I’ll be honest, when I heard there were two IV clinics in town I was all types of confused – why on earth would anyone want to go there? Why on earth is there even a need for such places in Charleston, SC?
Once you got to talking to people, the general idea was that you go there when you’re hungover to get re-hydrated. I thought that was the dumbest thing ever. Charleston, let alone anywhere was not in need of places to heal hangovers—that just further promotes binge drinking if you can afford that quick pick-me-up IV fix the morning after.
Absolutely unnecessary.
That's all I kept thinking.
However, I did finally find someone that had a different review. That would be the co-owner of Pure Barre in the Charleston area, Jen Leitch. She told me her and her husband went by Vida Flo, which was the other IV spot in town, coincidentally right across the street from my apartment. Jen Leitch is a firm believer in mind/body interconnection. She went with the intention of getting “vitamined” up and explained to me that she felt so refreshed and balanced after getting her IV bag.
Well, Vida Flo shut down. It’s still unclear why they shut their doors so quickly. Jen Leitch did tell me, however, that it was quite pricey. Your first time was $129, or you had the option of signing up for a yearly membership to put the price point of each IV treatment at $59.
Now, on to my experience…
Last Friday I came down with a bad sinus infection. Luckily I had a five-day pack of antibiotics at home to treat it. Tuesday rolled around and I took my last pill, but I was absolutely no better, felt super draggy, and I thought it had even progressed to an ear infection. I had worked straight for 12 days so I'd had absolutely no time to get to the doctor.
I also personally am not a fan of urgent care facilities. They're expensive with insurance and I really don’t think they take the time to get to know you or go into that much detail on your medical records—it seems more like a quick-fix spot as in get in, prescribe drugs, and get out in the fastest time you can.
Two days following me completing my antibiotics, I came across a Facebook ad from Renew IV Spa & Walk-In Clinic. Something clicked—the fact that I had had enough of feeling like crap and still didn’t have time to make it to my doctor who was a 30-minute commute. I decided to give it a try! I figured a good blast of vitamins would help pick me up and maybe get the antibiotics to work on beating my sinus infection.
I walk in yesterday morning and was greeted right when I stepped in. Matt Erickson, executive director and physician’s assistant at Renew IV Spa & Walk-In Clinic, asked me what was going on. I explained all the above and he got to explaining to me that it was not just an IV hookup spot and that he could medically treat me for my sinus infection as well but that no insurance would be taken. Obviously then I was totally confused... I thought it was only an IV treatment clinic. That made me sad that they'd unfortunately been pigeonholed as a “hangover solution spot.”
Thankfully, Matt picked up on my confusion and explained that the reason he opened up shop is to help those with crazy schedules, or those who maybe still don’t have insurance find affordable healthcare for smaller medical illnesses.
Urgent care facilities are a pain, especially with insurance coverage, or the lack thereof so Renew is the more affordable option. I agreed to let him examine me and I certainly am glad I did. I ended up not being fully clear of my sinus infection—and let’s be honest they’re pretty hard to shake in Charleston with the high level of pollen and changing weather conditions. He wrote me a prescription for another set of antibiotics and I should be set in a few days!
After my examination we discussed the IV therapy aspect of making me feel better and truly recover from my sinus funk. I checked out the IV menu and was lost but he and his nurse were right there guiding me through it, answering all questions, and filling in my gaps in knowledge. We decided to go with an immunity boost which included the base of normal saline, vitamin C, and trace minerals. However, we also decided to add Decadron, a steroid to help treat allergic reactions, inflammation, and/or congestion.
Next up—treatment.
This was awesome! You have the option of going into your own private room (one with 2 chairs and one with 3 chairs) or into the group room, both of which had extraordinarily comfortable recliners (6 in the group room) and Netflix to enjoy while lounging. The nurse came in and placed my IV and got things rolling with no problem—she was such a pro. My treatment took almost exactly 45 minutes, which was perfect. It took about 20 minutes following the IV treatment for everything to set in, but when it did, I felt pretty rejuvenated and definitely nowhere close to as draggy as I had been feeling prior to receiving treatment.
While being treated I informed Matt of the bad rap IV clinics have from those uninformed individuals in the community (like myself prior to going to Renew) who think they are serving primarily those with hangovers. He explained that that is the pigeonhole they have found themselves in as a result of press coverage.
For the record—the most common IV treatments given at Renew IV Spa & Walk-In Clinic are the immuno boost and the athlete’s boost—not hangover boost, so let’s stop thinking of IV clinics as the hangover pick me up spot.
I recommend everyone try IV therapy and the walk-in clinic at Renew IV Spa & Walk-In Clinic. Having a walk-in clinic as simple as the one at Renew is such an asset to the community, especially since it is so reasonably priced at just $64 for a history, physical examination, and any necessary prescriptions.
Below is a list of IV therapy treatments on the menu where in parentheses by each I have provided the basic elements in each of these boosts.
I would like to emphasize however that all IV therapy options are very customizable, which is why the folks at Renew are such a great resource to figure out what the best solution is for you.
Immuno Boost: Helps boost your immune system to help fight and prevent infections. (normal saline, vitamin C, & trace minerals)
Athlete’s Boost: Helps your body perform at its best and recover from high demand. (lactated ringers, trace minerals, & magnesium)
Recovery Boost: Treats the inflammation and dehydration associated with long and stressful schedules. (lactated ringers, Toradol, & magnesium)
Beauty Boost: Helps to improve your inner glow, restore skin hydration, fullness, and reverse the effects of free radicals. (normal saline, vitamin C, & magnesium)
Energy Boost: Used to increase your natural energy levels, stabilize your mood, and boost your immune system overall. (normal saline, vitamin B12, & vitamin C)
Weight Loss Boost: Helps to increase your energy and enhance your metabolism. (normal saline, vitamin B12, & trace minerals)
Headache Boost: Helps increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and raise oxygen levels. (normal saline, Toradol, & oxygen)
Hangover Boost: Used to rehydrate your body, reduce inflammation, and eliminate nausea and heartburn associated with the negative effects of heavy alcohol consumption. (normal saline, Toradol, & Zofran)
Cleanse Boost: Used to eliminate free radicals, increase blood flow, and detoxify the body. (normal saline & glutathione)
Myers Cocktail: Helps enhance the immune system, relieve fatigue, reduce allergies, and improve symptoms associated with fibromyalgia and asthma. (normal saline, vitamin B-complex, vitamin B12, magnesium, vitamin C, & trace minerals)
The cost of IV therapy is $59, which includes two additives found in the images below. Additional vitamins, minerals, or medicines can be added for $15 each.
Figure out which elements are the best cocktail for you!
Copyright © 2015 Dez Inc. dba GulfStream Communications
