IV nutritional therapy (also known as Intravenous therapy, IV vitamin therapy, or IV micronutrient therapy) is a medical practice that requires injecting fluids, medications, and nutrition into the patient’s vein. Because nutrients are injected directly into the circulatory system and therefore promptly distributed, the intravenous technique is the fastest way to administer nutrients throughout the body.

We offer 4 different IV formulas depending on your goal: Goals can vary from enhancing the body’s healing and regeneration process, increase mental focus, and athletic performance, to detoxification, slow down aging, and lighting the skin. Some of the benefits of IV nutrition therapy include:

• Increase stamina and energy
• Be mentally alert and focused to meet your fitness or athletic goals
• Strengthen muscles before and after intense physical activity
• Recover your energy levels naturally and bounce back from complete exhaustion
• Combat fatigue
• Feel sharper and clearer
• Improve your overall mood
• Get energy to exercise
• Combat stress by feeling relaxed
• Avoid getting sick by keeping your immune system strong and healthy
• Maintain a healthy nervous system and improve the cardiovascular function of the body
• Improve your body’s ability to withstand stress, intense levels of work or travel

In addition, Dr. Julia Ward can tailor the IV nutrition therapy to meet the specific needs of each individual patient to provide supplemental vitamins and micronutrients to improve the body’s state of health and overall well-being.

We offer four advanced IV nutritional therapy formulas: Fountain of Youth, Natural Defense, Rise and Shine, and The Executive. Click below to learn about some of the great the benefits in each one.

IV nutritional therapy provides you with essential vitamins and nutrients that you may not be able to absorb through the stomach due to inflammation or leaky gut issues. It also provides a higher dose than can be absorbed via food or oral supplements.

• ATTIRE. Please wear a shirt that can roll-up above your elbow to allow access to your arm.
• HYDRATE BEFORE EVERY IV. The more hydrated you are, the more easily accessible your veins are, making for a more
  comfortable treatment.
• HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT. Some of the vitamins and minerals can have a temporary blood sugar, and blood pressure lowering
  effect, which can make you feel light headed during or after your IV if you haven’t eaten.
• GET MOVING. If we are sedentary right before an IV, our vessels may be more difficult to access.
• ALLOW YOURSELF ENOUGH TIME. Give yourself enough time to arrive so you can get comfortable and relaxed prior to your treatment. This
  will make your experience more enjoyable and effective.

The IV can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1⁄2 hours depending on the type of IV drip you’re receiving. Please plan to stay with us for a minimum of 1 hour. During your IV you may experience coldness, stiffness, and sensation of pressure or tingling from your fingertips, up your arm and into your chest. You may also taste or smell the vitamins; often they are described as having a metallic quality. These sensations are normal and to be expected. They will resolve immediately following your IV.

Let us know right away if you experience any discomfort during your treatment including: burning, stinging, aching or feelings of nausea or light-headedness. We offer many different solutions to improve your comfort during your IV treatment with us.

The most common IV complication is known as an infiltration, which occurs when IV fluid leaks into surrounding tissues. Infiltration can be caused by dislodgment of the IV needle, most often by patient movement. Although this is a non-serious complication, it is important to keep your arm still during your treatment to prevent discomfort and delay to your treatment.

Many people enjoy an immediate feeling of relaxation during their treatment. Your IV should be an experience you enjoy every time, so please let us know what we can do to make your experience the most comfortable.

Many people experience an increase in energy, mental alertness, and over all sense of wellbeing immediately following their IV treatment. These effects may be subtle or may not be noticed until the
next day or days following treatment. You may require several IV treatments before you begin to experience a benefit.

Chronic stress, illness, lack of sleep and poor eating habits, can all contribute to nutrient depletion. Without adequate nutrition, metabolism inside our cells becomes sluggish, leading to a buildup of waste product inside the cell. IV therapy delivers high doses of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids directly into the blood stream that readily cross cell membranes to ‘kick-start’ cellular metabolism. It is therefore normal to experience mild fatigue, headache, nausea or light- headedness following your IV treatment. This is especially common after your first few IV treatments, as your body works to clear any stored metabolic waste products. You may continue with your daily activities, including exercise following your IV treatment.

It is important to continue to stay hydrated and eat regular meals. Minor bruising of the IV site is common and should resolve within the week. If you experience redness, swelling or pain of your arm or at your injection site, please contact us right away. If you have any questions or concerns following your IV treatment, please contact our office to speak with one of our IV Therapists.

The term “adrenal fatigue” is a bit misleading. The adrenals are glands, not muscles that can be fatigued.  However it is far easier to say adrenal fatigue rather than hypothalamic pituitary axis dysfunction.

