Founder of Sydney’s first mobile IV vitamin drip service claims trend is taking off in Australia
Australians are paying hundreds of dollars a pop for this surprising new “wellness treatment” – but fans say it’s worth every cent.
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Sydneysiders are paying hundreds of dollars for vitamin infusions in the comfort of their own homes – and devotees are convinced the health benefits are worth the expense.
Rosalie McEvedy is the founder of IV League Drips, Sydney’s first fully mobile IV vitamin drip service.
The 27-year-old launched the business last year, offering at-home vitamin drips designed to fight fatigue, increase energy and boost immunity, among other health claims.
Ms McEvedy, who previously worked in a variety of pharmacies after graduating with a Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Nursing, started her company after noticing the popularity of the IV vitamin trend overseas during a career break.
Ms McEvedy said it was now well and truly catching on, with clients flocking to her business when they suffered from a lack of energy, low mood and sleep issues.
The company’s revenue has doubled over the last six months, and it is expanding into the corporate sector in 2020 with a focus on workplace wellness to “help alleviate the $20,000 cost of sick leave on small and medium businesses in NSW”.
Ms McEvedy said potential clients were always encouraged to have an initial blood test to rule out a vitamin deficiency.
If their results are clear, they are then sent for hormone tests in a bid to discover the cause of their symptoms.
“Even with younger people, a lot of fatigue stems from hormone imbalances,” she said.
“Everyone is very different in how they present – but someone who comes to us saying they’re very tired will go through a specific consultation process to try and eliminate problems.
“We look at every aspect of their lifestyle and diet and take that into account.”
Clients also undergo a thorough consultation with staff members who go over their medical history, including medications and allergies.
Ms McEvedy said her clients come from “across the board”, from busy corporate types to overrun mums searching for energy boosts.
She said the treatments were becoming more and more popular thanks to social media and the long list of celebrity fans such as Rihanna, Adele, Chrissy Teigen and Gwyneth Paltrow.
But in an ironic twist, Ms McEvedy admitted she used to be “terrified of needles”.
“I was that person who would faint when they needed to have a blood test, so when I started IV League Drips I took that into account and introduced a numbing cream,” she said.
“I completely understand the fear – it’s such a massive psychological thing – but the cream definitely calms the nerves.”
She said there were critics out there, but her entire team were committed to the concept of “integrated medicine to benefit people as a whole”.
“It can come across as something we’re doing as a fad and our team are quite young, but we are really focused on health and wellbeing and finding a solution,” she said.
The most popular treatment is the $289 Limitless Elite that “targets the optimisation of both physical and mental functioning”.
The company website also claims the $239 “Executive” treatment can “increase your focus and improve concentration”, while the $229 “Skinny” package is targeted at “those who need help in shredding those extra kilos.”
Sydney GP and co-chair of the Central Sydney General Practice Network Dr Javier Camargo told news.com.au while the jury was still out on the effectiveness of such treatments, they were probably safe – although last year, supermodel Kendall Jenner was hospitalised after experiencing a bad reaction to a vitamin IV drip in the US.
Dr Camargo said clients should rule out any potential health problems before undergoing a procedure.
“There’s minimal evidence to suggest it does anything … unless you have a specific deficiency like vitamin B12 or iron. If these things are deficient they may require replacement, but that will usually be led by a GP,” he said.
“For certain groups of people who may have kidney problems it may create more harm than normal, so make sure there are no underlying medical issues before you attempt it.
“But my philosophy is if it will do no harm and you can afford it, then why not try it. If you’re young and healthy there should be no issues.”
Originally published as Founder of Sydney’s first mobile IV vitamin drip service claims trend is taking off in Australia