Vitamin IV Therapy Drips at TruMed Naturopath ClinicWe offer Edmonton a full range of Intravenous Vitamin DripsDr. Muradov has been offering Edmonton a large array of IV Therapy Drips & Infusions since 2010.
Energy, Mood, Focus, Immunity & Cosmetics are the most common reasons for IV therapy treatment Many of our IV Drips are enhanced by Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment offered at TruMed.
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Our starting vitamin IV Therapy for fatigue & mood. |
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Energy boosting NAD for maximum sirtuin activation. |
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High dose IV Vitamin C for infections, immunity & cancer. |
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IV Glutathione drips used for inflammation, immunity & skin health. |
Many of our IV Therapy drips synergize with Hyperbaric Oxygen
Try IV therapy for these conditions:
Fatigue
Fatigue is the most common reason patients seek out IV therapy for at our Edmonton office.
Nutritional therapy is frequently helpful for patients experiencing fatigue.
In our experience, we estimate 70-80% of the patients we see at the office experience substantial improvements in their fatigue using Naturopathic medicines.
The typical Western diet provides only marginal amounts of a wide range of vitamins and minerals. At our Edmonton office, patients frequently remark that they have more energy when they take an oral multivitamin preparation.
We typically assess all of our patients for hormonal abnormalities and basic nutritional deficiencies like iron, Vitamin D, B12 and iodine.
However, because fatigue can be an early manifestation of many other different micronutrient deficiencies we often find Nutritional IV therapy to be frequently effective for fatigue.
Our basic nutritional IV therapy gives B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12 and Magnesium (The Myers') - all of which are directly involved in the energy production cycle (Krebs cycle) other than B6.
Most commonly, IV Therapy for fatigue is given 1x weekly for about 4 weeks to build up intracellular and blood nutrient levels. Effects from a first infusion are usually felt within about 24 hours.
For patients that do not experience substantial benefit from IV Vitamin drips, we frequently consider the use of IV NAD+.
NAD+ has gained much notoriety as a Sirtuin activator (Sirtuins are NAD+ dependent enzymes that remove acyl groups in histones) and regulate a large range of cellular processes including longevity. PARP enzymes also use NAD+ and are involved in DNA repair.
IV NAD+ in particular can provide a profound and rapid improvement in energy as it gains electrons in the Krebs cycle to be then used in the electron transport chain.
IV NAD+ in particular is considered when mitochondrial dysfunction is suspected in a given patient or in patients with infectious co-morbidities - clonal expansion and somnogenic cytokines cause chronic fatigue.
HHV-6, EBV & CMV are well known chronic fatigue causing viral infections.
NAD+ levels are thought to decline with age and NAD Drips are also considered for use in patients middle-age and beyond where endogenous NAD+ levels are thought to be one-half of "youthful" levels.
NAD+ Drips are tolerated well by most however, in women in particular, they can cause fairly intense chest pressure and nausea if given too quickly.
250mg per hour is a common infusion rate and doses for fatigue are usually between 250-500mg per treatment.
IV NAD+ treatments are also built up once weekly for 3-4 weeks and then are given every 2-4 weeks as a "booster."
In terms of mitochondrial supports, our office also offers intramuscular injections of PolyMVA and B12.
PolyMVA is an analogue of Lipoic Acid and it's a cofactor for pyruvate dehydrogenase for conversion of pyruvate to acetyl-CoA, which bridges glycolysis with the citric acid cycle. PolyMVA has been studied in Lyme & MS related fatigue.
B12 shots are often considered in fatigue as well, in particular because B12 is inexpensive, frequently effective and is quickly administered either in office or at home.
B12 is used to make Succinyl-CoA - which is also part of the Krebs cycle and when converted to succinate, it's involved in the electron transport chain for even more ATP production.
Bottom Line: Our Naturopathic Doctors have a range of IV Therapy treatments for fatigue - Vitamin Drips & NAD+ are out hardest hitters for stubborn fatigue.
Mood
A number of different nutritional, hormonal, and herbal treatments have been found to be effective in the treatment of depression.
In our experience, in many cases, an appropriately chosen Naturopathic treatment program produces results that are as good as, or better than, those achieved with conventional drug therapy, while causing fewer adverse side effects.
At our Edmonton office, we frequently interweave herbal, nutritional and IV therapy options for both anxiety and depression.
Our Naturopaths often screen for hormonal abnormalities that can contribute to low mood.
Low Thyroid function, or low levels of androgens (testosterone and DHEA) are frequently seen in our Edmonton patients. Herbal or hormonal treatments are usually considered in these scenarios as well as possible nutritional underpinnings.
