The Tribune

By DR MONIQUE THOMPSON

WHEN I say IV therapy, patients immediately say, “What?” And after I explain what it is, it is almost always followed by, “You mean needles?” As you will find, the needle is just a small part of a very beneficial process.

There are many ways to get nutrition and medication into the body. It can enter through the mouth and digestive system, as a cream or ointment through the skin, sprays through the nose, vaginal or rectal suppositories, drops directly in the eyes, as an injection into muscle, or directly into the bloodstream.

There are a few key benefits to having nutrition directly enter the bloodstream. To help understand them, we’ll take a quick look at the digestive process.

Digestion begins in the mouth with chewing where it is mixed with saliva. Mechanical and chemical digestion takes place here. The bolus is then swallowed and passes through the throat, goes down the oesophagus, then enters the stomach where further chemical digestion occurs. Water and alcohol, which are small molecules, are capable of being absorbed into the bloodstream from the stomach at this point. However, the remaining partially digested food exits the stomach and enters the small intestine. It is at this point that most nutrients finally reach the bloodstream. Certain disease states or being unhealthy in general hinders proper absorption of vitamins, minerals and other accessory nutrients leading to deficiency syndromes, perpetuation of disease and overall poor health.

Now that we have the basics down we can revisit the pros of intravenous therapy. One of the benefits of IV nutrient therapy is that it is the fastest way to get nutrients into the bloodstream as it bypasses that entire process described above. Depending on patient needs, different nutrients are injected into a bag containing fluid. An IV line is then attached to the bag and primed. A small needle with a flexible tube is inserted into a vein and then the actual needle is removed. The line is attached to the catheter, and fluid begins to flow or drip into the bloodstream. This is an important route of administration, especially in emergency situations when medications etcetera are needed right away.

Another benefit of intravenous administration is that it carries 100 per cent bioavailability, this means that you receive all of what is injected. Nothing is wasted here. Having vitamins and minerals inserted directly into the bloodstream also has the benefit of allowing the patient to take in much higher doses of nutrients than the other routes of administration. For example, you can receive an IV with 20 grammes of ascorbic acid (vitamin C), or you can take 20 of those dissolvable tablets, keeping in mind that with each tablet you will not get 100 per cent of the vitamin C in that tablet. Just a note, after about six to eight grammes of oral vitamin C per day; diarrhoea typically ensues.

Collectively, IV nutrient therapy is used to help treat a wide range of diseases and provide relief for a variety of conditions. Vitamins such as B12 and B complex, minerals including magnesium, zinc and others, as well as numerous herbal and organic products are formulated with various specifications to bring about healing and overall well-being. It is beneficial in:

• Dehydration

• Fatigue

• Toxic internal environments

• Elevated blood pressure

• Pain syndromes

• Inflammatory conditions such as arthritis

• Neurodegenerative disorders including multiple sclerosis

• Adjunctive cancer treatment (improves the efficacy of chemotherapy and reduces side effects)

• Cancer prevention

• Acute infections like the flu

• Chronic infections

• Substance abuse rehabilitation

Although the long term benefits of intravenous therapy are far reaching, a few of the more immediate effects reported by patients include increased energy, mental clarity and sharpness, improved quantity and quality of sleep, and a general sense of increased well-being.

When performed correctly by a healthcare professional who is licenced and adequately trained in intravenous therapy, it is a safe and very effective healing modality. The side effect profile is low and can vary based on what is being administered and the amount. Generally, side effects can include increased urination due to the increased amount of fluid entering the blood, tasting the products with certain formulations, light-headedness, and on very rare occasions, having a mild to moderate allergic reaction to one or more components being administered (which is typically avoided by asking about known food or drug allergies).

Taking a look from a health perspective, decent, adequate nutrition is a vital component of good health. Nutrition literally forms the building blocks of which we are made. IV vitamin and mineral therapy is a great way to fill in our nutritional gaps and ease ailments at the same time. Therapeutically, it remains one of the best treatment modalities offered to patients at Cornerstone.

• Dr Monique Thompson is the founder of Cornerstone Healing Institute, an integrative family medicine clinic, and can be contacted at 356-0083 with any questions/comments. Visit www.chibahamas.com for more information on IV nutrient therapy.