Vitamin IV drip cocktail — what it costs and what exactly you are paying for

At Synerva, a vitamin IV drip costs between 250 and 650 RON per session, depending on its composition, and courses of 4 sessions cost 1,990 or 2,190 RON; the medical assessment is included. The price is driven by what the drip contains, the dose, how long it takes to give and where it is given — not by the name of the protocol.

What is called a "vitamin cocktail"

The term is not a medical one. In practice it means an IV drip that combines several vitamins and minerals in the same administration.

The classic model is the Myers' Cocktail, described in a 2002 review as an intravenous formula of magnesium, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin C. Most modern protocols start from this idea and modify it. The history and typical composition are explained in Myers' Cocktail: what it is.

Because the name is not regulated, two "cocktails" with the same name can contain very different things. Hence the first rule of price comparison: compare compositions, not names.

What drives the price

1. Composition. How many substances are in the drip, and which ones. A single-vitamin drip costs less than a combination. Some substances are expensive by nature — NAD+, for example — and raise the price of any formula they are part of. 2. Dose. The same substance at a double dose costs more. The dose is not a "more is better" option; it is set at the assessment. 3. Duration of administration. A 30-minute drip takes up a chair and a nurse for less time than a 60-minute one. Substances that need slow administration are more expensive for this reason too. 4. What is included. The medical assessment, sterile materials, monitoring during the drip. Some offers show only the price of the bag. 5. Place. At home, the home visit is added. 6. Single session or course. A course of several sessions has a lower package price than sessions paid for separately.

Our prices

From our catalogue, the protocols that fall into the "vitamin cocktail" category:

All prices include the medical assessment, the materials and monitored administration. The full, always up-to-date list is on the prices page.

The table shows what we said above: the price rises with the number of components and with duration, and the big jump comes from an expensive substance, not from "more vitamins".

Why glutathione and NAD+ change the price

Glutathione and NAD+ are not vitamins, even though they appear on the same lists. Glutathione is a tripeptide made by the body, and NAD+ a coenzyme present in every cell; both are more expensive than ordinary vitamins, and NAD+ needs slow administration, over hours. That is why the formula with NAD+, vitamin C and glutathione costs 900 RON, and NAD+ 250 mg on its own costs 1,250 RON. When you compare offers, check whether the "cocktail" in the package contains one of these substances and at what dose — otherwise you are comparing a 300 RON product with a 900 RON one.

What the assessment included in the price checks

The assessment is not a formality added to justify the price. It decides whether the drip is suitable and what exactly it contains. For magnesium, kidney function is checked, because magnesium is eliminated through the kidneys and excess is a contraindication. For high-dose vitamin C, a history of oxalate kidney stones, kidney failure and G6PD deficiency matter. For any drip: allergies, pregnancy and breastfeeding, current medication and supplements already being taken. If the answer is that you do not need a drip, you are told so.

Courses: the price is stated with the number of sessions

A course is not an expensive drip but a package. That is why we never show one without the number of sessions:

The spacing of sessions is set at the assessment. If you are not sure a drip suits you, start with a single session, not a course.

At home

The home visit costs 100 RON in Bucharest, free for orders from 600 RON, and 150 RON in Ilfov, free from 900 RON. The protocol price stays the same. We confirm the final amount when you book, before anyone comes. Details on how it works: vitamin IV drips.

What you do not buy by paying more

The part missing from most price pages: a more expensive drip does not mean a bigger effect, because the effect itself is not well demonstrated.

• The 2002 review that popularised the Myers' Cocktail combines the published literature with the author's clinical experience — it is not a controlled study.
• The only randomised, placebo-controlled study that marketing pages often cite — a 2009 pilot study in 34 adults with fibromyalgia — found improvements in both groups, but no statistically significant difference between the micronutrient drip and placebo. The authors wrote that efficacy compared with placebo remains uncertain.
• The micronutrient guideline of the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) notes that interventional studies are few and the level of evidence is low, and that the terms "deficiency", "supplementation" and "repletion" are often used imprecisely.

What is certain: the intravenous route delivers the dose completely and predictably. What is not certain: that a healthy person without a deficiency feels a benefit. You are paying for safe administration and an assessment, not for a guaranteed result.

How to compare two offers properly

Before asking about price, ask:

What exactly does it contain, and at what doses? Not "vitamins and minerals", but the substances.

Who does the assessment beforehand, and what do they check — kidney function, medication, allergies?

Who gives the drip, and how long does it take?

What happens if a reaction occurs — what equipment is there?

What is included in the price, and what does the home visit cost?

For a course: how many sessions, at what interval, and what happens if you stop?

An offer that cannot clearly answer the first two questions is not cheap; it is incomplete.

When it is not worth it, whatever the price

• if you eat a balanced diet and do not have a particular problem — the additional benefit may be small;
• if your fatigue is persistent and unexplained — the cause is looked for first, from iron to the thyroid;
• if you have a contraindication, which the assessment identifies.

More on frequency: how often you can have vitamin IV drips; all prices are on the prices page.

Sources

Gaby A.R. — Intravenous nutrient therapy: the "Myers' cocktail", Alternative Medicine Review, 2002: the composition of the formula.

Ali A. et al. — Intravenous micronutrient therapy (Myers' Cocktail) for fibromyalgia: a placebo-controlled pilot study, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2009.

Berger M.M. et al. — ESPEN micronutrient guideline, Clinical Nutrition, 2022.

Informational article. Prices are those in the Synerva catalogue at the date of publication; whether a drip is appropriate is decided at the medical assessment.