Many different nutrients play a role in regulating mood, and a deficiency of one or more of these nutrients could contribute to depression. For example, the amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine and a number of micronutrients are required for the synthesis of serotonin and norepinephrine respectively.
At our office our Naturopaths frequently use 5-HTP (Tryptophan metabolite and immediate precursor to serotonin). In clinical trials, 5-HTP was at least as effective as, and somewhat better tolerated than, fluvoxamine and fluoxetine (both SSRIs).
5-HTP & tryptophan are available for use in IV therapy treatments.
Depression is one of the reversible manifestations of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency so our Naturopaths frequently try shots of B12 & folate before transitioning to IV Therapy drips where the quantity of these can be greatly increased.
Vitamins B1, B3, B6 and Vitamin C have also been implicated in low mood. In terms of minerals, zinc, and magnesium can also contribute to low mood as well so we frequently screen for deficiency of these, of which, both can be easily repleted in IV format.
Our IV therapy drips for mood contain B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Magnesium, Zinc and Vitamin C.
NAD+ appears to have a mood boosting effect. Explanations for this lie either with the fact that it can improve brain energetics or that it leaves more tryptophan available for synthesis of serotonin rather than to be used to make NAD+.
Bottom Line: Our Naturopaths have seen rapid and robust responses with regards to mood using IV Therapy - Treatments using B Vitamins and Folate are frequently effective.
Immunity
In term of immunity, consumption of allergenic foods might increase susceptibility to infection by suppressing immune function or by promoting inflammation and congestion of mucous membranes.
Our Naturopathic Doctors have found that many patients with a history of recurrent infections experience fewer infections after they identify hidden food allergens. Therefore, our Naturopaths frequently run Food Sensitivity Testing in patients with poor immunity and recurrent infections.
Vitamin C is a nutrient we can dose heavily in IV format. IV doses of vitamin C produce markedly higher serum concentrations of the vitamin than those obtainable by oral administration of maximum tolerated doses.
Vitamin C has a direct antiviral and antibacterial effect and has been shown to kill a wide range of viruses and bacteria in vitro and has been found to stimulate the production of interferon (an endogenous antiviral compound).
Zinc and Selenium play roles in host defenses against infections and suboptimal zinc status appears to be common among people consuming a typical Western diet. Zinc and Selenium supplementation has been shown to decrease the incidence of infections such as pneumonia.
Our Naturopathic doctors always add Zinc and Selenium to IV Therapy treatments for immunity.
Vitamin A plays a role in immune function and has been shown to inactivate a number of different viruses in vitro. Vitamin A also enhances the capacity of epithelial tissue to resist invasion from infectious agents.
Vitamin A cannot be given intravenously so our Naturopaths frequently suggest oral supplementation or dietary sources of Vitamin A.
Increased susceptibility to infections is one of the manifestations of hypothyroidism so our Naturopaths always screen for suboptimal Thyroid function in our Edmonton patients experiencing poor immunity.
Vitamin C based IV treatments are frequently dosed between 10-25 grams for patients experiencing acute infections with added Zinc, Selenium and B Vitamins.
Very frequently, dilute hydrochloric acid is added to the tail end of the IV drip which is thought to increase white blood cell number and activity.
Vitamin C IV Therapy is frequently used at our office for the treatment of chronic viral infections such as Epstein Barr Virus "EBV" and Human Herpes Virus 6 "HHV-6" (the top two viruses implicated in chronic fatigue). This has been formally studied in patients with EBV using doses between 7.5g and 50g.
Dilute hydrogen peroxide IV drips are also used at our office principally in the treatment of chronic infections as well.
Bottom line: IV Therapy with Vitamin C, Zinc and Selenium can be used for both acute and chronic infections.
Skin Health
We can administer IV Glutathione and IV Vitamin C to our Edmonton patients looking for skin lightening and brightening effects with our Glutathione IV.
Glutathione is formed from three amino acids glutamine, cysteine, and glycine. Very frequently our Naturopathic doctors use cysteine as a way of increasing Glutathione orally. Glutathione is produced in the transsulfuration pathway from homocysteine.
Glutathione serves several functions in the body: Glutathione is an antioxidant, necessary for the neutralizing of reactive oxygen species, as well as the regeneration of other antioxidants such as vitamins C and E. Glutathione is necessary for optimal detoxification (phase II) and is important for immune function.
Glutathione has been reported to play an important role in inducing skin lightening through inhibiting melanogenesis.
The stimulation of lighter pheomelanin pigment synthesis by Glutathione is also thought to be one main cosmetic mechanisms of action.
In a 2019 study, pigmentation was induced in the skin of experimental animals and then glutathione was injected three times a week for three consecutive weeks.
