IV League

If the blazing heat—or a Fourth of July hangover—calls for refreshment stronger than an open fire hydrant, consider an intravenous cocktail. Popularized by celebrities, athletes, and hospitals, preventative IV drips are now flowing in Indianapolis, in medically supervised health centers known as IV lounges.
The process typically takes 30 to 45 minutes once a staff nurse clears you for treatment based on a health assessment. You could be ruled out if your blood pressure is high or you have had renal disease, and pregnant women can only have fluids, but no vitamins. Otherwise, settle into a comfy chair and relax as your selected bag of vitamins drips into your bloodstream. The needle itself is smaller than you’d imagine, is sized to your vein, and doesn’t remain in your arm after the split-second prick.

Bags or drips, as the treatments are called, can address just about anything that’s not chronic—anti-aging, a waning immunity, inflammation, fatigue, complexion, even toothaches. There are add-ons, too, such as powerful antioxidants. The starter bag is the Myers’ Cocktail, named after the developer of IV vitamin therapy. It contains magnesium, vitamin C, several B vitamins, and folic acid, and is said to be beneficial for a broad number of conditions, including chronic inflammation, headaches, fatigue, and muscle aches. It’s $135 at Vitality IV Bar and $125 at The Guyer Institute of Molecular Medicine, both of which accept walk-ins. Vitality’s $70 no-vitamin hydration bag is the cheapest option in town, if you’re curious—or want a boost after hot yoga.

Advocates of IV therapy say that every drop of the vitamins goes directly into the bloodstream by bypassing the gut, compared to 20 percent of oral vitamins—the jury is still out on the exact stats. Believers claim to feel instant relief from a number of ailments—allergies, dehydration, wrinkles, hangovers, you name it—with effects lasting up to three weeks. During the treatment, you might feel a cool, tingly feeling in your arm or taste a faint sports-drink flavor in your mouth as the drip hits the blood vessels in your tongue.

Vitality IV Bar even comes to you. House calls, office drips, and party pregaming are a few mobile IV offerings for jet-setters unable to press pause. Your hands will remain free to maintain a constant drip of online news.