What’s the difference between IV vitamin infusion therapy and IM boosters?

The medical technology of intravenous therapy – i.e. injecting fluids directly into the body via a needle – has been around for a long while, from the middle ages when the first rudimentary blood transfusions were developed. Several hundred years later and the IV drip is a quintessential part of every hospital scene, but more recently is the focus of therapies that promote overall preventative wellness offering hydration, vitamins and minerals for ongoing optimum health – this is where we come in.

Alongside these vitamin injections you’ll also often find what’s called IM boosters, which together form a very popular treatment favoured by everyone from Hollywood actors, athletes and busy mums alike. These fantastic therapies are a recent addition to what our doctor-led team now offers here at Lumea Aesthetics, giving our patients a new way to fit further nutrition into their schedules, and even aid cosmetic treatments by promoting health from the inside out.

What’s the difference between IV drip therapy and IM boosters?

IV (intravenous) vitamin therapy and IM (intramuscular) boosters are essentially different delivery mechanisms for the same thing: both are therapies that supply hydration, vitamins and minerals directly into your body, bypassing the digestive system so they are fully and immediately absorbed.

IV infusions are administered intravenously, meaning a needle and drip is used to transport the nutrients directly into your bloodstream, which takes between 20 and 60 minutes.
IM boosters on the other hand are intramuscular injections, administered directly into muscle tissue – it’s one simple shot and is therefore great for those on a tight schedule. IM injections are also recommended for when the vitamins and minerals you want need to be released slowly into the body.

What are the benefits of IV vitamin therapy and IM booster injections?

The direct delivery of fluid through insertion directly into your veins or into a large muscle (as for IM boosters) means that it bypasses the digestive system, allowing for maximum absorption of key vitamins and minerals – leading to faster and more effective results. Infusions and boosters are a safe and perfect perk-me-up if you are prone to exercise fatigue, stress or lethargy.

These therapies also give us the opportunity to administer a high dose of nutrients into your system. Vitamins and minerals like magnesium, vitamin C are great for a wide range of benefits like boosting your immune system, reducing your blood pressure and helping with a healthy glow, but they really need to be taken in regular, high doses to truly see these benefits.

It is of course possible to take these vitamins and many others orally in a supplement, but an infusion or booster has three key benefits over simply taking a tablet. First, as you may have heard of before, is that only a small percentage of nutrients in oral supplements are actually absorbed by your body in the digestive system and the rest goes to waste. It can also take up to two days to be completely digested and spread throughout your body to your cells which is where the difference is made. IM and IV therapies on the other hand deliver your nutrients directly into your bloodstream instead, and so you’ll start experiencing the positive effects on your body almost immediately.

We’re also limited with oral supplements because the high doses can affect your bowels – it’s yet another good reason to bypass the digestive system entirely. We can give a megadose of these nutrients through IV or IM without causing the gut any problems.

What sort of IV infusions are there?

As one of Melbourne’s best IV drip clinics, we have over 15 ‘cocktails’ of nutrient therapies specially developed to support glowing skin, getting over a hangover a little quicker or to combat a range of concerns from vitamin deficiencies to managing the effects of chemotherapy. And if none of them are quite right for you, we can tailor a mix unique to what your body needs. Below are some of our most popular infusions, but you can read up on all them here.

Iron Infusion: for those tired and weak with low iron

 The body needs iron to help our muscles store and use oxygen as well as maintain the levels of haemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If the amount of iron in the body gets too low, you could feel tired, weak and even experience the dreaded ‘brain fog’. Iron infusion therapy replaces iron back into the body to make healthy oxygen-carrying red blood cells and relieve these symptoms.

Prep and Recovery: for peak fitness performance

This infusion treatment is ideal for those with demanding fitness regimes or anyone recovering from illness or other physical stresses. Hydration combined with vitamins and electrolytes help prepare and repair your body around strenuous activity, reducing inflammation and providing quicker muscle recovery to get you back into fit, fighting form as soon as possible.

Lumea-NAD+: for helping reverse cell damage

Revive your cells with a NAD+ therapy treatment, which studies have shown may reverse mitochondrial dysfunction before it becomes permanent, slowing down the effects of ageing and other degeneration in the mind and body. Athletes commonly use this therapy to help improve their overall performance.

What sort of IM boosters are there?

Intramuscular booster injections are a simple and fast way to maximise your overall health -and just like IV nutrition therapy, can be especially formulated to address your own concerns with imbalances of vitamins and minerals in your body. They are often formulated to help relieve fatigue, support bone health, improve mood, relieve muscle cramps and lower the risk of anaemia. Some of our most requested boosters are:

Lumea-B complex booster: for overall cell and neurological health

A general feeling of low energy and fatigue could call for an intramuscular booster shot of complex B vitamins. This array of vitamins are essential in maintaining the normal function of your immune and nervous system, psychological function and red blood cell cycle, while also promoting healthy skin, hair and eyes.

Lumea-B12 booster: for healthy brain, blood and cells

Vitamin B12 is not only necessary for healthy brain function, it’s also important for developing and maintaining healthy blood and nerve cells, while having a hand in the production of DNA and RNA. B12 can also help your body use fat and carbohydrates for energy and make new protein, making this infusion a go-to for long-term optimal performance and health.

Lumea-D booster: for when you can’t get enough sunshine

Australia has a surprisingly high rate of vitamin D deficiency – everyone is making a great effort to stay safe in the sun. Since we don’t recommend increasing your intake of unprotected sun exposure, our Lumea-D booster is a wonderful option for those deficient in vitamin D, important for healthy bones and teeth, as well as normal muscle, respiratory, immunity and cardiovascular functions.

Head here for pricing information on each of the IV therapy cocktails.

If you’re ready to discover what IV and IM nutrition therapies have in store for you, get started with an initial consultation where we’ll discuss your needs and ensure the selected treatment is safe.

And please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions you have – I’d love to hear from you so we can start working together on a refreshed, healthy and confident you.

Best wishes and I hope to see you soon.

Dr Toro & The Lumea Aesthetics Team