Dr. Muradov provides IV Therapy in Edmonton.

TruMed is a leader in Edmonton for IV Therapy.

Our most popular IV Therapies: 

 IV Therapy is the premier way to deliver nutrients to your body.

Besides his naturopath training, Dr Muradov has a special interest in IV therapy.

 
Our naturopath clinic offers Edmonton a range of IV therapy for many health concerns.

Want to try IV Therapy?

780 757 8378

What to Expect

Before any IV Therapy treatment, our naturopathic doctors will do a case history to determine if your case can benefit from IV therapy treatment, as well as to rule out any contraindications to care. You will be asked to give a urine sample to assess current kidney function, and your vitals will be taken and previous lab work will be reviewed. Please try and bring previous labs to your first visit or be able to log into the MyHealth Alberta app.

IV Drips take anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour usually depending on the size of IV Therapy chosen.

Our IV Video!

Our Naturopaths use IV Therapy for these conditions:

IV Therapies: In-Depth

Low energy & Fatigue - Our Naturopathic doctors have so many options to improve energy with IV Therapy.

First and foremost, the basic ingredients of the Myers' (our basic Vitamin IV Therapy) are absolutely crucial for energy production. B1, B2, B3, B5, B12 and Magnesium are all intricately involved in energy production (Krebs cycle) and these nutrients can be frequently suboptimal in a standard Canadian diet especially Magnesium. 

If needed, our Naturopaths have robust mitochondrial supports available such as NAD+, NADH and PolyMVA available intravenously, which we have substantial experience administering, which all have energy boosting abilities by targeting different areas in the mitochondria. 

See our full fatigue section.

Check out this article on IV Therapy and Chronic Fatigue

Low Mood & Anxiety - Mood can certainly be rapidly augmented with IV Therapy. We've seen rapid and strong improvements in low mood as well as reductions in anxiety with the use of IV Therapy. 

Magnesium and B Vitamin deficiency (primarily folate, B3, B6 and B12) can cause both anxiety and decreased stress tolerance. Furthermore, various types of physical and mental stress can lead to magnesium and B Vitamin depletion.

B12 is a crucial part of our mood IV treatments and robust responses are only seen with IV or IM administration. Patients presumably have a higher-than-normal requirement for vitamin B₁₂, possibly as a result of impaired transport of vitamin B₁₂ across the blood-brain barrier or accelerated breakdown of the vitamin in brain tissue

With that said, using IV therapy with B Vitamins and Magnesium can drive greater transport of these key mood regulating nutrients into the brain. 

See our full mood section.

Skin Health - Recently cosmetic uses for IV Therapy have increased dramatically with IV Vitamin C and IV Glutathione being the main agents used for cosmetic effect.

IV Therapy with Glutathione is thought to stimulate lighter pheomelanin pigment synthesis rather than darker eumelanin ultimately resulting in a brightening and in some cases a lightening effect with repeated administration. Certainly IV Glutathione for cosmetic purposes will bring with it added benefits such as reduced inflammation, improved detoxification and immunity associated with the Glutathione. 

Our Naturopaths have significant experience with Glutathione IV Therapy at our Edmonton office as we have been offering it since 2010. 

Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Chronic diarrhea, and malabsorption associated with Crohn's and Colitis can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies, including deficiencies of a wide range of vitamins and minerals. So it's easy to understand why our Naturopathic doctors frequently use IV Therapy for IBD.

By bypassing an inflamed digestive tract with IV Therapy, we are able to guarantee delivery of key nutrients directly into the blood. Crohn's is known to cause low Zinc, B1, B3, B6, B12, Magnesium, and Vitamin C amongst others that are easily repleted with IV Therapy. B5, B6, B12, Folate, Zinc and Magnesium are also frequently low in Ulcerative Colitis and once again can be given with IV Therapy. 

We've seen rapid and impressive results giving IBD patients IV nutrients with regards to energy, mood, immunity and cognition, and frequently right after the first IV Therapy treatment.

Neurologic Concerns - Our clinic sees patients with Lyme, MS, Parkinson's and ALS and we've frequently been able to find helpful IV Therapy treatments for these tricky conditions. 

