This Really Works: An IV Drip That Cures Hangovers
Can a mix of saline, vitamins, and electrolytes really cure a hangover? (Photo: Getty Images)
Everyone has their own hangover cure, from consuming greasy food to sweating it out at the gym, but when I heard about a new IV drip designed to combat the results of too many cocktails, I was curious. Chrissy Teigen, Rihanna, and Cara Delevingne have all used a variation of the “party-girl” drip. In the name of research, I went to a house party and had a few more drinks than I usually do. I woke up with the worst hangover of my life (note to self: shots are never a good idea). To see if the IV drip would really make me look and feel bright-eyed again I called The IV Doc.
The day after the party, a glamorous nurse, named June Lacaya, came right to my apartment, ready to inject me with vitamins, saline, and electrolytes. “I’m like Uber—for IV drips!” Lacaya said. Lacaya is a full-time emergency room nurse, and the IV Doc gig is what she does on her day off. She often works with celebrities—she had just seen a “very famous” one the night before, but couldn’t disclose her name to me—including Neil Patrick Harris.
A bag of saline costs $4, but IV Doc charges a starting price of $199 for the basic Detox package, which is 1000 ML of electrolytes and saline. So, while plebeians like you and me are chugging water and Gatorade to fight our hangovers, it turns out some people are sticking needles into their arms for the same effect. I couldn’t help thinking however, that it seemed like a pricey solution that worked about the same as my regular Gatorade cure (which costs about, oh, $195 dollars less).
In addition to the base solution of electrolytes and saline, Lacaya gave me the Beautify infusion, which she invented herself. “This has all the B-vitamins, like biotin and niacin, which give you healthy skin, hair, and nails,” she said. “My female clients were asking for these separately, so I thought, why don’t we just create a package to make things easier?”
I was also given an intravenous injection of a multivitamin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and more vitamin B12 to give me a boost of energy. The entire procedure took less than 30 minutes because I only had one liter of fluid—a normal-sized person would get two liters for a procedure that takes 45 minutes, but at a height of 5’1”, it would be too dangerous to give me more fluids. Immediately after the procedure, I felt drowsy and lightheaded, which Lacaya said was just the anti-inflammatory medicine working on me. “Take a nap,” she suggested.
I tucked myself into bed and when I woke up in the evening, my headache was gone and I felt like the previous night had never happened, which was why I then walked two miles in the snow to see some friends and drink more wine. I had forgotten the agony in my body less than 12 hours ago.
The truth is, you should just drink more water and less alcohol if you don’t want a hangover. It’s just common sense, though common sense is less common on Saturday nights. I highly recommend the IV Doc if you have money, no desire to drink your fluids, and want to pretend you’re recuperating after a party full of celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris.
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