Glutathione at 40 mg/kg reduced skin hyperpigmentation (reduced melanin granules) significantly and there were no issues with liver or kidney function from this treatment.
The authors concluded IV Glutathione "was effective as a skin lightening agent."
In a 2021 study, topical and oral glutathione were given to adults for 8 weeks and the combination group showed significantly lower melanin index relative to placebo.
The authors concluded "this study showed that topical and oral glutathione were effective skin-lightening agents."
In a 2012 study, orally administered glutathione at 500 mg per day for 4 weeks did result in some modest lightening in human subjects: "at 4 weeks, the melanin indices decreased consistently at all six sites in subjects who received glutathione."
Bottom line: IV Glutathione is extremely well tolerated and our Naturopathic doctors frequently use it as an add on to other IV Therapy drips. In recent years however, the most common request is to use Glutathione drips for cosmetic purposes as discussed above.
Top IV ingredients
Vitamins |
Thiamine - Vitamin B1 Riboflavin - Vitamin B2 Niacinamide - Vitamin B3 Dexpanthenol - Vitamin B5 Pyridoxine - Vitamin B6 Cobalamin - Vitamin B12 Ascorbate - Vitamin C Folic Acid - 5-MTHF or B9 |
Minerals |
Zinc Magnesium Selenium |
Anti-oxidants |
Glutathione Curcumin Alpha Lipoic Acid & PolyMVA |
Select IV Ingredients In-Depth
B1 (Thiamine) - B1 is absolutely central to energy production as it's needed in the first step of energy production to make acetyl-CoA from pyruvate. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are first converted to acetyl-CoA, most often via pyruvate.
Thiamine has been studied in humans for use in fatigue: 2021 study in IBD & 2013 study in MS.
Our Naturopathic Doctors usually add 150-200 mg of B1 to our IV Therapy infusions for energy.
B2 (Riboflavin) - B2 is the precursor to FAD (the coenzyme form of B2) and the Krebs cycle uses this to create FADH2 which is a key electron donor in the electron transport chain to create ATP.
This intimate role with energy production is why our Naturopaths consider riboflavin for treatment of migraines.
Our Naturopaths add additional B2 to all of our IV drips for energy which gives them an extreme orange color.
B3 (Niacin/Niacinamide) - We use Niacinamide in our Intravenous treatments, which is a precursor to NAD+ (via the salvage pathway) which in the Citric Acid Cycle, at multiple points, to create NADH for use as an electron donor in the electron transport chain.
This is precisely why NAD+ IV Therapy can be so helpful for energy production.
B5 (Pantothenic Acid) - Pantothenic acid acts as a precursor to coenzyme A (CoA) which is used in the generation of Acetyl-CoA for entry into the Krebs cycle.
Our Naturopaths use Dexpanthenol (an alcohol analogue version of B5) in our IV Treatments.
B6 (Pyridoxine) - Our office uses two forms of B6 in our IV Therapy treatments - pyridoxine hydrochloride as well as the bioactive form pyridoxal 5′-phosphate.
B6 is involved in the functioning of over 140 separate enzymes in the body and is therefore a crucial part of both our body biochemistry and our IV therapies.
B12 (Cobalamins) - Our Naturopathic doctors use two forms of B12 mainly in our IV treatments: Adenosylcobalamin (mitochondria) as well as Methylcobalamin (cytosol) which are co-factors for Methylmalonyl-CoA Mutase and Methionine Synthase respectively (see graphic).
Methylmalonyl-CoA is converted to Succinyl-CoA which is part of the Krebs cycle and when it's converted to succinate, it's involved in the electron transport chain for ATP production
B12 is certainly a favorite at our Edmonton office for rapidly improving energy in mood in both shot and intravenous drip format.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) - Vitamin C is of course an important water soluble antioxidant and can regenerate other antioxidants within the body and plays an important role in immune function.
Intestinal absorption of vitamin C is regulated specific dose-dependent, active transport. Exceeding a certain dose orally and additional Vitamin C ends up in the large bowel.
For this reason, Intravenous Vitamin C administration is a superior method for obtaining large doses of Vitamin C in the blood.
Clinically, we've observed the upper threshold for most adults is about 5 grams of Vitamin C orally before causing diarrhea.
Most commonly at our Edmonton office, intravenous drips of Vitamin C are used for infections such as influenza or Epstein Barr or for Cancer.
In terms of use in Cancer, oxidation of ascorbate into cytotoxic dehydroascorbic acid and also the generation of hydrogen peroxide forms reactive oxygen species which can be damaging to cancer cells.
Intravenously, our Naturopathic Doctors frequently give doses between 5 and 75 grams with no digestive side effects whatsoever.