For Lyme, we've used IV Therapies such as IV Glutathione, Phospholipids, PolyMVA and Alpha Lipoic Acid to improve energy and reduce issues like cognitive difficulties and pain.

For MS, Glutathione can be great for acute inflammation and Nutrient IV Therapy can work for fatigue and in some cases spasticity and mobility.

Parkinson's and ALS are certainly challenging but IV Glutathione has shown benefit in some for functional improvements. NAD+ and NADH are promising treatments that can provide additional benefit and can be done back to back with Glutathione IV Therapy.  

Immunity - Now more than ever it's crucially important to maximize immunity. With IV Therapy our Naturopaths are able to deliver some of the key nutrients related to immune function. 

Vitamin C requirements appear to be increased during infections and numerous investigators, including ourselves, have noted that have reported that administration of large doses of IV Vitamin C has resulted in rapid and dramatic improvements in a wide range of viral infections, including measles, mumps, chickenpox, mononucleosis, and acute viral hepatitis.

Zinc and Selenium play roles in host defenses against infections and we are easily able to deliver clinically relevant doses of these with IV Therapy. 

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue - These are certainly tricky conditions and it's possible to see benefits with oral supplementation, however, in our experience we've seen the most rapid and durable responses when IV Therapy is used targeting mainly the mitochondria.

Classically, the Myers' Cocktail is an essential IV Therapy to use in the fibromylagia and CFS population as popularized by Gaby. Improvement is occasionally seen after the first treatment, but more often 3–4 injections are needed before a clear benefit was apparent.

Newer IV Therapies such as IV NAD+ and IV PolyMVA have also shown benefit in improving energy and quality of life measures through their multiple effects on Mitochondrial energy production.

Check out this article on IV Therapies for Chronic Fatigue 

A 2007 pilot trial giving Fibromyalgia patients a modified Myers' IV Therapy treatment (100ml treatment given over 20-30 minutes) once weekly for 8 weeks was helpful for treatment resistant Fibromyalgia.

Pain levels steadily decreased with energy steadily increasing with IV treatment administered over the 8 week period (click here to see the figures from the study)

Longevity - IV Therapy can deliver key nutrients and substances involved in longevity. Besides using IV therapy for nutritional optimization, IV NAD+ and IV Glutathione are two main biochemical substrates involved in longevity. 

PARP enzymes detect DNA damage and initiate repair responses by recruiting other DNA-repair enzymes and PARP  activation relies on the presence of NAD+. Also, sirtuins, which are enzymes that play key roles in healthspan and longevity (sirtuins utilize NAD+ for deacetylation control the activation of genes involved in DNA repair & cell survival). 

Glutathione is involved in detoxification, scavenging oxidants, and Glutathione depletion has been strongly associated with aging. Our Naturopaths are able to give large doses of Glutathione quickly with IV Therapy.

Cancer - One of the most frequent uses of IV Therapy at our Edmonton office is for Alternative Cancer Treatment. In particular, IV Vitamin C is a well known IV Therapy reputed for its anti-cancer effects.

Multiple case reports exist detailing the use of IV Vitamin C in conjunction with chemotherapy and as a standalone treatment in cancers such as: Breast, Liver, Pancreatic, Ovarian, Bladder, Kidney Cancer and Lymphoma. IV Vitamin C Therapy is ultimately thought to be destructive to cancer cells through generation of Hydrogen peroxide. 

Our clinic has extensive experience with Vitamin C IV Therapy - we've been administering Vitamin C IV treatments since 2010.

Athletic Performance - TruMed has seen its fair share of professional athletes seeking IV Therapy for performance optimization.

IV Vitamins are frequently given for recovery, energy and immunity.  Occasionally, high dose IV Vitamin C is used to hasten recovery during colds and flus. 

Older athletes are making use of IV NAD+ for fatigue inconjunction with IV Vitamins. In the context of injury, we can give additional Lysine, Proline, Vitamin C, Zinc and Selenium to improve healing of various injuries.

Contact us just for IV Therapy

We pride ourselves on providing Edmonton butt kicking IV Therapy.

