WELLMAN

(This story was published in The News on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.)

Dehydration is killer.

Every facet of human health can be undermined by simply not drinking enough water or burning every ounce of energy you have, leading to dehydration.

Wellman Family Practice has recently introduced intravenous (IV) therapy, a great way to cure dehydration and restore electrolytes depleted from excess sun exposure or working out.

“[IV therapy] adds an alternative therapy into the health and wellness of our patients. It is a therapy that helps with keeping up your natural defenses that can help with dehydration problems. RAGBRAI is a good example,” Meagan Squiers, co-owner and registered nurse practitioner at Wellman Family Practice said.

“People who do heavy activities -- run, bike -- can need a little extra boost to bring back their electrolytes. I do water soluble vitamins in the IVs; people are happy with it and it’s essentially a very safe way to boost your wellness,” Squiers added.

There are five different IV therapy options offered by Wellman Family Practice. 

Fountain of Youth: This option contains glutathione, B vitamins and vitamin C to promote healthier and younger skin, hair and nails.

- Natural Defense: This option is filled with vitamin C and “attacks sickness head-on, naturally.” Folks sick with a variety of things from the flu to the common cold can use this option to recover more quickly. “The Natural Defense, I would recommend starting that at the beginning of the cold and flu season, and probably doing a once-a-month infusion,” Squiers said.

- Rise and Shine: This is the most popular option offered. Filled with essential vitamins and minerals, it is intended to help those who have had long nights. From trouble sleeping to partying, Rise and Shine is meant to give people a boost to start their day.

- The Executive: This option will help with stress and things like jet lag as well. It might also give a sense of sharper memory and focus.

- Glutathione: This option is similar to the Fountain of Youth but is a push IV drip. It is meant to slow down the process of aging. It’ll detoxify the liver and improve the appearance of your skin.

Based on the patient, infusions can be altered slightly depending on needs, allergies, and other conditions. Also, depending on what the patient wants, they can set up an IV therapy schedule or use the therapy as a one-time deal.

“If it’s dehydration or because you were sick, that would be a one-time thing. For a lot of athletes, it might be a once-a-month thing, depending on what their schedules are,” Squiers said. “For people who are pregnant, the first and second trimester could be heavy morning sickness and so they’re needing that boost more than once a month. But it’s all in how everybody wants to do it.”

“I always just say, try it, and see if you notice a benefit from it, go from there,” Squiers continued.

But how does the therapy work? The therapy replenishes what your body has already used up in a safe manner.

“[IV therapy] is supposed to help with replenishing your electrolytes, so [you experience] less muscle fatigue. You lose a lot of potassium, a lot of magnesium [through sweat]. It helps to redo that. Get you back out there able to do a run again, with faster recovery,” Squiers said. “It has been used in the sports world for a very long time.”

According to Squiers, the water-soluble vitamins used in the therapy are low risk for patients because the body can get rid of what it does not need with ease.

“We take into consideration [health issues]. It’s [per] individual, but for most people, its essentially very safe, low risk. Everything comes with a little bit of risk, but it’s low risk,” Squiers said.

Each option of IV therapy can take varying amounts of time. Rise and Shine takes the longest, around 45 minutes. Natural Defense takes roughly 20-30 minutes and can sting because of the vitamin C. But overall, it depends on how much liquid is dripping in to determine how long the process will take.

For some people, the results can be immediate. Results can even last days after the injection.

“Some people notice immediate results, depending on how dehydrated they are, and that can last for a couple days or up to a week. Each one is a little bit different depending on what every individual’s depletion levels are and need levels are,” Squiers said. “Obviously, somebody’s not doing a marathon every day or riding a RAGBRAI distance every day. The goal of those situations is to boost them and get them back up and going for a week.”

Squiers has success stories: she and her husband have both tried the therapy themselves and felt results.  Squiers’ friend who was pregnant tried the therapy and reported feeling much better from her morning sickness.  Squiers also noted an employee who received a treatment for acne. When Squiers left for a vacation, the employee noticed her acne returned.

Are you the next success story?

As an alternative medicine, IV therapy is not covered by insurance and is not meant as a cure for any condition; instead, it is a supplement and meant to support health.

Contact Wellman Family Practice at (319) 646-2800 to see if IV therapy is right for you and to schedule an appointment; the office is located at 217 8^th Ave., Unit 3, Wellman.