Folate - The previously described reaction of Homocysteine converted to methionine (via methionine synthase & methylcobalamin) uses the methylated form of Folate (MTHF) to create SAMe which is involved in the creation of both Dopamine and Serotonin.
Clinical studies have shown that adding Folate to conventional antidepressants seems to improve treatment response in patients with major depressive disorder.
Our Naturopathic Doctors frequently add MTHF to our IV therapy drips for mood.
Magnesium - Magnesium is one of the most important ingredients in our IV drips.
Magnesium, like Vitamin C, does reach a maximum dose orally before giving digestive side effects so intravenous administration is a superior way to improve blood levels.
Magnesium as with other vitamins, exerts pharmacologic actions when given intravenously such as promoting relaxation of both vascular and and bronchial smooth muscle. The relaxation effects are thought to be a major contributor to how our Vitamin IV therapy can help in conditions such as asthma, migraine, anxiety and insomnia.
Magnesium is central to mitochondrial energy production so it's an important component of Vitamin IVs for fatigue as Magnesium is actually complexed to ATP.
Our Naturopathic doctors frequently consider the use of Magnesium Aspartate in fatigue for this reason.
Intravenously our office uses both Magnesium Sulfate and Magnesium Chloride because both are readily available in the Edmonton area.
We are easily able to give doses around 1000mg Intravenously of either preparation which easily exceeds a daily oral dose of Magnesium which is usually in the order of 400-600mg.
IV Therapy & Cancer
IV Vitamin C: Intravenous administration achieves a high concentration of Vitamin C in the blood, it's distributed to the extracellular fluid and identical concentrations are achieved both in the plasma and in extracellular fluid.
In the extracellular fluid Vitamin C is oxidized and releases an electron (and becomes the ascorbate radical) and the electron it gives out is transferred to an O2 molecule to make superoxide. Through superoxide dismutation (two hydrogens combine with superoxide) hydrogen peroxide is produced.
This process of hydrogen peroxide production does not occur when Vitamin C is given orally. Vitamin C must be given intravenously to achieve sufficient concentrations for this process to occur.
Intravenous Vitamin C doses for Cancer frequently range between 15 to 85 grams with 50-75 grams as the most common IV therapy doses.
Many case reports exists demonstrating that IV Vitamin C has a role in Alternative Cancer Care. Breast Cancer, Lymphoma, Pancreatic, Liver, Ovarian, Kidney and Bladder cancer are some of the cancers with published benefits.
Furthermore, data exists suggesting safe co-administration of IV Vitamin C therapy with many chemotherapies.
In particular a review from Bazzan looked at 54 patients who received ascorbic acid in conjunction with chemotherapy. For all patients receiving intravenous Vitamin C, there was a significant improvement or stability in fatigue, bowel habits, and pain symptoms.
We estimate that our Naturopathic Doctors have administered about 3000 IV Vitamin C treatments at our Edmonton office. The overall incidence of side effects is extremely low, likely below 1%.
Dehydration, and fatigue are the most commonly seen issues with high dose Vitamin C.
Limiting factors with respect to IV Vitamin C are typically time and cost.
Costs for a standard Intravenous Vitamin C treatment in Edmonton is typically $160-$185.
Administration times are usually 100 minutes to 150 minutes, not including set up time.
Alpha Lipoic Acid: In terms of it's role in metabolic cancer care, Lipoic Acid is cofactor for the pyruvate dehydrogenase which converts pyruvate into acetyl CoA for the Krebs cycle. Lipoic acid also inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase which inhibits pyruvate dehydrogenase.
Because of these actions, it is an inhibitor of aerobic glycolysis, a common mechanism for energy production in cancer cells and is thought to be a synergist with Hyperbaric Oxygen therapy.
Numerous case reports exist supporting the role of Lipoic acid in cancer care, usually where it's combined with Hydroxycitric acid and Low Dose Naltrexone "LDN." LDN is available in the Edmonton area, our Naturopathic Doctors can refer you for an LDN prescription to one of our allied health providers if it's indicated in your case.
Case reports using IV Alpha Lipoic Acid by Berkson (for Kidney and Pancreatic Cancer) as well as by Schwartz (for numerous Cancers including Colon, Uterine and Brain) demonstrate preliminary efficacy.
Lipoic Acid infusions in the Edmonton area range between $165-$185 but infusion times are short - usually around 30 minutes.
Lipoic acid intravenous drips are well tolerated unless given too rapidly - dizziness and headaches are possible because of blood sugar lowering effects of the infusion.
Our Naturopaths have administered thousands of IV drips at our Edmonton office.
Please contact us for your complimentary IV consultation.