IV Therapy Specialist in Charleston, SC

Welcome to the IV Bar at COEM. We use only the best and newest preservative-free ingredients whenever possible. All IVs use specialty compounded materials with the cleanest nutrients for maximum uptake and benefit. For more information, contact us today or schedule an appointment online. We are conveniently located at 7510 North Forest Drive North Charleston, SC 29420. Patients routinely fly in to be evaluated by COEM, as we serve patients internationally. Find out if you have been exposed, extensive lab testing is available.

What is an IV?

Getting an I.V. or Intravenous therapy, is a treatment modality in which fluids and essential vitamins and minerals are administered directly into the blood stream. It is both a fast and cost-effective way to get beneficial therapy.

COEM uses only preservative-free (PF) injectable ingredients wherever possible. These are made in FDA-registered compounding pharmacy facilities and have specific outdates. Using PF injectables ensures you get the maximum benefit with the minimum of additional excipients in your IV mixture.

What are some of the benefits of IV Therapy?

IV therapy has many wonderful benefits and each IV delivers different results. In general however IV Therapy helps:

• Recovery from illness
• Detoxification
• Longevity
• Nutritional support
• Athletic recovery
• Fatigue
• Stress reduction
• Fight inflammation
• Autoimmune disease support
• Anti-aging
• Cancer support
• Immune booster
• Hydration
• Brain support
• Improve symptoms of mental stress and depression
• Anxiety
• Weight Loss
• Headache relief

How does IV Therapy work?

• Upon arrival at our office, you are taken back to a comfortable room with oversize reclining chairs which are covered with a drape and pillowcase to make you as relaxed as possible.

• The specific IV treatment you are coming in for is confirmed and then the preservative-free (in most cases) ingredients are gathered and mixed in a sterile environment in our lab.

• Your blood pressure, pulse, and where indicated, blood sugar are measured.

• Next a small, thin plastic tube called a catheter is inserted directly into your vein in a quick split-second process which is no more than a slight pinch at worst and feels like nothing for many people.

• Once we access your vein, we remove the needle but the catheter remains inside your vein to deliver your IV.

• The catheter is attached to a bag of solution (saline, sterile water, or dextrose depending on the type of IV being administered), which contains your selected therapy.

An IV takes 30 to 45 minutes for most treatments. Higher dose therapies can take up to 3 hours and have to be administered slowly and safely. The health of a patient’s veins and how well hydrated they are can also affect the speed of delivery.

What ingredients go into an IV?

Each therapy differs depending on the health and wellness needs of each patient. Some IV’s contain electrolytes and salts, while others contain sugars, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The most common ingredients include:

Base Diluent: the primary base ingredient the IV is mixed in

• Saline: This a solution of salt in water, also known as Sodium Chloride, 0.9 %. It is the most common type of fluid for IVs. A Saline solution is great for dehydration and hangovers since sodium is a type of electrolyte.

• Sterile Water: This is a solution of isotonic sterile water which is free of organic materials.

• Dextrose: This is a solution that combines the sugar dextrose along with a saline solution when a particular protocol requires a carrier into the cells.

Injectable Ingredients:

• Vitamins: The benefits of vitamins such as B1 (Thiamine), B5 (Dexpanthenol), B6 (Pyridoxine), B9 (Folic Acid) and B12 (Hydroxycobalamin) and antioxidants are essential to health and the proper functioning of the body. They boost our energy, strengthen our immune system, and enable body systems to function at their level best.

• Electrolytes: These essential elements and compounds hydrate our bodies, regulate nerve and muscle function, regulate blood pressure, and signal the cells to function as intended. In addition to Sodium, your body needs potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphate — all of which are electrolytes.

• Amino Acids: These building blocks of protein in the body and are the building blocks of life. The 9 essential amino acids are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine

• Medications: Additional ingredients can be infused such as Zofran for nausea.

We offer additional ingredients for nausea, inflammation, antioxidants, and treatment specific ingredients depending on symptoms.
IV formulations can be administered for a variety of reasons including hydration, liver detoxification, lower blood sugar, antioxidants, cancer nutrition support, weight loss, muscle spasms, asthma etc…

Is IV Therapy safe?