IV Therapy facts

1) IV therapy is more effective than oral treatments with Vitamins for correcting nutrient deficits which gets patients feeling better, faster. We've given thousands of IV Therapy treatments at our clinic in Edmonton. It's a safe and effective way to improve many health conditions. 

2) IV Therapy can often provide a breakthrough for patients where other treatments have failed especially with regards to energy, mood and immunity. We focus on IV therapy and have many unique formulas to address numerous health concerns.

3) IV Therapy is usually delivered relatively quickly and can have long term benefits. Many of the IVs our Naturopaths offer are administered initially once weekly with booster treatments given every 4-8 weeks. This is fairly standard for our energy or mood IV treatments.

4) IV Therapy is safe. Our Naturopathic doctors have administered literally thousands of IV therapies in Edmonton with a handful of non-serious adverse effects. No serious adverse reactions have been encountered with approximately 5000 treatments. Dr.Muradov and Dr. Deol administer the IV treatments and patients are monitored frequently during treatment. 

Side effects: Overall the incidence of side effects is extremely low with nutritional IV Therapy drips. Our clinicians have recommended over 5000 IV therapy treatments at our Edmonton offices since 2010.

Myers' IV drip - discomfort at the IV site is the most common side effect due to the highly concentrated format of the Myers drip. When administered too quickly the Myers' IV can cause lightheadedness and a sensation of heat.

IV Vitamin C - Despite its large volume, Vitamin C IV Therapy does cause a some loss of fluid, so dehydration is the most commonly seen adverse effect of this IV treatment.

IV NAD - NAD Intravenously is notorious for nausea and a sensation of chest pressure which is completely rate dependent. If these occurs we simply slow the rate of infusion down.

IV Glutathione - Glutathione IV Therapy is remarkably well tolerated, extremely rarely, and we mean rare, shortness of breath can be seen or sulfur smelling urine or stools / gas. 

IV Therapy FAQ

Why use IV Therapy?

IV Treatment allows our Naturopaths to bypass the digestive tract and facilitates 100% absorption of nutrients like Vitamins and Minerals and can create serum nutrient concentrations that are not possible when the same nutrients are taken orally.

What we've observed at our Edmonton office is that oral, sublingual, or intranasal administration of the same vitamins rarely appreciably and obviously improves fatigue, mood or cognition, likely because these routes of administration cannot achieve the high serum concentrations that are attainable with Intravenous administration

How does IV Therapy work?

Because of the aforementioned high serum levels attainable through IV Therapy, it can allow for more effective cellular repletion of nutrient levels. The large rise in the serum concentration of nutrients from IV Therapy provides a window of opportunity for deficient cells to take up needed nutrients. As the cells are “flooded” repeatedly those levels can build. 

It appears that some patients feel better and function better when they have higher levels (cellular and blood levels) of nutrients. 

Some explanations of the mechanisms behind IV therapy suggest that certain nutrients have been shown to exert pharmacological effects, that is, effects that are different  that their standard biochemical effects.

How much does a Vitamin drip cost?

Average prices costs between $130 and $200 on average per Intravenous treatment.

The Myers' cocktail, which is a standard Vitamin IV treatment is around $165.

NAD+ IV Therapy range from $175 to $195.

IV Glutathione treatment start around $135 to $150 and are often paired with Vitamin C for cosmetic purposes.

How often do I need IV treatment? 

The frequency of IV therapy depends on the condition being treated as well as the IV being given.

For instance, using the Myers Cocktail for energy, our Naturopaths usually administer one IV therapy treatment per week (administration time is usually less than 20 minutes) weekly for 3-4 consecutive weeks to achieve sustained cellular and blood levels. Further IV Treatments are done every 4-8 weeks as a "booster" to maintain the effect.

Some patients are able to complete a series of IV treatments and can go without further IV treatments for long periods of time. They then can "drop in" periodically for a booster treatment as needed a few times per year. 

For cancer, using IV Vitamin C for instance, patients usually do IV treatments twice weekly for 15-20 treatments in order to assess a response.

Is IV Therapy Safe? 

Yes, despite being somewhat invasive, IV Vitamin Therapy is a safe and has a low risk of adverse side effects when appropriate doses and administration rates are used.

