Intravenous Nutrition is a wonderful therapy for individuals who have Malabsorption Syndromes associated with celiac, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis, those with fibromyalgia and nutritional deficiencies, as well as gastric bypass patients
This issue is more common than you think — the CDC estimates that 1 in 4 adults have some form of malabsorption, meaning the body does not absorb all the nutrients from food.
How does Intravenous Nutrition work?
All patients are evaluated through blood and urine tests to assess their nutritional and metabolic status and therapies are prescribed accordingly. These therapies involve the intravenous intake of vitamins and minerals. For example, vitamin C can help increase collagen production. This along with a wide range of supplements including vitamin B, and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, cobalt, and manganese will aid in reversing the effects of malabsorption. This therapy can be administered several times a week or as little as once a month as a preventative measure.
Nutrients are administered intravenously in the office by a nurse under a doctor’s supervision. Therapy can take the form of a brief “IV push” lasting from 10 to 30 minutes, or a larger volume of nutrients delivered in several minutes to several hours, depending on how much time and the amount of nutrients needed to complete the treatment. The patient typically reclines in a comfortable lounge and are allowed to eat and drink during the process. They can also keep themselves entertained during the IV through reading, using a portable music or DVD player or even take a nap. The treatment generally involves very minimal discomfort and the patient is free to resume all normal activities immediately afterwards.
Intravenous delivery of vitamins is far more effective than oral supplements therapy, as it produces an absorption level of 100% as opposed to the 40% achieved through the intake of pills.
Those who fear needles may be reading this and cringing– but you needn’t worry — the catheter we use is extremely tiny and causes little to no discomfort.
The degree of disease response and improvement reported by patients who have experienced Intravenous Therapy is well documented in clinical studies. For more information, call us at 954-561-3175 to make an appointment.
Dr. Cabrera has 33 years of experience as a General Internist. He trained at the VA hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His personal approach to functional medicine frees his patient’s from prescription dependency and negative side effects.
