IV Therapy

What is IV nutritional therapy?

Intravenous (IV) therapy is a safe and effective method of delivering therapeutic doses of vitamins and minerals directly to into the circulatory system.

Based on the individual needs of her patients, Dr. Bean formulates a variation of the Myers cocktail with a combination of vitamins and minerals with a range of B vitamins such as Methylfolate, Methylcobalamin or Hydroxycobalmin, B6, B5, B3, along with magnesium, calcium, minerals and specific amino acids 

The main advantage of IV therapy is that it bypasses the absorption required in the digestive tract. Through the use of IV therapy the nutrients are taken up or rather absorbed much more quickly than if it had been taken oral.

Vitamin absorption issues are extremely common and can be caused by a poor diet, birth control pill use, antibiotic use, low hydrochloric acid, stress, dysbiosis (parasites to bacterial overgrowth), to digestive disorders (such as SIBO, celiac, Crohn’s, ulcerative colitis). 

General applications of IV nutritional therapy

  • Boosting the immune system, such as natural killer cells (Vitamin C). 
  • Slowing down cellular aging and boosting circulation to help eliminate heavy metals 
  • Increase energy 
  • Optimize organ function  
  •  To speed up metabolism and aid in weight loss 
  • Surgery recovery 
  • Dehydration

Specific nutrients and herbal extracts Dr. Bean offers in her IV’s

B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6. Folate (5-MTHF), Methylcobalamin or Hydroxycobalamin: 

  • Energy, enzyme cofactors, methylation support, histamine degradation, anemia’s

Low dose vitamin C (<10g): 

  • Antioxidant
  • immune and collagen support

High dose vitamin C (>10g): 

  • oxidative (disrupts the proliferation of viruses and bacteria)
  • adjunct oncology therapy

Glutathione: 

  • Used to support detox
  • Healing form concussions
  • Energy
  • Increase platelets 
  • Immune support

Alpha lipoic acid:

  •  Potentially chelates heavy metals
  •  Regenerates other antioxidants
  • Co-factor in the krebs cycle
  •  Improves Peripheral neuropathy
  •  Prevents radiation damage
  •  Antidote for poisonous mushrooms (amanita)
  • MS (myelin sheath protection)

PolyMVA: 

  • Specific blend of minerals, vitamins and alpha lipoic acid to help with mitochondrial function, which in turn helps with energy production. 
  • It has been successful in helping those with neuropathy and Chronic Fatigue

Phosphadidylcholine: 

  • Lipid exchange
  • Membrane stabilizer
  • Acetylcholine primer
  • Peripheral neuropathy 

Glycyrrhizic Extract (from Licorice Root):

  • Antiallergic and anti-inflammatory
  • Antiviral and immunostimulatory
  • Antibacterial
  • Antihepatotoxic. 
  • Note: This product is not used with those who have hypertension or current use of digitalis

N-Acetyl-Cysteine: 

  • May reduce carcinogenic effect of tobacco smoke
  • Reduces heavy metal toxicity
  • Enhances glutathione
  • Antidote for acetaminophen poisoning
  • Prevents liver damage
  • Free radical scavenger
  • Antioxidant in methanol intoxication
  • Effective in chemoprevention
  • Reduces endothelial dysfunction
  • Prevents cartilage erosion
  • Prolongs transplants

Carnitine: 

  • Increases rate at which liver burns fats
  • Creates energy

Lysine: 

  • Helps against herpes simplex infections
  • Supporting collagen development

Methionine: 

  • Useful as part of a program for lowering high histamine levels

GABA

  • Anxiety

Taurine

  • Taurine is required in the cell membrane as well as in circulation to be effective as an osmolyte (moves electrolytes across cell membranes) .
  • Taurine along with theanine can support those with depression. 
  • Controls seizures
  • Treats alcohol induced amnesia
  • Helps cystic fibrosis fat absorption problems 
  • Prevents cataract development 
  • Protects against reperfusion injury
  • Reduces adrenal gland adrenaline output
  • Taurine is second only to GABA as an inhibitory neurotransmitter

Amino acids 

  • Chronic fatigue, usual treatments not working
  • Frequent headaches
  • Mental, neurological, or learning issues

What to expect before your receive any IV nutritional therapy with Dr. Bean

Dr. Bean will require you to have updated laboratory work done at least 6 weeks before doing any IV. Each of the requested labs can indicate you have current deficiencies, which will reflect what Dr. Bean uses for your IV. In addition, your current laboratory values indicate if you should wait to have an IV and focus on nutritional support instead.  

  • These laboratory tests includes
    • G6PD: for anyone who wants Vit C >10g or Artesunate 
    • CBC + differential 
    • Kidney function: GFR, creatinine, albumin 
    • Liver function: GGT, ALT, AST, Alk Phos
    • Uric acid 
    • Electrolytes: Calcium, sodium, Chloride, magnesium 
    • B12
    • Fasting blood glucose 
    • Urine dip stick 
  • Signed consent form 
  • Post IV therapy support

Specific IV’s treatments for Lyme, coinfections

Artesunate (ART)

The work of Dr. Paul Anderson, ND has done extensive work around the use of ART in an IV form, which is derived from portions of Artemesia. 

He states “This sesquiterpene is widely used in the treatment of malaria in many parts of the world. 

Administration is generally either via the intravenous or intramuscular route.

Toxicity noted in some cases (animal and human) was attributed to the oil based parenterals which are not recommended for use in humans [1,2], but these effects are not generally seen in the artesunate form of the drug [2]. 

Dr. Anderson further explains 

“growing evidences reveal that artemisinin and its derivatives also possess potent anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties. 

[3] In other data researchers state “Our results indicated that artesunate could decrease MCP-1, major pro-inflammation cytokine, in serum, urine and kidney.

We also found that the level of BAFF, the major B cell activation factor, was decreased in artesunate treated MRL/lpr mice. [4]

Dr. Bean may suggest following an ART IV with a high dose IV Vitamin C to maintain the reactive oxygen species affect on infections. 

It has been suggested for optimal outcomes to do 2 Artesunate IV’s pared with high dose IV Vitamin C  twice a week for 4 weeks then down to weekly.  

Expectations before using IV artesunate 

  • You must have your G6PD tested along with CBC, electrolytes, bilirubin, AST/ALT, eGFR BUN, Creatinine 
  • To use an oral form of Artemesia first to see how you respond to Artesunate 
  • Your first ART IV will be 60mg then can increase to 120mg 
  • Artesunate IV can lower your iron and copper – so to have a iron base line before use is expected

1 Gordi T, Lepist EI. Review: Artemisinin derivatives: toxic for laboratory animals, safe for humans? Toxicology Letters 147 (2004) 99–107 

2 Medhi B. Pharmacokinetic and ToxicologicalProfile of Artemisinin Compounds: An Update Pharmacology 2009;84:323–332 DOI: 10.1159/000252658

3 Shi C, Li H, Yang Y and Hou L. Anti-Inflammatory and Immunoregulatory Functions of Artemisinin and Its Derivatives. Mediators of Inflammation Volume 2015, Article ID 435713, 7 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/435713

4.Ouyang Jin, Huayong Zhang, Zhifeng Gu, Shengnan Zhao, Ting Xu, Kangxing Zhou, Bo Jiang, Jie Wang, Xiaofeng Zeng and Lingyun Sun. A Pilot Study of the Therapeutic Efficacy and Mechanism of Artesunate in the MRL/lpr Murine Model of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. Cellular & Molecular Immunology. 2009;6(6):461-46

Mold illness support 

  • Phosphadidylcholine 
  • Glutathione 
  • Vitamins and minerals
  1. Vitamin C 
    1. Pilot study with high dose Vitamin C in China against Coronavirus 
    2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17053422-rationale-and-impact-of-vitamin-c-in-clinical-nutrition/ 
    3. Verrax J and Calderon PB. The controversial place of vitamin C in cancer treatment biochemical pharmacology. 76 (2008 ) 1644 – 1652. PMID: 18938145. 
    4. Duconge J, MirandaI-Massari JR, and Gonzalez MJ, et al. Pharmacokinetics of Vitamin C. PRHSJ 2008;27(1):7-19. PMID: 18450228. 
    5.  Padayatty SJ, Sun AY, and Chen Q, et al. (2010) Vitamin C: Intravenous Use by Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioners and Adverse Effects. PLoS ONE 5(7): e11414:1-8. PMID: 20628650. 
    6. Chen Q, Espey, MG, and Sun AY, et al. Ascorbate in pharmacologic concentrations selectively generates ascorbate radical and hydrogen peroxide in extracellular fluid in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007; 104(21):8749-54. PMID: 17502596. 
    7.  Standish L, Anderson P. “IV Therapy Experience at Bastyr Integrative Oncology Research Center.”
    8. Fromberg, A, et.al. Ascorbate Exerts anti-proliferative effects through cell cycle inhibition and sensitizes tumor cells towards cytostatic drugs. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol, 67:1157-1166, 2011. DOI 10.1007/s00280-010-1418-6 (Springer online). 
    9. Verrax J and Calderon PB. The controversial place of vitamin C in cancer treatment biochemical pharmacology. 76 (2008 ) 1644 – 1652. PMID: 18938145. 
    10. Berenson JR, Yellin O, Woytowitz D, Flam MS, Cartmell A, Patel R, Duvivier H, Nassir Y, Eades B, et al. Bortezomib, ascorbic acid and melphalan (BAM) therapy for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: an effective and well-tolerated frontline regimen. Eur J Haematol. 2009;82:433–9. Downloaded from advances.nutrition.org by guest on November 15, 2011 
    11. Levine M, et.al. Vitamin C: A Concentration-Function Approach Yields Pharmacology and Therapeutic Discoveries. Advanced Nutrition. 2: 78–88, 2011. doi:10.3945/an.110.000109 
    12.  Fritz H, et.al. Intravenous Vitamin C and Cancer: A Systematic Review. Integr Cancer Ther May 26, 2014.Published online before print May 26, 2014, doi: 10.1177/1534735414534463 
    13. Ma Y, Chapman J, Levine M, Polireddy K, Drisko J, Chen Q. High-dose parenteral ascorbate enhanced chemosensitivity of ovarian cancer and reduced toxicity of chemotherapy. Sci Transl Med. 2014 Feb 5;6(222):222ra18. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3007154. PMID: 24500406 
    14. Ayse Günes-Bayir & Huriye Senay Kiziltan (2015) Palliative Vitamin C Application in Patients with Radiotherapy-Resistant Bone Metastases: A Retrospective Study,Nutrition and Cancer, 67:6, 921-925, DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2015.1055366 
    15. Vollbracht C, et. al. Intravenous vitamin C administration improves quality of life in breast cancer patients during chemo-/radiotherapy and aftercare: results of a retrospective, multicentre, epidemiological cohort study in Germany. In Vivo. 2011 Nov-Dec;25(6):983-90. 
    16. Yeom CH Jung GC, Song KJ. Changes of terminal cancer patients’ health-related quality of life after high dose vitamin C administration. J Korean Med Sci. 2007 Feb;22(1):7-11. 
    17. Hoffer LJ, Robitaille L, Zakarian R, Melnychuk D, Kavan P, Agulnik J, et al. (2015) High-Dose Intravenous Vitamin C Combined with Cytotoxic Chemotherapy in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Phase I-II Clinical Trial. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0120228.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0120228 
    18. Anderson. Ascorbate and Oncologic Therapies, a Review. 2013 https://www.academia.edu/10024397/Ascorbate_and_Oncologic_Therapies_-_Research_Review 
    19. Ohno S, Ohno Y, and Suzuki N, et. al. High-dose Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) Therapy in the Treatment of Patients with Advanced Cancer. Anticancer Research 2009;29: 809-816. PMID: 19414313. 

  2. Phosphadidylcholine 
    1. Hepatic disease – Vnitr Lek 2000 apr;46(4):199-204. 2 g daily for 2 weeks resulted in 50% decrease in ammonia levels in patients with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy
    2. Hepatic disease – Med Monatsschrift 27:131-137, 1973. Essential phospholipids in the treatment of hepatic disease. 650 subjects with varying liver damage followed 5 years. Patients received 950 mg IV PC with 450-700 mg oral PC, when labs normalized received oral PC only. All groups benefited: reversal of fatty degeneration, acute inflammation recovery accelerated.
    3. Protects liver against damage from alcohol, pharmaceuticals, environmental toxins and zenobiotics as well as infection (viral, bacterial, fungal). Alcoholism Clin Exp Res 18:592-595, 1994.; Gastroent 106:152-159, 1994.; Clin Exp Res 23:5:944-949, May 1999.; Pathol Biol (Paris) 49(9):738-752, Nov 2001.; Am J Addict 10 Suppl:29-50, 2001.
    4. Cirrhosis: Marked improvement of liver function following PC administration in terms of an increase in metabolic and detoxifying capacity of liver was noted. Pogromov, AP et al. Klin. Med. (Moscow)10(1978)97.
    5. Hepatic disease – Vnitr Lek 2000 apr;46(4):199-204. 2 g daily for 2 weeks resulted in 50% decrease in ammonia levels in patients with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy
    6. Hepatic disease – Med Monatsschrift 27:131-137, 1973. Essential phospholipids in the treatment of hepatic disease. 650 subjects with varying liver damage followed 5 years. Patients received 950 mg IV PC with 450-700 mg oral PC, when labs normalized received oral PC only. All groups benefited: reversal of fatty degeneration, acute inflammation recovery accelerated.
    7. Protects liver against damage from alcohol, pharmaceuticals, environmental toxins and zenobiotics as well as infection (viral, bacterial, fungal). Alcoholism Clin Exp Res 18:592-595, 1994.; Gastroent 106:152-159, 1994.; Clin Exp Res 23:5:944-949, May 1999.; Pathol Biol (Paris) 49(9):738-752, Nov 2001.; Am J Addict 10 Suppl:29-50, 2001.
    8. Cirrhosis: Marked improvement of liver function following PC administration in terms of an increase in metabolic and detoxifying capacity of liver was noted. Pogromov, AP et al. Klin. Med. (Moscow)10(1978)97.

  3. Taurine 
    1. Azuma J, et al. Therapeutic Effect of Taurine in Congestive Heart Failure: A Double-blind Crossover Trial. Clin Cardiol. May1985;8(5):276-82. 
    2. Azuma J, et al. Therapy of Congestive Heart Failure with Orally Administered Taurine. Clin Ther. 1983;5(4):398-408.
    3. Chazov, et. al., Taurine and Electrical Activity of the Heart, Supplement III to Circulation Research, Vols. 34 and 35. September 1974. 
    4. Dumoulin, et. al., Taurine Acts as an Osmolyte in Human and Mouse Oocytes and Embryos , BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION 56, 739-744 (1997)
    5. Eby , Halcomb;  Elimination of cardiac arrhythmias using oral taurine with L-arginine with case histories: Hypothesis for nitric oxide stabilization of the sinus node; Medical Hypotheses (2006) http://intl.elsevierhealth.com/journals/mehy
    6. El-Sherbeny, et. al., Osmoregulation of Taurine Transporter Function and Expression in Retinal Pigment Epithelial, Ganglion, and Mu¨ller Cells, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, February 2004, Vol. 45, No. 2
    7. J.D. Militante et al.; The role of taurine in the pathogenesis of the cardiomyopathy of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; Cardiovascular Research 46 (2000) 393 –402
    8. Nobuhisa, et. al.; Acute haemodynamic effect of taurine on hearts in vivo with normal and depressed myocardial function; Cardiovasc Res (1987) 21 (4): 241-247. doi: 10.1093/cvr/21.4.241
    9. Rahimi AR, et. al.; Taurine: effect on myocardial relaxation; Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 1989 Jan;16(1):41-7. 
    10.  
    11. Satoh H, Nakatani T, Tanaka T, Haga S.; Cardiac functions and taurine’s actions at different extracellular calcium concentrations in forced swimming stress-loaded rats; Biol Trace Elem Res. 2002 Summer;87(1-3):171-82.
    12. Schaffer S, Takahashi K, Azuma J. Role of osmoregulation in the actions of taurine. Amino Acids. 2000;19(3-4):527-46.

  4. Glycyrrhizic Extract
    1. Murray, Michael. The Healing Power of Herbs, 2nd Ed. Prima Publishing 1995. pp.228-239.
    2. Mori, K. et al. The Present Status in Prophylaxis and Treatment for HIV Infected Patients with Hemophilia in Japan. Rinsho Byhori 37(11), 1200-1208, 1989.
    3. Hattori T, et al. Preliminary Evidence for Inhibitory Effect of Glycyrrhizin on HIV Replication in Patients with AIDS. Antiviral Res 11(5-6), 255-261, 1989.
    4. Acharya SK, et al. A preliminary Open Trial on Interferon Stimulator (SNMC) Derived from Glycyrrhiza glabra in the Treatment of Subacute Hepatic Failure. Ind J Med Res 98, 75-78, 1993.

  5. NAC
    1. For acemtamenopen overdose: Davis Drug Guide for Nurses, 8th Ed. p. 1180
    2. For the several actions of NAC listed above, go to the following link: http://www.nutritioninstituteofamerica.org/research/NutrientReview/N-Acetylcysteine.pdf)

Dr. Bean has received advanced IV training by the International IV nutritional Therapy: https://www.ivnutritionaltherapy.com

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