Adrenals are glands that sit on top of the kidneys. They are responsible for producing cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. These hormones are produced when we are under stress, either physical or emotional.

Cortisol should spike early in the morning then come down in the afternoon and evening. The below chart shows the upper and lower limits of cortisol throughout the day. Urinary free cortisol is a measurement of the cortisol in the urine that is not attached to other substances. Free cortisol represents the active form of the hormone. The urine measurement directly reflects the blood level of cortisol. It can also be tested in the saliva but it can be more difficult to fill a tube with saliva versus just peeing on a strip of paper for the dried urine test. It is not worth measuring cortisol in the blood due to the very short half life of cortisol.

The symptoms of adrenal fatigue can vary depending on the individual, and they may overlap with other medical conditions. Some common symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue include:

• Fatigue and low energy levels
• Difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
• Mood swings, anxiety, or depression
• Cravings for salty or sweet foods
• Low blood pressure
• Digestive issues, such as bloating or constipation
• Muscle weakness or pain
• Reduced libido
• Weakened immune system, leading to increased susceptibility to infections

There are 4 stages of adrenal fatigue. It is important to measure cortisol throughout the day to understand which stage you are in as treatment varies according to each one.

1. Alarm stage: In this stage, the body is experiencing acute stress, such as a sudden illness, injury, or emotional trauma. During this stage, the adrenal glands respond by releasing high levels of cortisol and adrenaline
2. Resistance stage: If the stress continues, the body enters the resistance stage, in which the adrenal glands continue to produce high levels of cortisol in order to cope with the ongoing stress
3. Exhaustion stage: If the stress persists for a long period of time, the adrenal glands may become overworked and begin to produce insufficient levels of cortisol, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping
4. Burnout stage: In this final stage, the adrenal glands are no longer able to produce enough cortisol to meet the body’s needs, leading to a state of chronic fatigue and a weakened immune system

1. Get tested. Make sure you do either a dried urine test or saliva test. Testing cortisol in the blood is not ideal as the half life is very short – this makes it inaccurate
2. Identify the major stressors in your life and try to lessen them. This may mean making lifestyle changes such as meditation (even 5 minutes twice daily – can make a huge difference) or yoga.
3. Eat a healthy diet composed of whole, clean, unprocessed foods
4. Prioritize quality sleep
5. Consult with a functional medicine doctor about which herbal remedies are best for you. This can be different for each person depending on what stage of adrenal fatigue they are in. This is also why it is so important to test first
6. Get regular exercise. Even walking around the block or out in a park will be extremely beneficial

There are synthetic hormones – i.e. Premarin & Provera – and then there are “natural” or bio-identical hormones. Bio-identical means that they are chemically identical to what your body produces. This is in contrast to the synthetic hormones which usually come from pregnant horse urine.

Bioidentical hormones are processed hormones designed to mimic the hormones made by your body’s glands. Taking bioidentical hormones can help people who experience symptoms of low or unbalanced hormones. This is often the case for people experiencing symptoms of perimenopause or menopause.

There are many reasons for maintaining the sex hormones at youthful levels. Dealing with symptoms of menopause is one of them: hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, mood swings, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, and weight gain (just to name a few). There is a common misconception that women go “through” menopause. As if menopause is only the time in which they experience hot flashes, night sweats, etc. Many women believe that once these symptoms stop they are “through” and don’t need to worry about any thing else. In fact, once you are in menopause you are never done with it. Your body will never go back to producing the estrogen, progesterone & testosterone that it once did when younger. If you want to age gracefully with as little signs of aging as possible you will need to have your hormones balanced and at youthful levels. This is really the cornerstone of any “anti-aging” program.

The term “synthetic” is typically used to describe hormones that aren’t bioidentical. One example is Premarin (conjugated estrogens), a synthetic hormone product that was first approved to treat menopause symptoms in 1942. It contains a mixture of estrogens from the urine of pregnant horses.

Synthetic hormones were put under the spotlight in 2002, when the initial results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) were released. This was the largest women’s health prevention study ever conducted. The findings showed that hormone therapy in postmenopausal women could raise the risk of breast cancer, blood clots, heart disease, and other conditions.

Since then, bioidentical hormones — specifically compounded products — have been promoted as a safer alternative.

The main benefit of Bioidentical Hormones Therapy is the relief you get from menopause symptoms that can interfere with your life. Hot flashes are more than a nuisance. They can really interfere with your quality of life and make a good night’s sleep impossible.

Bioidentical Hormones Therapy can also help relieve vaginal dryness, pain, and itching so you can resume intimate relations with your partner. Other benefits, studies show, may include, reduced risk of heart disease, dementia, and osteoporosis.