We've administered over 10 000 IV Therapy treatment at our Edmonton office with an almost non existent incidence of adverse effects.

Before undergoing any IV Treatment, we always review your health history and assess labs to make sure there are no contraindications to treatment. 

Doses used are adjusted to the individual needs of a given patient, and every IV therapy treatment in under medical supervision.

Who administers the IV Therapy?

Your IV Therapy will be administered by one of our IV licensed Naturopathic Doctors who have done both basic and advanced IV Therapy training in addition to their standard training as Naturopathic doctors. 

How do I prepare for my IV Treatment?

Staying hydrated the day before and day of your IV treatment is helpful to increase the appearance of your veins. Also feel free to use one of our heating pads to warm your arms right before your treatment.

Eating a snack or a small meal before your treatment is also great to reduce chances of nausea or lightheadedness. 

Is IV Therapy safe for children?

Although we don't do IV Therapy in young children frequently, it is possible to do and safe to use in children with doses adjusted downwards based off of bodyweight.

Can you do IV Therapy if you are pregnant?

We do a limited amount of IV Therapy in pregnancy.

In general, low doses of IV Vitamin C and IV Vitamin treatments like the Myers' Cocktail, in lower doses with added folic acid are safe to administer in pregnancy as well as basic rehydration.

How long do IV Treatments take?

The length of time for an IV treatment differs depending on the therapy chosen.

Our fastest Vitamin IV is the Myers' which is deliberately given in 10-15 minutes to achieve a large serum spike in nutrients. 

IV Vitamin C, IV NAD+ and Hydration IVs can take between 60 -180 minutes depending on the doses used. 

Can you create specific an IV treatment based off my individual needs?

In general, we find that our basic nutrient IV formulas are helpful for most, but our Naturopaths do offer advanced Nutrient testing at our Edmonton clinic to determine if you need any additional nutrients in particular. 

How quickly does someone feel better after an IV Treatment?

IV therapy can give rapid results.

For energy, with a treatment such as a Vitamin IV, we usually see positive effects within 24 hours.

IV NAD+ can frequently improve energy and cognition the same day as the treatment, often beginning right after the treatment ends. 

What ingredients are used in IV Treatments?

Vitamin Cocktails involve B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12), Magnesium, and Vitamin C and we often add additional nutrients (like Selenium, Zinc, Calcium, Folate) depending on the condition being treated. 

NAD+, NADH, PolyMVA, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Curcumin and Glutathione are other common IV Therapy ingredients.  

Alternative Cancer IV Therapy:

TruMed Knows IV Therapy

Top IV Therapies in Edmonton

IV NAD+

IV NAD is a breakthrough in the treatment of fatigue. Our Naturopaths have seen tremendous results in the treatment of fatigue and low energy with intravenous NAD+ at our Edmonton office with great effect in notoriously stubborn conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia as well.

NAD+ has been historically a high price IV Therapy treatment. However, our office was able to secure a well priced source and we provide it at a volume that allows for excellent pricing. We've made NAD IV Therapy easily available to Edmontonians. 

Our office also offers reduced NAD+, also known as NADH for similar indication as NAD+. We consider using IV NADH principally in Chronic Fatigue and Parkinson's where it's been studied the most. 

NAD+ is crucial in the production of energy in the body. It also activated SIRTUIN pathways which are key in life extension, aging and longevity. A 2019 study demonstrated that it is rapidly taken up by cells when NAD+ is given IV.

PARP enzymes which rely on NAD+, detect and repair DNA damage and it's been demonstrated in multiple species that the higher the PARP-1 activity, the longer the lifespan - another reason for seeking the potential longevity associated effects with NAD+ IV Therapy. 

NAD+ IVs are usually given over about 1 hour and can be combined with IV Vitamins for an even bigger energy punch. They are extremely well tolerated with only some nausea if your NAD IV is given too quickly. For responders to NAD, we occasionally double the dose used in the IV Therapy treatment to try and initiate a longer length of effect. 

With IV NAD Therapy, many patients see improvements in their energy within 24 hours after a NAD IV however we have had patients that get a boost even before the IV is over frequently in cognitive clarity.

