Immunotherapy IV drips at home: Pros and cons

Health experts are weighing in on the positives and negatives of IV drip therapy that is now available in home, office, hotel or where ever you may be.

Gleice Antonini not only works out every day, she's also an architect studying to get her MBA. She's pushing hard.

So she treats herself to an in-home IV vitamin drip once a month.

"Especially when I feel so tired I don't even want to go somewhere," said Antonini of Marina del Rey.

IV drips are often a vitamin/mineral cocktail consisting of C and B vitamins, plus other elements that the body will excrete if not needed. Dr. Alexis Daniels, a chiropractor at Mamba Sports Academy, raises concerns that IV drips might not be good for everyone.

"One of the benefits of doing an IVs is the nutrients get into your blood stream and into your system immediately, but that can also be a negative because these nutrients and vitamins now have full access to your whole body, and if you have kidney issues, they might have trouble managing the potassium and 'too much hydration' is a real thing," said Daniels.

Dr. Abe Milkin, the medical director of a practice that offers IV drips, says his office does a pretty rigorous screening before anyone books an in-home treatment.

But as a patient, you need to be willing to provide answers to important questions.

"Any medications you're taking, any health conditions, blood clotting disorders, high blood pressure, kidney issues, might have trouble with taking high doses of those nutrients," Daniels said.

"And what they're looking to gain. A list of symptoms is really important for us to help tailor the right IV for you. Any significant medical issues that you've had in the past any medications and allergies any adverse reactions," Milkin said.

Above all, you should always ask to see credentials. Milkin says not only should you be asking about accreditation, you should also ask questions about the types of the products you're getting.

"Make sure they're using high-quality vitamins, make sure that their inventory process ensures that they are fresh and being used appropriately," Milkin said.

Lastly, be prepared for the price tag. IV drips aren't covered by insurance and can run anywhere from $200 to $400.