If you have an upcoming trip to a place like the Rocky Mountains, you have to make sure that you have an action plan in mind for when you start feeling poorly. You might be wondering does IV for altitude sickness work? We'll dive into the details of an IV for altitude sickness.
IV therapy is a simple and natural way to receive the vitamins, minerals and amino acids your body needs.
IV Therapy consists of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients being infused into your blood stream through an IV by administering liquid substances directly into a vein. This allows for 100% absorption and 100% bio-availability.
The benefits of IV therapy are numerous. The most common uses are:
This can be done in a hospital setting, outpatient clinic, or at home. In an emergency, an injectable solution may be administered IV to ensure it works quickly.
It's theoretically possible that an IV could be used to treat altitude sickness by delivering fluids to the body more quickly than drinking them would. However, there has not been much research into this. While it is possible that IV treatment could be helpful for someone with severe symptoms who also has dehydration or other issues that make it difficult to drink, we have not seen any studies demonstrating that this is the case.
One study does prove though that use of antioxidant supplements can reduce acute altitude sickness and better the physiological traits of mountaineers at high altitude.¹ Therefore, it would make sense if antioxidant vitamins are effective if they to be injected into the body via IV therapy.
The most common antioxidants in IV therapy are:
Rocky Mountain IV Medic recommends the Myers Cocktail IV for altitude sickness: which includes Glutathione and Vitamin C, along with Saline, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B complex, Zinc and Magnesium. Although when used a prescription is needed, sometimes at the hospital they'll infuse altitude sickness medicine.
So does IV for Altitude Sickness work? Yes, we assume it does based on science of antioxidants ingredients with altitude sickness, as long as the IV therapy contains them like with the ones listed above.
For more altitude ingredients, you can read our How to Prevent Altitude Sickness Naturally.
The big question is whether the benefits of IV therapy are worth the cost. Most people can expect to pay between $100 for pure saline, up to $395 for more complex formulas per IV treatment like at the Rocky Mountain IV Medic in Colorado. You may need more than one treatment to feel the full effects.
Zaca is the maker of the best-selling recovery chewables, a supplement designed to help you rehydrate, replenish and recover. Made for people who like to do activities at high altitudes such as skiers, hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts. Each chewable is loaded with antioxidants such as glutathione and japanese raisin, so you can feel better faster during your trips. Try Zaca's recovery chewables today.
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SOURCES
1. Acute mountain sickness; prophylactic benefits of antioxidant vitamin supplementation at high altitude
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11252695/