If NAD is given for substance withdrawal, our Naturopaths usually add Vitamin B1, B3 and Vitamin C to the IV therapy treatment. Your Naturopath may suggest additional oral treatments if the goal is substance cessation depending on the drug involved. However, IV NAD Therapy for substance abuse is a lengthy process - it can take anywhere from 6-12 hours to administer up to 2000mg of NAD over 3-5 consecutive days. 

Bottom line: IV Therapy with NAD+ can provide a massive boost in energy and cognitive clarity, even in conditions where other treatments can't make a dent and has massive potential in terms of longevity. 

See a comprehensive review on NAD+

See a review on IV NAD+ therapy and withdrawal. 

IV Myers Cocktail

The Myers' is the original Vitamin IV Therapy. Our Naturopaths have literally given thousands of Myers cocktail IVs to our Edmonton patients over the last 10 years most commonly for energy and mood boosting. 

At our Edmonton office we've chosen to keep this IV in its classic concentrated fashion: the Myers' is a small volume, concentrated IV Therapy treatment. Administration time for this IV treatment is usually under 15 minutes with the intention to create a large blood spike of vitamins to drive cellular repletion. 

The Myers is an excellent broad spectrum IV giving a range of B-Vitamins, Magnesium, Calcium and Vitamin C. Our Naturopaths have their own formula called the "Advanced Myers" where we've ramped up the doses of B-Vitamins, and added Riboflavin (B2) for bigger effects on our patients looking for improvements in mood and energy and immunity.

The Myers IV is extremely well tolerated. Most patients remark that they can taste or smell the B Vitamins almost instantly and can often feel a sensation of heat during the IV (blood vessel dilating effects of the Magnesium).

The Myers IV usually gives its effects within 24 hours and the first IV often last for 3-5 days. However, after a few treatments the effect of the Myers is extended with patients usually getting a "booster" IV every 4 - 8 weeks.

The original Myers IV Therapy was suggested for the following conditions: fatigue, fibromyalgia, sinusitis, hives, asthma, migraines, upper respiratory tract infections, cardiovascular disease and depression and our Naturopaths have confirmed clinical effects in every single one of these conditions and many more.

Bottom line: The Myers' is the original Vitamin IV Therapy treatment and our office frequently uses it to boost energy, mood, immunity and cognitive function in our Edmonton patients. 

See a comprehensive discussion on the Myers Cocktail IV.

IV Glutathione

Glutathione is the body's master anti-oxidant. lt's found throughout the body with the highest levels in the liver and it's made from glutamate, glycine and cysteine. In fact, we often give a form of cysteine called N-Acetyl-Cysteine in between Glutathione IVs to keep levels elevated.

It's hard to overstate how important Glutathione is in the body: it neutralizes reactive oxygen species, regeneration of vitamins C and E, intimately involved in many liver Phase II reactions (conjugating the activated intermediates from Phase I) and is involved in maintenance of mitochondrial DNA which is directly proportional to longevity. So it's hard to justify not giving Glutathione as part of every IV therapy because of it's amazing broad spectrum effects.  

Our Naturopathic doctors have substantial experience with administration of Glutathione IV Therapy and have given well over 1500 glutathione IV treatments for various conditions at our Edmonton office. 

Glutathione IVs are often done for detoxification, skin health, longevity and neurological conditions like MS, ALS & Parkinson's. It's extremely well tolerated even at high doses (4000-6000mg). For skin health your Naturopath will usually combine Glutathione IV with Vitamin C.

For neurological issues our Naturopaths usually give a pre-treatment IV with nutrients needed for Glutathione cycling like Selenium, Zinc, Vitamin C and Folic Acid. Where as for longevity we may combine NAD IV Therapy with Glutathione. Recent data from 2020 suggests that Hyperbaric Oxygen may increase telomere length so possible synergy exists between HBO, Glutathione and NAD+. 

Glutathione can often be added to the end of many IV therapies. If you want to try Glutathione as part of your IV treatment, just ask your TruMed Naturopath.

Administration times for glutathione IV is usually 5 to 15 minutes so it's fairly quick and Glutathione can be given between 1-3x weekly. 

