IV therapies are defined as an intravenous route to the administration of medications, fluids and nutrients. For people in a medical setting, IVs often are life-savers. For Justin Bing, IV therapies are a way to help people live better through Rev(IV)ed Hydration, an enterprise that opened first in Traverse City and then in Grand Rapids a year and a half ago.
“IV therapy has been an increasing trend across the country the last five to 10 years, and we’ve seen fantastic growth in our company,” said Bing, operations manager at Rev(IV)ed Hydration. “We were the first in Michigan to see the trend and bring it here.”
Rev(IV)ed Hydration Wellness & IV Spa, at 1059 Wealthy St. SE, offers visitors IVs that blend vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids and do everything from offering migraine relief to improving skin and hair health. Licensed Registered Nurses administer the IVs, with oversight by a board-certified physician.
“For someone with chronic migraines, we are an alternative to going to the ER,” said Bing. “We aren’t advertised as an ER, but we’re all registered nurses. IV therapy is beneficial for so many different things, including chronic fatigue, acute illnesses and those just looking to be more healthy.”
For Julie Muller, who lives in Zeeland and has been chronically ill and disabled since age 25, IV therapies have been a huge blessing. She first discovered them when her husband was working in Germany. Muller said that vitamin infusions were common in Germany, and that by getting them, she was able to teach her daughter every day and have less pain.
Her husband’s job brought them to Indiana, where the only option for pain control was opioids, and then to West Michigan in 2017.
“I looked for an infusion clinic and found Justin Bing, who was doing concierge infusion visits at that time. I was in pretty bad shape, but within a month or six weeks was much better,” said Muller. “The last four years of my life are the healthiest I’ve been in 25 years, and I put it up to IV therapies.”
Muller receives the Executive Drip from Rev(IV)ed Hydration, its most comprehensive package that includes vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids. Other “drips” include the Beauty Drip with glutathione, zinc, vitamin C and a B-vitamin complex, and the Hangover Drip, containing a blend of Pepcid, Zofran, B-Complex and Toradol.
“We’ve taken out the sterile, medical feeling and offer a more spa-like environment.”
Justin Bing
Muller began in Germany with the Myer’s Cocktail, which includes vitamin C, magnesium, calcium and seven B vitamins, and can relieve symptoms associated with asthma, migraines, fibromyalgia, dehydration and more. Rev(IV)ed Hydration calls it the Wellness Drip.
A lot of clients at Rev(IV)ed Hydration are executives or business owners, according to Bing, and see IV therapy as an investment in their health.
“People love it because it’s convenient. We’ve taken out the sterile, medical feeling and offer a more spa-like environment. We see people hanging out and sparking conversations while they receive the therapy,” said Bing.
Several other places offer these therapies around Grand Rapids including Natural Health Improvement Center, which offers a variety of IV nutrition therapies (nhicwestmi.com/iv-nutrition), and the Born Clinic, which provides several IV options including chelation therapy to remove heavy metals, nutritional IV therapies and ultraviolet blood irradiation (bornclinic.com/medical-services). Age Management of West Michigan also offers IV nutrient drips (agemanagementmi.com/iv-therapy).
Prices range according to business and therapy. Rev(IV)ed Hydration prices start at $89 for the Hydrate Drip; the Executive Drip is $179. The IV Ketamine Therapy — which helps treat patients with PTSD, depression, anxiety, chronic pain and more, and can include a therapist present during the treatment — starts at $2,200 for six, one-hour sessions. Age Management of West Michigan prices start at $165 for a combo drip.
Bing said he’s gotten some flak, with some saying IV therapies offer only a placebo effect. Insurance doesn’t cover the therapies, but HSA accounts can be used to pay. He hires only RNs and loves to hire former ER nurses “because they are used to doing IVs.”
“It’s hard to change people’s minds, but I say come in and try it,” Bing said. “Naysayers are the best. They come in for a therapy and say, ‘Holy crap, that really made a difference.’ Word of mouth is the best marketing we have.”
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