Before Your IV Drip: How to Prepare and What Happens

An IV drip is a medical treatment, so it starts with health checks. Here is how to prepare, and what happens while you relax.

In the video, Umesh, Medical Director at 65 Medical, talks you through it: how to get ready, what happens at your appointment, what's normal, and the questions worth asking, whether you come to us or go somewhere else. Everything is written out below so you can come back to it.

Umesh appears in real video filmed at our clinic; the voice is AI-generated and lip-synced, made with consent. The treatment footage is real and used with consent.

Getting ready

Before you book

IV drips should only be given after a medical assessment by a qualified clinician in a CQC-registered clinic. Tell us about any heart, kidney or liver conditions, and any medicines you take.

The day before

Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol. Good hydration makes it easier to find a vein.

On the day

Eat a meal beforehand and wear short sleeves or a loose top. Eat normally and drink plenty of water. Arrive 10 minutes early, bring a list of any medicines and supplements you take, and wear something comfortable. Allow about an hour.

Your appointment, step by step

Arriving

When you arrive, we welcome you and you settle in a private treatment room. There's no rush: ask anything you like.

Your consultation

Your consultation comes first. We go through your medical history, medicines and allergies, talk about what you'd like to change and why, and give you an honest view of what's realistic. If a treatment isn't right for you, we'll say so.

Photos

We take clinical photos, so we can compare the result later. They are kept in your confidential record.

Your consent

We explain the benefits, risks, side effects and alternatives, then give you a consent form to read and sign. You can take time to think, and you can change your mind at any point.

Your prescription

Many drip ingredients are prescription-only, so a clinician reviews your health and medicines and prescribes the drip for you; it isn't chosen off a menu.

The treatment: what you'll see and feel

We check your blood pressure and medicines. Then we place a small cannula in your arm. You'll sit back in a comfortable chair for 30 to 45 minutes. A cool feeling in the arm or a metallic taste is normal.

Straight after

Straight after, we show you the result, go through your aftercare, and you'll receive a written aftercare email and video. Our 24-hour line is there if anything worries you, and we book your review if you need one.

What's normal

• A sharp scratch as the cannula goes in
• A cool feeling in the arm or a metallic taste during the drip

Please call us before you come if

• You feel unwell, have a temperature or an infection
• You have a cold sore, spots or broken skin on the area
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding, or might be
• You have started a new medicine, or had a vaccine or dental work in the last two weeks (tell us and we'll advise)

Questions to ask, whichever clinic you choose

• What are your qualifications, and are you on a professional register (NMC, GMC, GDC or GPhC) or a PSA-accredited register such as Save Face or the JCCP?
• How many of these treatments have you done?
• Who is the prescriber, and will I see them face to face before any prescription-only treatment?
• What product will you use, and can I see the box and batch number?
• What are the risks and side effects, and what alternatives are there?
• If something goes wrong, who looks after me, how quickly, and is there an out-of-hours number?
• Do you have insurance for this treatment?
• Who assesses me before the drip, and what checks do you do?
• What is in the drip, and why is it right for me?

Questions before your appointment? Call the clinic on 020 7252 3333, or our 24-hour line on 07414 163998.

Need a doctor or a health check?

Our private GP, Dr Ayaz Tokhi, is on hand for video appointments from £75 (telephone £65), and we offer private blood tests at the clinic from £69.50. See our health services and book.

Already had your treatment? Read our IV drip aftercare guide, with a video and a day-by-day timeline.

Want to know more first? Read about IV drips at our Brentwood clinic.

This is general information, not personal medical advice. Your clinician will advise you on your own situation at your consultation. Results vary. Treatments are for adults aged 18 and over.