See this case report using IV Glutathione in Parkinson's.

Bottom line: Glutathione IV Therapy is versatile as Glutathione has many important roles around the body. Glutathione is easily added to many IV treatments for detoxification, cosmetics, neurological health and longevity. 

IV Vitamin C

Vitamin C is definitely a nutrient our Naturopaths use a lot of at our Edmonton Clinic. It is well known that Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant and has a role in immune function. Vitamin C has also demonstrated antiviral and antibacterial effects as well.

We use Vitamin C IV Therapy in both low and high doses for immunity and anti-cancer activity respectively.

Low dose Vitamin C refers to doses between 2 - 15 grams which can be immune boosting, anti-viral and has an anti-oxidant effect. Low dose IV Vitamin C is also used by our Naturopaths for skin health in combination with Glutathione.

Interestingly, in 2020 data emerged from China that IV Vitamin C can be an adjunct in the treatment of COVID-19. 

High dose Vitamin C refers to doses between 25 - 125 grams and is used almost exclusively at our Edmonton office for either chronic infections or cancer. There is much data on Vitamin C IV as an alternative cancer therapy. It can have a direct anti-cancer effect or can also be used to ease side effects of standard cancer therapies.

Case reports exists showing benefit for IV Vitamin C in: Breast Cancer, Ovarian Cancer, Liver Cancer, Lymphoma, Kidney & Bladder Cancer. Trials in GBM and Pancreatic Cancer showed benefit of a combined regimen of Vitamin C IV and chemotherapy.

Our Naturopathic doctors have been using IV Vitamin C as an adjunctive cancer therapy since 2010. Although there is data indicating that it can be used as a stand alone cancer therapy our Naturopaths general prefer to use it in conjunction with chemotherapy if no interactions exist for an additive effect. 

Bottom line: IV Therapy with Vitamin C is used primarily for immune boosting, infections and cosmetics in low to moderate doses whereas high doses are usually used almost exclusively for Cancer care. 

See a review article on IV Vitamin C

Another review article on Intravenous Vitamin C and Cancer.

IV Alpha Lipoic Acid 

Alpha Lipoic Acid is a strong anti-oxidant made naturally in the body.  ALA a unique anti-oxidant as it can recycle other anti-oxidants like Vitamin C, E & glutathione.

Our Naturopath Doctors use in Alternative Cancer care as it appears to stimulate apoptosis (programmed cell death) through mitochondrial activation. Also, our Naturopathic doctors use Metabolic approaches to Cancer therapy and ALA is a central substance for this. Alpha Lipoic Acid inhibits of aerobic glycolysis, a pathway for energy production in cancer cells where the main substrate pyruvate is made into lactate. The mechanism of Alpha Lipoic Acid is similar to the action of DCA (dichloroacetate). 

Our Naturopaths also use ALA to treat hepatoxicity and various liver diseases like fatty liver disease as well nephropathy & neuropathy.  ALA has no effects on cytochrome series enzymes in the liver and on renal clearance and therefore has no known effect on drug metabolism.

IV Therapy treatments for Lyme disease frequently include Lipoic Acid as well as IV Glutathione and IV Phospholipids.

Our office also has experience using the Lipoic acid analogue "PolyMVA" for mitochondrial support and as an anti-cancer agent as well. PolyMVA has some data to support its use in MS and Lyme Disease associated fatigue. 

Clinical research suggests that taking Alpha-lipoic acid along with hyperbaric oxygen therapy reduces wound area in 30% more patients with ischemic ulcers compared to hyperbaric oxygen therapy alone.

ALA has blood sugar lowering effects and can also cause nausea in select patients so our Naturopaths exercise caution when administering ALA (avoid rapid infusions) and ensure patients have eaten prior to administration. 

Dr.Muradov likes ALA in the Naturopathic treatment of Multiple Sclerosis because it has good human data on reducing MMP-9 levels and therefore immune system entry into the nervous system. 

Case reports using intravenous lIpoic acid in Pancreatic Cancer.

Bottom line: Alpha Lipoic Acid is an anti-oxidant that has utility as an IV Therapy in Cancer, MS, Lyme, Liver disease and Diabetes. 