Yes, IV therapy is very safe. All of the ingredients used in IV’s are manufactured or compounded in FDA-registered facilities under stringent quality control guidelines. Each batch of ingredients goes through high levels of testing before they’re made available to be used in a clinical setting. In addition we evaluate your health history prior to administering a course of treatment to ensure it is right for you and your current health condition.

Side effects from IV therapy are very limited or very mild if any. One can experience some discomfort, bruising, itching, inflammation, or redness at or around the site of injection of the catheter which could last from a few minutes to several days. Some ingredients do cause a warm sensation such as magnesium and some can cause a person to ‘move’ toxins in your body and can make you initially feel a little off. This is a sign however that they are working as intended. A true allergic reaction is extremely rare.

How often should I get an IV?

IV therapy is an individualized treatment and it all depends on your health history and your current symptoms or your wellness goals.

We recommend IV therapy 1-2 times a month in general but someone who has a severe health issue can expect to have therapy 1-5 times in a week until symptoms resolve. We take a customized approach to suit your individual needs.

What types of IV’s do you offer?

• Alpha Lipoic Acid
• Amino Acid
• Asthma
• Calcium EDTA
• Disodium EDTA
• DMPS
• DTPA
• Glutathione Push
• Hydration
• Magnesium Push
• NAD
• Super Myer’s
• Vitamin C

• Alpha Lipoic Acid IV: An intravenous infusion of Alpha Lipoic Acid. This universal antioxidant supports glucose transport and energy metabolism. Clinical trials in diabetics have documented the nutritional safety and benefits of alpha-lipoic acid for aiding blood sugar metabolism. It also potentiates L-Glutathione for detoxification, as well as chelates heavy metals.

ALA or alpha lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant. It has many wonderful uses when infused via I.V. therapy including the treatment of neuropathy and pain resulting from cancer treatments, nerve damage, and diabetes. It has indications for age-management and dementia as it aids in removing toxins from the brain. ALA IV is also used for liver support with autoimmune diseases.

Due to the effect of Alpha lipoic acid reducing blood sugar levels, it is required that you eat well before the IV as we check your blood before and again after administration of the IV and a snack is also beneficial to maintain blood sugar levels. ALA improves insulin sensitivity and can be beneficial in managing Diabetes, specifically blood sugar and lipid levels.

• Amino Acid IV: used to rebalance nutritional deficiencies, restore neurotransmitters, and aid the body in detoxification. Amino acid IV therapy can be beneficial for mood disorders including depression and anxiety. The IV therapy can help with ADHD and OCD.

• Asthma IV: This IV is a special formulation COEM uses to bring down inflammation and breathing difficulties as a result of asthma. It is an all-natural infusion including magnesium which reduces swelling in smooth muscle and induces bronchodilation.

• Calcium EDTA: Calcium EDTA is used as a treatment for exposure to heavy metals such as lead. This is only administered as part of a full work-up and evaluation and requires agreeing to a minimum series of IVs in order to see benefits in addition to bloodwork, regular appointments, and additional nutrient IVs to replenish what is pulled out naturally during treatment.

• Disodium EDTA: Disodium EDTA is used for the purposes of support against Coronary Heart Disease and Diabetes. It has been studied in both the TACT and TACT II Trials of the NIH. The EDTA chelation therapy is delivered through 40 intravenous (into the veins) infusions. The first 30 infusions are delivered on a weekly basis and the last 10 are delivered during a maintenance phase every two to eight weeks.

This is only administered as part of a full work-up and evaluation and requires agreeing to a minimum series of IVs in order to see benefits in addition to bloodwork, regular appointments, and additional nutrient IV’s to replenish what is pulled out naturally during treatment.

• DMPS: SODIUM 2.3 DIMERCAPTOPROPANE-L-SULPHONATE is used as a treatment for exposure to heavy metals including mercury, arsenic, and lead. This treatment is not for anyone who has chronic kidney disease or whose creatinine levels exceed 2.5mg/dl.

DMPS is effective in accelerating metal excretion without severe adverse effects in acute and chronic intoxication by inorganic and organic mercury, bismuth, arsenic, and chronic lead poisoning.

This is only administered as part of a full work-up and evaluation and requires agreeing to a minimum series of IVs in order to see benefits in addition to bloodwork, regular appointments, and additional nutrient IVs to replenish what is pulled out naturally during treatment.

