up at 6am) and again at between 3-4pm, I’m usually ready for bed around 9pm although rarely actually go to sleep until 11pm. Post drip I certainly noticed a lovely radiant quality to my skin, the type you get after a really good run, and my energy levels seemed to even out, I noticed I was reaching for the sugary snack much less frequently which is a bonus, and I generally had a feeling of being well and more on the ball than in the week prior. I felt sharper, with the less dips in energy (the 10:30 dip pretty much dropped off) and felt I was more productive and efficient due to the increased energy, I wasn’t tired at 9pm any longer, which my ironing pile was thankful of and my quality of sleep did seem to have improved.

Although I didn’t skip out of the doctor’s office and run a marathon, the subtle effects were beneficial to my lifestyle, I plan to follow up the vitamin drip with at home high end vitamin supplementation as I really did see the benefits to the appearance of my skin -although you can have a series of treatments to establish optimal levels with follow up top ups available to reap maximal benefits. The process had very little downtime, was stress free, minimally invasive and I left with a lovely glow a small bruise and feeling more relaxed and with one very jealous best friend.