IV Curcumin 

Curcumin is the yellow-colored primary active constituent derived from turmeric with well known benefits in cancer, inflammation and autoimmunity. Unfortunately, Curcumin is notoriously poorly absorbed when given oral hence its use as an IV therapy is somewhat of a large breakthrough. 

Our Naturopathic doctors have been safely administering IV Curcumin since 2017 for a range of health concerns but primarily as part of a comprehensive Alternative cancer treatment plan.

Part of the mechanism is that Curcumin affects cancer pathways utilizing STAT3, mTOR and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β as well as affects apoptosis.  We think about IV Therapy with Curcumin in the treatment of Colon, Breast, Pancreatic and Prostate cancer among others. 

Curcumin is used in pain conditions by our Naturopaths like osteoarthritis, but it seems to shine the most in autoimmune concerns with data in Psoriasis, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's, Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis (all human data!)

IV Curcumin therapy is usually used by our Naturopathic doctors as a tertiary level cancer treatment usually if we don't see results with other IV Therapies or if there is strong rational to use it as a primary therapy (like chemosensitivity testing) or if there is a clinical trial that strongly suggests potential benefit (like combining Curcumin with Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Cancer). 

Some data exists to justify the use of IV Therapy with Quercetin in conjunction with IV Curcumin due to complimentary actions. 

IV Curcumin therapy is generally titrated to tolerance with suggested anti-cancer doses between 10-40mg/kg but our Naturopaths usually stay around 15mg/kg for cost and time considerations. Curcumin IV can give a characteristic sensation of warm, loose stools and can cause vein irritation so we constantly rotate the veins used for this particular IV Therapy. 

Bottom line:  IV Therapy with Curcumin can be used in pain and autoimmunity but is primarily used as an Alternative Cancer treatment. 

IV Therapy in Edmonton

IV Therapy Ingredients 

Single ingredient IV Therapy treatments are relatively straight forward - NAD+, Glutathione, Vitamin C are primarily just those substances. But patients are always curious about exactly what ingredients go into our Vitamin IVs. 

Our basic Vitamin IV Therapy treatments are relatively simple - we principally rely on the B Vitamin family and a handful of other key nutrients in most of our starting nutritional IV Therapy treatments. 

Although the composition is simple, each selected nutrient has numerous crucial biochemical roles in the body. Furthermore, the synergistic action amplifies the effects of any individual nutrient. So continue reading to see not only what we put into our vitamin IV Therapy treatments but also why. 

The Advanced Myers': B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Magnesium and Vitamin C.

Background on Vitamins:  Just a reminder that there are only 13 Vitamins which are essential for normal physiological functioning but which are not synthesized endogenously by the body and therefore have to be added to the diet.

Four of the Vitamins are fat soluble A, D, E, K and are not given intravenously. 

There are only nine water soluble vitamins: vitamin C and the eight B vitamins and the only B Vitamin that we don't give regularly at our office intravenously is Biotin. 

B vitamins act as coenzymes in a substantial proportion of the enzymatic processes that underpin all of our cellular functioning. 

B vitamins are involved in every aspect of generating energy within cells and deficiency in any one of the B vitamins will have negative consequences for energy production.

B Vitamins In-Depth

B1 (Thiamine) - B1 is crucial to the first step of energy production (making acetyl-CoA from pyruvate). Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are first converted to acetyl-CoA, most often via pyruvate. 

Our Naturopaths usually add 150-350mg of B1 to our IV Therapy treatments to ramp up energy.

B2 (Riboflavin) - FAD is the coenzyme form of B2, and the Krebs cycle uses this to create FADH₂ which is a key electron donor in the ETC to create ATP. 

We've taken the liberty to add additional B2 to all of our energy promoting IV therapy treatments because its amount was lacking in the original formulation of the Myers IV treatment. 

Riboflavin is what gives a B-Complex it's characteristic yellow color and we use the form Riboflavin-5-Phosphate (biologically active form of B2) in our IV Therapies. 

B3 (Niacin/Niacinamide) - The form used primarily in IV Therapy is Niacinamide, which is a precursor to NAD+ - nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, which in the Krebs cycle, at multiple points, creates NADH for use as an electron donor in the ETC to make ATP. 