• DTPA (Diethylenetriamine pentaacetate): calcium (Ca-DTPA) and zinc (Zn-DTPA) are used in a protocol for the removal of gadolinium due to Gadolinium Deposition Disease usually caused when contrast agents (GBCA) given in an MRI store in the body and are not effectively naturally detoxified.

This is only administered as part of a full work-up and evaluation and requires agreeing to a minimum series of IVs in order to see benefits in addition to bloodwork, regular appointments, and additional nutrient IVs to replenish what is pulled out naturally during treatment.

• Glutathione Push: Glutathione, also called the Master Molecule or Master Antioxidant, is a powerful antioxidant that helps with detoxification, fatigue, and recovery and is beneficial for anti-aging. It aids in maintaining glowing skin and helps to repair the body on the cellular level.

This quick pick-me-up is administered using an infusion pump and takes no more than 25 minutes. Most people feel an immediate positive sensation and ‘euphoric’ feelings. In some patients glutathione can begin to move toxins which means it is working, however, the initial after-effect can leave them feeling worse than when they came in. This dissipates over a brief period of time and beneficial results then begin to accumulate.

• HYDRATION IV: A standard Saline IV to rehydrate someone who is dehydrated from various causes.

• Magnesium Push: A Mag push is administered using an infusion pump and takes no more than 25 minutes.

Magnesium quickly reduces inflammation and muscle pain. While receiving a mag push one can experience a warm sensation in their body which soon passes.

• NAD: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) is an important coenzyme that naturally decreases with age. NAD IV therapy can restore NAD levels with the intended benefits of increasing energy levels, repairing DNA, and improving metabolic processes.

Some indicated areas of use of NAD are:

• Addiction treatment
• Muscle recovery
• Anti-aging
• Improvements in neurocognitive functions
• Athletic performance improvements
• Weight loss
• Alleviating tremors associated with Parkinson’s Disease
• Improving cognitive performance
• Managing post-acute COVID-19 syndrome symptoms
• A potential reduction in food cravings

• Super Myer’s IV: The Meyer’s Cocktail was developed in the 1970s by John Myer, M.D., at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Myer found that many of his patients were deficient in nutrients critical for tissue repair, enzyme production, energy, and hormone balance. By providing an intravenous “cocktail” of key vitamins and minerals, Dr. Myer was able to deliver critical nutrients directly into the bloodstream, where they could be carried to all cells of the body.

The COEM version of a Myer’s cocktail IV, our ‘SUPER’ Myer’s IV has higher doses of injectables for maximum effect. Encompassing several b vitamins and minerals the Super Myers is a fantastic way to reset the body after recovery from an illness, fight fatigue, and aid in nutritional support during cancer treatment. Super Myer’s IVs are the master detoxification protocol used when someone has had exposure to chemicals, heavy metals, and mold.

• Helps alleviate stress
• Improves immunity
• Restores balance
• Provides hydration
• Helps reduce migraines
• Reduces chronic pain

• Vitamin C IV: Vitamin C is beneficial for many bodily functions and processes. It is infused for the treatment of wounds, for cancer support during treatment, and to fight inflammation. It is an essential tool in detoxification and is a powerful immune booster.

• Vitamin C plays a critical role in fighting chronic illness and in recovery from bacterial and viral infections.
• Vitamin C supercharges your metabolism and leads to glowing skin.
• Vitamin C protects against oxidative stress brought on by free radicals.
• Vitamin C is administered in 25 gram, 50 gram, 75 gram, 100 gram, 125 gram and 150 gram dosing depending on the requirements of each person.

Anyone getting Vitamin C IVs must first have a G6PD test via blood draw to check levels of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). G6PD is a protein that supports red blood cell function. If you have low G6PD, you may develop hemolytic anemia, which occurs when your body destroys red blood cells faster than it makes them. If positive for this test you are not eligible for Vitamin C IV therapy above 25 grams at any given time.

Vitamin Injectables

Vitamin Injectables are vitamins administered by a quick shot. These can include B vitamins, with B-12 shots of methylcobalamin being the most common, and weight loss injections such as MIC injections.

We serve patients from Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, Summerville, North Charleston SC, Ladson SC, Hanahan SC, James Island SC, John’s Island SC, Daniel Island SC and all of South Carolina, Nationally, and Internationally. Patients routinely fly into Charleston to be evaluated by COEM and to enjoy this beautiful city which is a Condé Nast and Travel and Leisure Top Domestic and International Tourist Destination.