Treatment snapshot
At a Glance
- Appointment length
- 30 to 60 minutes for 500 ml, 60 to 90 for 1000 ml, 10 for an injection
- Discomfort
- One needle stick. A cool sensation along the arm is common
- Downtime
- None. Most people return to work or the gym the same day
- When you notice it
- Hydration, same day. Correcting a deficiency, weeks of dosing
- How long it lasts
- Hydration is short lived. A corrected deficiency holds while intake and absorption keep up
- How often
- Set with your provider and your labs, not by a package
- Starting price
- $99 for a 500 ml bag, $30 for a single injection
What IV Therapy Is, and What It Is Honestly For
An infusion places a small catheter in a vein and delivers sterile fluid, usually normal saline, plus whatever nutrients are added. Going straight into circulation skips the digestive tract, which is the real advantage: gut absorption is variable, and for some nutrients limited no matter how much you swallow.
Two things it does well. It rehydrates faster than drinking, which matters after illness, heat, or hard training. And it corrects a documented deficiency more directly than pills when the gut is the bottleneck, as with malabsorption or B12 deficiency related to intrinsic factor. In people who are neither deficient nor dehydrated, evidence for symptom benefit is limited, and much of what people feel comes from the fluid itself. That is why we pair infusions with lab testing, which tells you when to stop as well as when to continue.
One word about detox. Your liver and kidneys handle that continuously, and no infusion takes the job over or speeds it up. Where glutathione has a genuine role, it is as an antioxidant your body already makes. We describe ingredients by what they do, not by menu category.
Who This Is For
- Fatigue traced to a deficiency, or being investigated alongside labs
- Confirmed low vitamin D, low B12, or low iron studies where oral repletion has been slow
- Dehydration after a stomach illness, a hot weekend outdoors, a race, or long travel
- Active adults who want hydration and electrolytes built into recovery
- Absorption problems from GI conditions or prior bariatric surgery
- Patients on hormone optimization or medical weight loss, where nutrient status affects the plan
It is not a fit if you want treatment for a diagnosed disease, if you have been told to limit fluids, or if you want a drip in place of a workup.
Compare the options
What Is On the Menu
Plan the visit
How a Visit Works at LouWellSpa
Intake and screening
History, medications, allergies, kidney and cardiac history, pregnancy status. Bring recent labs. If you have none and your goals depend on your levels, we discuss lab testing first.
Vitals and plan
Blood pressure and pulse are recorded. Your provider confirms the bag, dose, and price before anything is drawn up.
Placement
You are in a reclining chair in a private treatment room. The site is cleaned, a catheter goes into the forearm or the bend of the elbow, and a clear dressing holds it.
Infusion
Rate is set by bag size, ingredients, and tolerance. You can read, work, or sleep, and walk to the restroom with the line in place.
Removal and observation
The catheter comes out, pressure is held, and you stay a few minutes so we can confirm you feel steady before driving.
Follow up
If treatment was tied to a lab abnormality, a recheck interval is set to confirm the number moved.
An injection visit is much shorter: no catheter, no chair time, usually back in your car inside fifteen minutes.
What to expect, IV Therapy and Vitamin Injections
What to Expect
Before
Eat and drink water. Arriving fed and hydrated makes the vein easier to access. Wear a sleeve that rolls up and bring a medication list.
During
A cool feeling up the arm is normal. B vitamins often produce a taste or smell within a minute, and vitamin C can cause a warm flush. Report burning, chest tightness, or nausea, since nearly all of it is managed by slowing the rate.
After
Bright yellow urine for a day is expected with B vitamins and is harmless. Soreness or a small bruise fades within days. An injection can leave the muscle achy, like a vaccination.
Over time
Hydration effects are immediate and short lived. Repletion of a real deficiency is slower, measured in weeks and confirmed by repeat labs.
Pricing
Clear numbers, before treatment.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| IV hydration plus customized nutrients, 500 ml bag, buy 4 get 1 free | $159 |
| IV hydration plus customized nutrients, 1000 ml bag, buy 4 get 1 free | $179 |
| NAD drip, 250 mg to 1000 mg | $250 to $725 |
| QuickVita Boost, or package of 4 for $275 | $75 |
| IV hydration, 500 ml normal saline | $99 |
| IV hydration, 1000 ml normal saline | $119 |
| Intramuscular injections, or package of 4 for $100 | $30 each |
| NAD, per 25 mg | $20 |
| NAD, 100 mg, or package of 4 for $250 | $75 |
| Toradol or Zofran | $30 |
| Total Wellness Trio | $75 |
Included. Screening, vitals, the infusion or injection, nursing time, and observation. Not included. Lab work, priced separately on the lab testing page.
