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Intravenous
Vitamin Therapy (IVC)
Definition
We need to replenish our
water-soluble vitamins such as Vitamins B and C daily. While we can
get these vitamins from various fruits and vegetables, many of us
don’t always consume enough on a daily basis. On top of that, many
factors in our environment today deplete our body's supply. These
include smoking, alcohol, caffeine, cooking, eating produce that is
not fresh, and stress.
Vitamin C helps the body
recover from inflammation, thrombosis and ischemic damage. It is
essential for healing and plays a profound role in heart and brain
functions and our immune system. Our daily requirements for optimal
function when in good health, has been estimated to be between
2000-4000mg. During illness or disease, we need more Vitamin C to
speed up the healing process.
While you can increase your
vitamin intake by eating more of certain foods e.g. citrus fruits
and vegetables, or by taking oral supplements, there is a limit to
how much you can consume before experiencing digestive
disturbances. Often the amount of nutrients absorbed through the
gut is less than ideal, due to various digestive problems. One way
to ensure we get a large dose of Vitamin C is to have it injected
straight into our system through the veins. This is referred to as
intravenous (IV) therapy.
Vitamin C in intravenous
dosage is helpful when fighting acute and chronic infections,
fatigue, pre and post surgery and to generally boost the immune
system while undergoing cancer therapies.
Call 9855 9555 to see Dr.
John Piesse and asses your suitability for
Vitamin C
Therapy
Conditions that may benefit
from IV Vitamin C Therapy
AIDS, Allergies, Bacterial and
Viral infections, Bronchitis, Cancer, Candida Albicans, Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome
Common cold, Diabetes, Glandular Fever, Heart Disease, Hepatitis A,
B or C, Herpes, Low Immunity, Post operative
Pneumonia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Shingles, Ulcers or Wounds,Upper
respiratory infections
How does it work?
Firstly, you need to see
our Integrative Medical doctor (Dr. John Piesse) who will consult
with you and assess whether or not an IV treatment would be
beneficial and suitable for you. Then he or she will refer you to
the IV Clinic for an appointment.
Vitamin C in a solution (made
up of saline or glucose or a combination of both) can be injected
either quickly using straight pushes, or more slowly using a drip.
With an infusion lasting 5-20 minutes, you can inject doses ranging
from 6.25g to 22.5g, while the drips could potentially transfuse up
to 100g of Vitamin C in a 30-minute to 2-hour session. The body
will not actually hold onto such large doses of Vitamin C; however
the goal is to super-saturate tissues with high levels. The excess
is excreted in our urine, so it’s important to drink water. Tissue
saturation cannot be achieved without intravenous
dosage.
Vitamin B complex, Vitamin
B6, Magnesium and Trace Elements are often added to Vitamin C
solution. These also boost the body's ability to deal with
illness/disease and also prevent the Vitamin C irritating the vein.
The combined effect of the Vitamin C and B injections is a rapid
improvement in energy.
Occasionally B vitamins or
minerals will be omitted if a person has a sensitivity to
them.
How many treatments you will
need depends on your condition. Single pushes or drips are
recommended for acute flare ups (like colds or viral
gastroenteritis) while more are required for chronic conditions
requiring long-term management.
Are IV treatments
safe?
Yes. All our intravenous
treatments are carried out by fully qualified staff under the
direction of the GP at the clinic. All equipment is used straight
from the sterile packet, and discarded after use.
Are there any side
effects?
Large doses of Vitamin C tend to
drop your blood sugar level. This is characterised by tiredness,
nausea and feeling light-headed. It is therefore important to eat a
good meal before your treatment. You may also like to bring a snack
with you. Any drop in sugar level is easily rectified by eating
food that contains carbohydrate, or by a glucose drink. Vitamin C
may also make you thirsty.
The B vitamins sometimes
cause a warm flush of the face. This is harmless and temporary.
Occasionally some people show hypersensitivity to these or to
minerals intravenously, so these have to be omitted.
High dose Vitamin C has been
used a lot around the world with no other problems. Despite popular
medical opinion, Vitamin C does not cause kidney stones.
Cost
The cost of IV treatments
depends on various factors such as the dose of vitamins and the
method of administration. Keep in mind that the costs must cover
the regulated IV Vitamins, Nursing, Room, Equipment and other staff
costs. As you can imagine, these costs are significant. It’s best
to check with the reception team for the current rates. There are
no Medicare Rebates on these treatments.
Call 9855 9555 to see Dr.
John Piesse and asses your suitability for
Vitamin C
Therapy | 