Intravenous therapy trend growing with new Short North studio Wellness Flow. Does it work?

A health therapy embraced by celebrities but questioned by some medical experts has landed in Columbus.

Wellness Flow, a Dayton-based company that offers intravenous vitamin and energy boosts, has opened at 15 Price Ave. in the Short North. The studio offers IV therapy, wellness shots, NAD+ sessions, COVID testing, aesthetic services such as Botox, and hormone and testosterone treatments.

The celebrity-touted trend, which got its start a decade ago in a Las Vegas lounge, has made its way to Columbus by way of co-founders Paul Adongo and Sean Carroo, who opened the first Wellness Flow in the Dayton suburb of Oakwood in May 2020.

Adongo and Carroo have worked with several entertainers in the last few years. They provided COVID testing early in the pandemic at Dave Chappelle's shows in Yellow Springs and for Twenty One Pilots. They now offer IV therapy services to musicians and entertainers who visit Columbus.

Carroo, who was introduced to IV therapy as a swimmer at Wright State University and national powerlifting competitions, said the company's clients range from the health conscious to party-goers looking to cure a hangover.

"Our largest client base is chronically ill patients. You're able to provide them fluids and nutrients that's actually going to help sustain them," he said. "Of course, like on Sundays and Mondays, we'll get people in the morning like, 'Please, God help me, I need to go to work.' And I can't deny that I do partake in that."

Is IV therapy safe?

IV therapy is a trend across the country, but some experts have questioned the usefulness and safety of the alternative medical treatment, citing concerns about infection, clotting and allergic reactions.

Last year, the FDA released a statement highlighting the potential risks of the clinics and compounded drug products, especially if the products are prepared under unregulated and unsanitary conditions. Many of these concerns emerged with the rise of "hangover clinics," which have existed for a decade and some medical experts have deemed a scam.  

A spokesperson for the State Medical Board of Ohio noted that the clinics, unlike individual physicians, are not regulated by the board.

"Physicians are expected to meet the standard of care for any given treatment, that is the level of care that a reasonably competent and skilled health care professional, with a similar background and type of practice would have provided under the circumstances," said Jerica Stewart, communications officer for the medical board.

The trend is, however, sanctioned by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.

Wellness Flow and similar businesses are licensed by the board. At least 44 clinics across the state, including 10 in the Columbus area, are licensed to perform IV therapy.

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Wellness Flow, like every IV therapy clinic, is required by the Board of Pharmacy to have a physician on staff. Led by medical director Dr. Addison Tarr, everyone on Wellness Flow's staff is a board-certified, licensed medical professional, including nurses, mid-level practitioners, physician's assistants and physicians. All receive background and compliance checks, and undergo a few weeks of training.

Carroo said Ohio's regulations are much stricter than those in other states. Unlike some other states, for example, Ohio requires customers to have their blood pressure taken before a drip can be administered.

Wellness Flow offers an extensive "drip menu," ranging from $75 to $235, along with subscription services ranging from $65 to $340. (Most health insurance plans do not cover IV therapy.)

The "Hydration" drip, $75, contains vitamin B complex, while the "Refresh" drip, $150, contains vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and a mineral blend.

The Myers Cocktail, $140, is probably the best-known IV therapy formula. The drip is formulated with magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, and vitamin C.

Some drips require a doctor's note, such as the prenatal drip, which requires consultation with an OBGYN.

Carroo acknowledged that some members of the industry cut corners and that the industry battles misperceptions stemming from the "hangover spots." He said he is determined to change that perception.

"There's a lot of regulation that we have to go through," he said. "But we're very proud, we keep a really high-end employee list. ...

"I pretty much demand all my employees be part-time here because I want them to be active in their hospital systems," he said. "So they really have their finger on the pulse as to what's going on medically in the world."

Does it work?

Carroo says IV drips can benefit people with symptoms related to Crohn's disease, arthritis, depression, anemia, diabetes, chemotherapy side effects and more. He points to a friend who struggles with arthritis and could barely open their hands before getting regular IV therapy to reduce inflammation.

IV vitamin therapy was pioneered in the 1960s by John Myers, who developed the therapy as a way to treat asthma attacks, migraines and fibromyalgia. (The Myers Cocktail is named after him.) But few studies on those or any other benefits exist, and evidence over the years in support of the therapy has mostly been anecdotal.

Andrea Spencer, 29, of the Short North, said she learned about Wellness Flow through a friend.

She's now a regular at the Columbus studio, but she has been getting IV therapy for years.

"I travel a lot for work, so it definitely helps me recover from all the flights," said Spencer, who works as a model. "I'm on the go all the time and I drink a lot of water, but I know it's not enough."

While getting a "Refresh" treatment recently, Spencer described the drip as cold. She said sometimes she can taste or smell the ingredients in the drip, but is refreshed and tends to sleep better after the treatment.

Drip service can last 30 minutes to an hour, or two hours for an NAD+ infusion, which is said to have benefits lasting up to two weeks.

Carroo understands the skepticism behind IV therapy, but said if "you see it and experience it, you'll see the value."

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@TaijuanNichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Intravenous therapy comes to Columbus' Short North. Does it work?