Prices are subject to change and this page is not inclusive of all services, products, and discounts. See the full price list.
Fit, limits, and risk
Safety, Screening, and Who Should Not Have This
IV therapy is generally not appropriate if you have
congestive heart failure or another condition in which added fluid volume is dangerous, chronic kidney disease or reduced kidney function, or any instruction to restrict fluids.
Tell your provider if you
are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a clotting history, have hemochromatosis or another iron overload condition, take diuretics or blood pressure medication, have had kidney stones, are diabetic, or have reacted to an IV before.
High dose intravenous vitamin C needs an extra screen
People with G6PD deficiency can develop hemolysis with high dose vitamin C, so G6PD status is checked first. It can also interfere with some glucose meters and carries oxalate kidney stone risk in susceptible people.
Possible side effects
Bruising, soreness, or swelling at the site, lightheadedness, nausea, vein irritation. NAD can cause chest pressure, flushing, or cramping when run too fast. Less commonly, infiltration where fluid leaks into tissue, or an allergic reaction. Responses vary.
Why this practice
Why Patients Choose LouWellSpa for Infusions
Screening before selling
Kidney, cardiac, and pregnancy status are asked about before a bag is chosen, not after.
Labs and drips under one roof,
so a drip responds to a number rather than a guess, and we will say when a lab draw is the better purchase.
A sister primary care practice, Neighborhood NP, operates in the same space,
which helps when screening turns up something needing a workup.
Questions, answered plainly
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does IV therapy cost in Louisville at LouWellSpa?
Plain hydration is $99 for 500 ml and $119 for 1000 ml. Customized nutrient bags are $159 and $179, each buy 4 get 1 free. NAD drips run $250 to $725 for 250 mg to 1000 mg. QuickVita Boost is $75, or $275 for four. Injections are $30 each.
How long does an IV appointment take?
Plan on 30 to 60 minutes in the chair for a 500 ml bag and 60 to 90 minutes for 1000 ml, plus ten minutes for intake and vitals. NAD infusions run longer because the rate is kept slow to limit chest tightness and nausea. An injection visit is finished within fifteen minutes.
Does IV therapy actually work?
It reliably rehydrates, and it delivers nutrients when the gut is not absorbing them well. For people already hydrated and not deficient, evidence that vitamin infusions improve symptoms is limited, and much of the perceived effect comes from the fluid itself. That is why we recommend lab testing alongside it.
Do I need blood work first?
Not for simple hydration, but it is strongly recommended before a repeated nutrient protocol. Testing vitamin D, B12, iron studies, and a micronutrient panel tells your provider what to include, what to leave out, and when to stop. Lab testing is separate and starts at $30 for basic labs.
What is NAD and what does it feel like?
NAD is a coenzyme involved in cellular energy production and DNA repair, given at 250 mg to 1000 mg by infusion or 25 mg to 100 mg by injection. Many patients feel chest tightness, flushing, or cramping if it runs quickly, so the rate is kept slow. Human research is still early.
Can IV therapy help my immune system?
Zinc, vitamin C, and vitamin D contribute to normal immune function, and correcting a documented deficiency in any of them supports that function. That is as far as the evidence goes. We do not claim that infusions prevent, treat, or shorten any illness, and menus suggesting otherwise overstate it.
Does IV therapy detox my body?
No. Detoxification is carried out continuously by your liver and kidneys, and no infusion assumes that function or accelerates it. Ingredients marketed under that heading are better described by what they are: glutathione, for example, is an antioxidant your body already produces. We list them by mechanism.
Who should not get IV therapy?
Anyone with congestive heart failure, significant kidney disease, or a medical instruction to restrict fluids should not receive elective infusions, because added volume carries real risk. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, iron overload conditions, and a clotting history require a conversation first. High dose IV vitamin C additionally requires G6PD screening.
Important information
This page is for general education and is not medical advice. IV therapy and injectable nutrients are administered only after screening by a licensed provider who determines that treatment is appropriate for you. These services are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Individual responses vary and no outcome is guaranteed. Some ingredients described are prescription medications. Prices are subject to change and this page is not inclusive of all services, products, and discounts.