Hangover IV: what's actually in the drip?

You wake up. Your head is pounding, your stomach is turning, and even a glass of water feels like too much. A hangover is more than feeling sorry for yourself: your body is short on fluid, short on some vitamins, and dealing with what alcohol leaves behind, all at once.

The question we hear most is: what's actually in the drip? Here's the breakdown, ingredient by ingredient.

Why a hangover hits so hard

Alcohol is a diuretic: it makes your kidneys pass more fluid than you're taking in. That fluid takes electrolytes with it, like sodium, potassium and magnesium. When those run low, you can get headaches, dizziness, cramps and that foggy, drained feeling.

Alcohol also gets in the way of how your body absorbs B vitamins, which is part of why a hangover can leave you feeling slow and flat, not only rough. And as your liver breaks alcohol down, it makes acetaldehyde, a toxic compound that's a big part of that queasy feeling.

Water and sports drinks help, but they have to go through your stomach and gut first, which is hard when you can barely keep anything down. An IV skips that step: the fluid goes straight into a vein. More on that in IV Hydration vs. Drinking Water.

What goes in a hangover drip

Every part of a hangover drip has a job. Here's what goes in the bag.

1. IV fluid

The base of every drip: a sterile IV fluid, usually normal saline (salt water). It goes straight into your bloodstream instead of waiting on your stomach. This is the part that deals with the dehydration.

2. B vitamins

Your body uses B vitamins to turn food into energy, and alcohol affects how well you absorb them. Bounce Back carries both B12 and B Complex, the family of eight B vitamins.

3. Medicine for nausea

Nausea is often what makes a hangover truly miserable, and it makes everything else harder: if you can't keep fluids down, you can't catch up on them. Bounce Back includes an anti-nausea medicine, given after your nurse's assessment. Zofran, an anti-nausea medicine, is also on our add-on menu.

4. Medicine for pain

For a pounding headache or body aches, Bounce Back includes pain relief medicine, again given after your nurse's assessment. Toradol, a non-opioid anti-inflammatory pain reliever, is also on our add-on menu.

5. Extras, if you want them

Electrolytes like magnesium, and antioxidants like vitamin C, are common in hangover drips too. On our menu they're add-ons: your nurse can put magnesium, vitamin C or any other add-on from our menu in the same bag.

• Anti-nausea

  Anti-nausea medicine, given after your nurse's assessment.

• Pain relief

  Pain relief medicine, given after your nurse's assessment.

• B12

  A B vitamin.

• B Complex

  The family of B vitamins, together.

Your nurse goes over your health history and checks your vitals before anything goes in the bag, and may change what goes in it, or advise against an IV.

How long does a hangover drip take?

After your nurse's health check, the drip runs for about 30 to 45 minutes. You stay on your couch or in your hotel bed the whole time, and your nurse stays with you until it's done. Everyone's different, so we don't promise how fast you'll feel it.

Is a hangover IV safe?

Every visit starts with a health check by a registered nurse: your health history, the medicines you take, and your vitals. Some people shouldn't have an IV, for example people with kidney disease or heart failure, and your nurse looks for that first. Every IV uses sterile, single-use equipment. More in Understanding IV Infusion Side Effects.

We come to you

The whole point of a hangover drip at home: you don't have to go anywhere. No clinic, no waiting room, no driving while you feel awful. A registered nurse comes to your home or hotel with everything needed.

We come to you in Southern West Virginia, Morgantown, Wheeling and Pittsburgh. Some of the towns we visit: Greater Charleston, Kanawha Valley, Morgantown, Beckley and Fayetteville. Check every place we go.

Questions about hangover IV drips

What's in a hangover IV drip?

IV fluid, B vitamins, and medicine for nausea and pain. Ours, the Bounce Back, is Anti-nausea, pain relief, B12, B Complex. Magnesium, vitamin C and other add-ons can go in the same bag.

How long does it take?

The drip runs for about 30 to 45 minutes, after your nurse's health check.

Can you come to my hotel?

Yes. We come to homes, hotels, offices and events in Southern West Virginia, Morgantown, Wheeling and Pittsburgh.

Is it better than water or a sports drink?

Drinking is the first thing to try, and plenty of people get by with it. The difference with an IV is the route: water and sports drinks go through your stomach and gut, while an IV goes straight into a vein, which helps when you can't keep anything down.

How much does a hangover IV cost?

Our Bounce Back is $175. Add-ons are extra; see the whole menu. No insurance; HSA and FSA cards welcome.

Is there anything else for a hangover?

If a headache is the worst of it, see our page on migraine & headache. If it's your stomach, see nausea. And for the whole picture, our page on hangover.