RVA RevIVe’s History

Hello! We are Ashley and Sara, nurse practitioner and registered nurse, respectively. We first dreamed of RVA RevIVe when we worked together in an adult outpatient clinic. We both love helping people be the healthiest version of themselves and we wanted to focus our energy on that. One of the best ways to take care of yourself is to be sure that you are putting into your body the vitamins and nutrients that it needs. At RVA RevIVe we help clients do this with our nutrient packed infusions and injections. It is our mission to provide members of our community with comfortable and personalized care to assist them in meeting their health goals. We have now turned our dream into a women-owned small business that we are very proud of.

A Little Bit of IV Therapy’s History…

What do Rihanna, Adele, Chrissy Teigen, Simon Cowell and Beach Body trainer Autumn Calabrese have in common? They love their vitamin drips.

IV infusion therapy and vitamin drips might seem like a new trend made popular by celebrities above, but it has actually been around for many decades. The Myers’ Cocktail, aka “Banana Bag” was developed in the 1960’s (some date even earlier) by a Baltimore physician, Dr. John Myers, who helped discover a treatment for acute asthma attacks, migraines, fatigue (including chronic fatigue syndrome), fibromyalgia, acute muscle spasms, colds, chronic sinusitis, seasonal allergies, chronic depression/anxiety and other disorders. The cocktail combines magnesium, calcium, B-vitamins, and Vitamin C intravenously to bypass the gut and directly dump nutrients into the bloodstream for immediate use by the cells. Popularized in the 80s and 90s by Dr. Alan Gaby who took the torch after Dr. Myers’ death, the Myers’ Cocktail is now considered the “Gold Standard” for wellness.

Since it’s popularization, vitamin therapy has evolved to include different combinations of nutrients and anti-oxidants as a way to recover from jet lag, boost energy, support a healthy weight, improve mental clarity, improve hair, skin and nails, and enhance the body’s ability to fight damage from free radicals.

Why It Works

Intravenous vitamin infusions provide nearly 100% bioavailable nutrients directly to the blood stream. This is in contrast to taking vitamins by oral route, where research has shown an absorption rate of anywhere from 30-80%, depending on the vitamin preparation and the individual taking it. Certain vitamins are best taken with a fatty meal, others taken in combination with each other, some absorb better sublingually, and others need the stomach acid to break down the components prior to being absorbed. After all of that, the liver gets to metabolize it’s portion prior to giving your cells their cut.

What to Expect

We are a small business consisting of only the two of us, Ashley and Sara. At the beginning of your first visit, you will review your medical and medication history with one of us to make sure that the IV vitamin infusion is not contraindicated. Specific considerations that may result in not getting treatment would be a history of congestive heart failure or advanced kidney disease, as the treatment itself increases blood volume and nutrients that get filtered through the kidneys. After your history has been reviewed, your vital signs will be taken to again ensure the safety of the treatment. The IV site is disinfected and the needle is placed into the vein. Once IV access is obtained, we will begin to mix your individualized bag of nutrients. Once the infusion starts, you will be monitored closely for the first 15 minutes to ensure that there are no complications. During the infusion time, you will be relaxing in your chair with music of your choice, water, juice, and snacks if desired, and a lovely essential oil diffusing through the air. The infusion will take anywhere from 30-60 minutes. Once the infusion is complete, the IV catheter will be removed and a bandage will be placed on your arm. Vital signs will be taken again after the infusion and then you will be all set to continue on with your day.

How Often Should I Receive IV Vitamin Therapy?

Many of our client’s report feeling the effects of their treatment for 1-2 weeks. Depending on your goals, you can discuss with your health care provider on the suggested frequency of treatments. For many individuals every 2-4 weeks is a good regimen, though you may choose to receive it on an as needed basis.

We can’t wait to see you at RVA RevIVe!