A startup came to my home and tried to cure my hangover

the iv doc
Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine

As plenty of studies have shown, the only cure for a hangover is time. And the only way to prevent one is not to drink in the first place.

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But drinking is fun, so we do it anyway.

And then we get hungover.

It's my belief that I, personally, get especially hungover. Any time I have more than a drink or two, I usually feel panicky, exhausted, and generally awful the next day, and nothing seems to help ease the pain other than waiting it out.

So when I got a chance to try The IV Doc — a fancy service available in New York, LA, and now Las Vegas — that sends a nurse to hook you up to an IV drip in order to "cure" your hangover, I had to figure out once and for all if this was the hangover cure I'd been searching for.

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Services like The IV Doc have been around for a few years — our colleague at Business Insider tried one earlier this year — but they're prohibitively pricey for most people, starting at about $150. But if it did work, I'd seriously consider forking over $150 on my worst hangover days — they're that severe. I decided to find out if this would work for me.

The theory behind businesses like The IV Doc is that a mix of hydration and certain vitamins can cure hangover symptoms like headaches, nausea, and dehydration. Although the CEO of The IV Doc is a doctor, others in the medical field doubt whether on-demand IVs are effective.

"None of those [health claims] have been FDA approved or validated by any kind of controlled scientific studies," a doctor named Jon LaPook told CBS News in a story on IV hangover cures. He added that IV vitamin drips don't have much effect on otherwise healthy people.

So even though the science doesn't back up this or any hangover cure, it sounded like it was worth a shot. I went for it.

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First, I arranged the appointment. The IV Doc texted me on Friday afternoon to confirm, then called to see what services I'd want. I opted for the Hangover Cure.

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine

You can make an appointment here.

Then, I had to make myself hungover. So I went out with my friends and knocked back a few more drinks than usual. For work! Here I am at about 2 a.m. the night before my appointment.

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The next morning, as I expected, I wasn't feeling so hot. An actual doctor called to see what kind of treatment he should send over — The IV Doc's nurses can only administer the IV drips if a doctor signs off. He sent over Detox with some "beauty-enhancing" elements added on.

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The IV Doc

A nurse named June came to my apartment to set me up. She was wearing sleek black scrubs and was incredibly friendly, a calming presence in my hour of need.

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While prepping me, June said she's seen clients start to perk up within 3-5 minutes of starting the IV. She had me sign a waiver — on her iPhone — before starting the treatment.

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine

June says she has plenty of loyal repeat clients who consider her part of their "squad" — picture a VIP being attended to by their hairdresser, makeup artist, assistant, and their IV doc.

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The fun was about to begin. June started taking my blood pressure, which is standard. