Intravenous therapy of vitamins, minerals and herbs is rapidly becoming mainstream.  Hollywood stars use it for anti-aging protocols.  Athletes use it to improve performance.  Cancer patients use it to promote quality of life.  Others use it for a variety of reasons, including to kick start the immune system in the early stages of a cold or flu or to quickly and efficiently address specific nutrient deficiencies.

What is IV therapy?

Intravenous vitamin and mineral therapy involves injections of vitamin and mineral solutions into a vein in the arm. Injections directly into veins provide a powerful route of administration and absorption. Hospitals use IV therapy mainly to infuse antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, including chemotherapy. At Pacific Naturopathic, we use IV therapy to introduce nutritional and therapeutic substances.

Why not just eat the right foods or use oral supplements?

Eating the right foods does not guarantee that you are getting the nutrients your body needs to maintain health and vitality. IV nutrition therapy feeds amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other natural formulations directly into the blood stream, by-passing the digestive tract where much of the nutritional value of foods and supplements can be lost. Unlike oral supplements, IV therapy delivers concentrated amounts of nutrients that would otherwise cause digestive discomfort or even illness.

Why do people choose to do IV therapy?

Two main reasons. 

First, to address specific illnesses that are difficult to treat through

any other therapeutic approach. These include hepatitis, flu, viral diseases, upper respiratory tract infections, seasonal allergic rhinitis, asthma, migraines, chronic fatigue/ fibromyalgia. autoimmune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus), cancer (as adjunctive therapy), inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's and ulcerative colitis), cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis, depression, allergies and many others.

Second, to maintain or improve their current state of good health, to prevent or minimize effects of colds or the flu or other viral illness, to either prepare for, or recover from, a surgical procedure, to improve athletic performance, to slow the effects of aging and the aging process, to better manage stress and its effects on the body, to enhance the appearance of hair, nails and skin.

How do intravenous vitamins and minerals work?

IV vitamins and minerals correct nutritional and biochemical deficiencies, improve cellular function, stimulate the immune system, protect cells from damage, decrease inflammation and detoxify the body.

Is IV therapy safe?

It is extremely safe.  Before any IV therapy treatment begins, every patient must have a baseline blood test to ensure tolerances to all vitamins and minerals and meet with one of our doctors to discuss general health questions and determine the best course of IV treatment.

For patients wanting to fully integrate IV therapy into their personal wellness plan, adding a comprehensive blood panel and food tolerance panel will provide a complete nutritional and biochemical analysis. A weekly regimen is an excellent way to assure your body is getting all the vitamins and minerals it needs to support your healthy lifestyle.

Does IV therapy have any side effects?

The on-line literature notes very few side effects with properly administered IV therapy.  At Pacific Naturopathic, we have observed very few side effects in the hundreds of IVs we've performed.  Magnesium may make some people light-headed.  If this occurs, we moderate the amount of magnesium in future IVs.  People with a propensity for kidney stones receiving high dose vitamin C may (or may not) mobilize the stones that already exist.  Rarely, some patients may experience a mild detox reaction or a short period of fatigue.

What have we observed at Pacific Naturopathic in our IV therapy patients?

* We have seen a dramatic improvement in the quality of life of cancer  patients.

* We have seen colds and flus vanish within hours.

* We have seen herpes infections dramatically reduced in intensity and duration.

* We have seen fatigued patients perk up and their stamina pick up.

* We have seen negative results on blood tests resolve.

* We have seen people experience a sense of well-being and vitality they have not had in years.

Quite often people feel markedly better right away after an IV.  This indicates that the nutrients addressed an acute deficiency.  A smart idea would be to work with us in determining why that deficiency existed in the first place, while continuing to address it.

My own experience after an IV is that I don't notice any dramatic change. But Dr. Connie does notice that my stamina improves. 

How often do people need IV therapy treatments.

The number and frequency of treatments depend on the condition being treated, current health status of the patient and the response of the patient to treatment. A general estimate of treatments are decided at the evaluation appointment, and then a more specific number as we go along with the treatment plan.

More information on IV therapies is available HERE.  

Are you a marathon runner or like to do triathlons? Or are you a weekend warrior and/or just trying to keep in shape?

Athletes push their bodies to the limit, consuming large amounts of vital nutrients as a normal part of metabolism during training, workouts, and event. Without adequate nutrients, athletes can start feeling more fatigued and notice a slower recovery time from their workouts.With intravenous (IV) nutritional therapy, athletes get optimal concentrations of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and/or amino acids directly into the bloodstream in levels that are typically 10-100 times greater than that could be achieved with oral supplementation in one day.

When added to your workout and competitive routine, IV therapy can help enhance your performance in a number of ways:

• Boost performance, increase stamina, and increase strength
• Reduce fatigue and shorten recovery time
• Aiding cellular tissue repair
• Fuel higher nutritional demands

What types of IV therapies are most beneficial for athletic performance?

The treatments we prescribe include vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients such as amino acids. The two most effective treatments for athletic performance are listed below.

Myers' Cocktail

One of the most helpful treatments for athletic performance is a nutrient bag commonly known as a Myers' Cocktail. This is a mix of vitamins and minerals that not only helps athletes but has also been used to treat a number of other health conditions.

The Myers' cocktail includes:

Vitamin C

B5, B6, B12, B Complex

Magnesium

Calcium

Selenium

More information about the history and uses for the Myers' cocktail can be found HERE. 

Glutathione

Glutathione is a molecule composed of three amino acids - cysteine, glutamine, and glycine. It is the master antioxidant in the body, directly scavenging free radicals as well as recycling and reactivating other major antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. In athletes, glutathione can quench free radicals created from working out and aid in the recovery process. It can help improve exercise-induced stress, muscle fatigue, and poorer performance due to free radicals. Glutathione has been shown in particular to also increase stamina and delay fatigue in endurance-trained athletes like marathon runners during strenuous, prolonged exercise. Read more about glutathione HERE.

The combination of a Myers' cocktail with glutathione can significantly improve athletic performance and recovery time. 

 For more information or to make an appointment for your IV treatment, please contact us at (650) 917-1121.

 In many people's understanding, I.V. therapy is synonymous with high dose I.V. Vitamin C as an adjunctive therapy for cancer treatment, and as a therapy that can help ameliorate the side effects of chemotherapy. It is true that high dose I.V. C is effective in these ways.  In my general naturopathic practice, however, I find patients with many other conditions benefit from both high dose I.V. C and other I.V. therapies.

As people age, I.V. therapies offer particular benefits. Whether for lack of intake of nutrients, inability to digest or absorb nutrients, or nutrient depletion by pharmaceutical agents, aging people often have nutrient deficiencies that cannot be orally addressed. I.V. nutrient therapies offer direct delivery to the cells, resulting in better function. The patient themself feels better as a result. Fairly frequently, we hear the comment "I feel like myself again."

The Myers Cocktail, probably the most common nutritional I.V. (read about it HERE), includes (among other nutrients) vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium and magnesium.  B vitamin deficiencies are among the most common found in people as they age. The magnesium is particularly beneficial as high dose oral magnesium tends to cause diarrhea, especially when stomach acid is low (as it commonly is in older folks, or in anyone on antacid medication).  Magnesium is fundamental in the treatment of asthma, headaches, blood pressure, and anything that twitches.

People most commonly come for Myers Cocktail treatments when they sense a flu or respiratory condition coming on, and want to stop it in their tracks. This works well. Even more dramatic, though, is the effect of the treatment on the herpes virus. The widely touted shingles vaccine is far from universally effective, but the I.V. C in the Myers Cocktail and in higher dose I.V. C therapies can significantly dampen the symptoms and shorten attacks of both shingles and genital herpes.

I.V. C and Myers Cocktails are often followed by treatment with glutathione. Glutathione is unfortunately not well absorbed in oral form, but is easily given in a glutathione "push".  Glutathione is a critical antioxidant, fundamental to detoxification of just about everything that needs to be detoxified, to DNA repair, to immune response, to treatment of neurodegenerative and pulmonary diseases, and much much more.  In as much as these issues are more common as we age, the benefit of glutathione treatments is obvious.

Another type of I.V. that promotes healthy aging would be I.V. amino acid therapies. With issues of lack of intake and poor digestion, amino acid status suffers. Amino acid therapies are useful for depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug rehab, and in building the proteins that support cellular structure and function.

Beyond these are the many botanical and antioxidant therapies oriented towards the treatment of specific conditions, whether degenerative liver disease, inflammatory and autoimmune disease, or macular degeneration. 

Safe and effective, I.V. therapies have become integral to the optimal aging toolbox.

Intravenous (IV) nutritional therapies are a great way to boost the immune system and help your body fight off infections at all stages of an illness, whether it is acute, chronic, or even just used as a preventive measure. 

While we are battling an illness, our immune system needs extra nutrients to fight off an infection. For instance, our demands for nutrients can go so high that during acute illnesses, the amount of vitamin C which can be taken orally without causing diarrhea can be over ten times the amount we would tolerate if we were well. Some people can therefore take up to 10 grams or more of oral vitamin C during this period without having loose stools when in a healthy person, more than a couple grams of vitamin C may cause diarrhea. Because during an infection our metabolic processes speed up and we require more nutrients, IV treatments are a great way to deliver these nutrients rapidly to our cells and tissues at higher therapeutic doses than what we would get through oral supplementation. 

By boosting immunity, IV nutritional therapy can decrease the duration of an illness, increase energy, and help people feel better much quicker. At higher doses of vitamin C, the treatment can also directly target viruses and can help cases of mono, herpes, shingles, chicken pox, and others. Additionally, adding glutathione can strengthen your immune system even more to fight off infections. It is the master antioxidant of the body and may inhibit the activity of viral enzymes that help the flu virus colonize cells lining the mouth and throat.

When feeling like you are starting to come down with a cold or flu or feeling energy levels drop, this is the perfect time to come in for an IV treatment. Receiving IV treatments in the beginning of an acute illness will boost your immune system and usually knock a cold or flu out right away. And even if you are already in the midst of a full-blown illness, IV treatments can still help your body fight off the illness quicker and help you feel better faster.

Thus, whatever stage you may be at in an illness, a nutritional IV with a glutathione push is a great way to increase energy levels, enhance your immune system, and speed up the healing process.

For more information or to make an appointment for your IV treatment, please contact us at (650) 917-1121.

Elijah Free's approach to helping his patients deal with physical pain has been described as bordering on miraculous.  Elijah is also a Master Herbalist who designs and produces all of his own herbal products for his healing practice. He is an herbal product designer for Ridgecrest Herb Company. 

* * *

Elijah Free is a healer, specializing in pain elimination of all types, both mechanical and metabolic. He is a master medical herbalist with numerous specialties, a researcher and product designer for his own label; Earth Friend Herb Co. 

Elijah is the author of "Apprentice to Angels," and a U.S. patent holder for a formula to eradicate fibromyaligia. He was recently granted a 501-C3 from the IRS as a medical study, something almost exclusively for institutions such as Stanford, hospitals or pharmaceutical companies.

Bringourvetsallthewayhome.org is all about Elijah's work with an herbal formula for PTSD that restores the lives to veterans and anyone else with this condition. A documentary video will be available later this fall about this project. A video on fibromyaligia can be seen at rapidpainelimination.com

Tapping is done on the same meridians as acupuncture  but you don't use needles and you tap on yourself. You might call it psychological acupuncture and it is used to free up blocked energy in the body. 

This blocked energy is what can manifest symptoms of disease.

The way it works is to address a physical or emotional memory while tapping and simultaneously saying your internal negative self talk. The tapping points are on the head and trunk and easy to tap on.

It is important to understand that the words you say while tapping are negative aspects you believe about yourself because THAT is what needs to be cleared. THAT is what's causing the blockage in your energy system.

For example, you might be tapping and saying negative things about your weight and how you are so disappointed in yourself for having no resistance to carbs. As you read this you might be thinking, "Wait, I don't want to put myself down". But that is not what happens. What occurs is a release and you can feel it when you ferret out the deepest, most honest stuff.

 It's called "peeling the onion."

Once you have released the blocks then you tap in positives that you choose for yourself instead. So the old, limiting beliefs are let go and you are able to upgrade to more beneficial and inspiring beliefs.

Tapping or EFT is a very powerful tool that you can use for just about anything. And one of the most incredible things is that it just takes a few minutes. Recently I had some arthroscopic surgery on my knee and the surgery center gave me 30 narco pain killer tablets for the pain. Well, I used one the first night and then I just used tapping for a few minutes when I needed to control the pain and go to sleep. Worked like a charm.

There are millions of people around the world using EFT Tapping and the awareness of this incredible technique is spreading quickly. In my practice I use both Hypnosis and Tapping to address the concerns and issues of my clients. However, the first thing I do is teach my clients Tapping and, like anything, the more they use it, the more proficient they become.

But even at a beginner level it can be very effective.

The thing to remember is that EFT Tapping restores balance to the energy system and allows the body to resume healing itself. It is simple to master and puts the healing power literally back in your own hands - no needles needed.

Our cancer patients often ask us to give them an estimate of the effectiveness of therapy at the Hernandez Center for Adjunctive Cancer Care. We respond that our entire focus is on helping our patients stay healthy, upbeat and positive. 

 The truth is that the botanical and nutritional therapies we offer (including intravenous vitamin C), although 'adjunctive' in nature, have powerful documented actions in decreasing inflammation, reducing tumor load and attacking cancer stem cells.  

 Our mind/body approaches are focused on transformation of experience.  And our bodywork approaches help reduce muscular pain, resolve lymph drainage problems and relieve stress.  

 The hope we offer is not that of a miraculous cure, although we are definitely open to miracles, but the hope of a life lived to the fullest in dignity and understanding, for however long that may be.

More than 70 years ago, Dr. Otto Warburg, PhD, won the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering that cancer cells require glucose (sugar) for growth. Sugar is also the raw material the body and brain metabolizes for energy.  All cells have a requirement for glucose, but cancer cells consume as much as 4 to 5 times more glucose than normal, healthy cells. In fact, they're unable to multiply rapidly without it.

Naturopathic doctors and other nutritionally oriented health professionals have known about the refined sugar/cancer association for decades. Dr. Warburg said that it was pretty easy to figure that the cells that are dividing (multiplying) the fastest have the highest requirement for

energy (to sustain such accelerated growth). 

Another issue is the fact that refined sugars are not nutrient-dense... they contain none of the nutrients necessary for the assimilation of the sugar ingested. Therefore, the body must drain body stores of vitamins and minerals to handle the job, leaving fewer nutrients for other tasks. This is why many of our cancer patients come to us with anemia and other deficiency syndromes.

The ketogenic diet, a carbohydrate-free diet, has ben developed as an approach to starving and weakening cancer cells so anti-cancer therapies may be more effective in their work.  Read about the ketogenic diet HERE. 

Please phone us for an appointment at: 

650-917-1121

Many people have already heard about intravenous vitamin C as a complementary cancer therapy to help stimulate the immune system as well as being directly cytotoxic to cancer cells. We are often using this therapy at the Hernandez Center for our cancer patients. What people may not know is that we also have many other IV therapies that are also very helpful in supporting our cancer patients depending on their symptoms and what they need. 

We often give a nutrient IV in between IV vitamin C sessions, which helps to provide more energy and rebuild our patients that may be feeling fatigued or have low blood counts. 

We also have other anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer therapies like IV curcumin (turmeric) or IV silibinin (from milk thistle). 

Another IV treatment that can help cancer patients from losing more weight or to help them gain weight is an infusion that includes a variety of amino acids. 

These are just a few of the protocols we have for our cancer patients. For more information or to set up an appointment, please contact us at the Hernandez Center at (650) 917-1121.

* * *