Other benefits include:

• Increased bone density
• Increased muscle mass
• Decreased fatty tissue
• Brain/memory protective
• Heart protective
• Improves arterial elasticity
• Lowers blood sugar
• Restores sleep
• Improves collagen in skin – reduces wrinkles
• Decreases inflammation: less joint pain
• Reverses incontinence
• Increases overall energy
• Increases libido

Bioidentical Hormones Therapy is worth considering if you’re experiencing menopausal symptoms that interfere with your daily life. Dr. Ward will determine whether you’re a good candidate for Bioidentical Hormones Therapy after a thorough examination, medical history, and consultation regarding your expectations and goals. Both men and women, usually 40 years and older can benefit from Bioidentical Hormones Therapy.

Below is a list of the different ways that bioidentical hormones can be replaced. Keep in mind that we do NOT want to take estrogen or testosterone in a pill form. This will lead to:

• liver inflammation
• weight gain
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol & triglycerides
• gallstones

Here are the different ways of using bio-identical hormones:

1. Creams –
   • Advantages: you can control the amount of hormones going into your body on a daily basis and it is non-invasive
   • Disadvantages: some people have absorption issues; it may rub off on someone close to you; it takes longer to get you balanced; hormone levels have to be tested a different way (dried urine test) as they don’t show up in the blood when doing this transdermal route. Because of this extra step in testing it generally takes women longer to get balanced. You also have to remember to put it on twice daily – this can be challenging for someone suffering from brain fog. I don’t recommend creams for men. Because they need a much higher dose than women the cream that they would use is much more likely to rub off onto someone else or just have absorption issues.
2. Injections –
   • Advantages: you control the amount of hormone going into you
   • Disadvantages: you have to stick yourself with a needle and you need to remember to do it. Traditionally injections have been done once per week. This is less than ideal as it causes your hormone levels to go up and down like a roller coaster. I recommend doing a “micro-dose” injection every day or every other day.
3. Troches (like a mint that dissolves between gum & cheek)
   • Advantage: non-invasive
   • Disadvantage: you are going to swallow some of the hormone this way causing all the negative side effects listed above. I don’t ever prescribe these.
4. Pellets (looks like a grain of rice that gets inserted under the skin in the flank or bikini area)
   • Advantages: this is by far and away my most favored delivery method for hormones:
     • takes less than 5 minutes to place
     • you don’t have to remember to do anything
     • lasts 3 months for women and 4 months for men
     • we can easily and accurately follow the blood levels of hormones
     • this is the fastest way to feel better
   • Disadvantages: once the pellets are placed they can not be taken out – they just dissolve over time. That being said, I have never seen a “bad reaction” from pellets. That is because we are not putting in a foreign drug into the body but something that it naturally produces (just not enough of).

With all the above treatments women are also prescribed oral progesterone. This is the one hormone that is safe to take by mouth.

You can prepare for your appointment with Dr. Ward by:

• Tracking your symptoms: List your symptoms, how often and when they occur, as well as their severity
• Listing your medications: Include any prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, as well as supplements, dosage and how often you take them
• Preparing questions: Write down questions before your appointment with Dr. Ward

Dr. Ward will draw a complete and very detailed hormone panel prior to treatment to assess your options and to help you make the most informed decision possible.

This depends on which treatment you elect to replace hormones.

After the pellets are inserted you usually don’t feel much of anything for about 1-2 weeks.  Then the benefits start kicking in.  Male patients may feel the benefits sooner from pellets due to the fact that they have a much bigger dose than women.

Many people and a lot of older doctors as well have a negative view of hormone therapy. “I thought they caused cancer?” is a common question. This stems mainly from a large trial that was done in the 1990’s. It was called the Women’s Health Initiative Study. They put hundreds of thousands of women all across the US on Premarin & Provera. They had to stop the study before it was done because women were dying of stroke, heart disease, and breast cancer. This is when most traditionally trained doctors said – “ok – we will no longer prescribe hormones”. They never made the distinction between synthetic and bio-identical. Why? Why are bio-identical hormones not “standard of care” or mainstream? Big Pharma can not patent bio-identical hormones and thus can not make billions off of them. Long ago the Supreme Court ruled that companies can not patent something that occurs in nature (i.e. water).

More common side effects can include:

• Increased facial hair
• Acne
• Scalp hair loss

These side effects are generally minimal to non-existent as we do not overdose hormones.

This is a great treatment to accompany anything which aims to reduce inflammation, improve mood & sleep, improve skin, increase muscle mass, and decrease fat.