This is precisely why NAD+ IV Therapy can be so helpful for energy production.

B5 (Pantothenic Acid) - The form used primarily in IV Therapy is Dexpanthenol, and it makes up a portion of coenzyme A (CoA) which is used in the generation of Acetyl-CoA for entry into the Krebs cycle as well as CoQ10.  

B6 (Pyridoxine) - primary bioactive form of vitamin B₆, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, although not directly related to energy production, is involved in the functioning of over 140 separate enzymes, is the  rate limiting cofactor in the synthesis of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, GABA, noradrenaline and melatonin and is involved in the Folate cycle. 

B6 is usually used as Pyridoxine hydrochloride in IV Therapy and it's included in many treatments because of it's broad spectrum action even thought it's not a direct Krebs cycle intermediate. 

B12 (Cobalamins) - B12 is included in many of the IV Therapy treatments as it's reputed to improve energy and mood and frequently overshadows its other family members in terms of notoriety.

B12 is used to make Succinyl-CoA which is part of the Krebs cycle and when it's converted to succinate, it's involved in the ETC for ATP production

B12's role in the production of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) which is used to make Serotonin and Dopamine so it plays an important role in IV Therapy for not only enhancing energy but mood as well. 

Top Conditions  for IV Therapy in 2021

Fatigue, Mood issues and Immunity are the three most common reasons patients seek out IV Therapy at our Edmonton office.

Let's breakdown the types of formulations we focus on at our office:

Fatigue

For fatigue we consider high dose B1, B2 & B12. Based on the original intravenous Vitamin treatment - The Myers Cocktail. Our Naturopaths have essentially taken the Myers and have maximized the main energy producing nutrients while maintaining the rapidly infused, highly concentrated style of the Myers Cocktail when considering use for energy production.

High dose B12 is an essential part of this treatment. We've increased the B12 dosage by 10 fold and have changed the form from Hydroxocobalamin to Methylcobalamin - we find that the mood and cognitive benefits are enhanced with "Methyl-B12." We also add in separate Riboflavin - Vitamin B2 which was part of the original Myers IV in an extremely minimal fashion but is an important player with regards to Krebs cycle activity (as FAD) and additional B1 (Thiamine) is added which is above and beyond the Thiamine found in a standard IV B-Complex. 

Intravenous treatments are frequently given 1x weekly by our Naturopaths for 3-4 weeks. Patients often get a "booster" once every 4-8 weeks. This usually works really well for our patients outside of Edmonton - only having to drop in once every 1-2 months. 

We can compliment the IV with oral or intramuscular adjuncts (eg. AMP IM or PolyMVA IM). Your Naturopath might give you an oral B Complex and Magnesium to prolong the effects of these treatments. 

Check out this article on ingredients for IV Therapy in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia.

Mood

For mood we consider methylation and NAD+. 

By changing the form of B12 from Hydroxocobalamin to Methylcobalamin - we find that the mood is much more substantially enhanced with "Methyl-B12." Methyl-B12 can be aggressively dosed, with 5-10mg easily an cost effectively added to our mood IV treatments. B12 is a known agent that can be used in SSRI-resistant depression. 

Furthermore, the use of Methyl-Folate "MTHF" can dramatically enhance the mood boosting effects of IV Therapy. The addition of 1-3mg of MTHF to an IV can significantly enhance the mood boosting effects. Which is why Methyl-folate is a well known agent in SSRI-resistant depression.

The mechanism of Methyl-B12 and Methyl-Folate in mood is related to its contribution to the pool of methyl-donors.

Magnesium given intravenously frequently has a robust calming effect and is a cofactor in the production of serotonin along with Vitamin B6. Magnesium is frequently deficient in North America and IV format allows for rapid cellular repletion of magnesium stores without the bowel related side effects associated with oral magnesium.

The addition of IV Taurine seems to enhance the effects of IV Magnesium.

As mentioned, B6 is a co-factor in serotonin production and our office uses Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate or "P5P" which is the active, coenzyme form of B6 in our mood oriented IVs.