Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Call to ban commercial use of intravenous drips as hangover cure

A senior doctor from the US Government's health institute has said that the commercial use of Intravenous (IV) drips to treat hangovers should not be allowed. Dr Lorenzo Leggio runs a unit at the National Institutes of Health that specializes in the research and treatment of alcoholism and alcohol abuse.
He said: "In my opinion it should not be allowed for the simple reason that there is not scientific evidence that suggests that such a treatment is effective. The concern with this approach is that doctors are treating a consequence of excessive alcohol use, but they are not addressing the underlying medical problem which is the excessive alcohol use."
But Dr Jake Deutsch disagrees. He runs an urgent care clinic in Manhattan and has been administering IV therapy for hangovers, fatigue and other non-urgent conditions for several years. Each treatment costs around $200 and the IV cocktail can contain saline, vitamins and anti-nausea medicine. Although he treats a small number of patients per week at the moment, he says there is a growing demand for the service.
He said: "When you drink water you can absorb it but it takes a bit longer, putting an IV in is direct access and in effect immediate results for the problem." IV therapy is available at clinics across the States in places like Chicago, Miami Atlanta and Las Vegas. For those who really cannot get out of bed, some businesses even offer an in-home service for an extra fee.
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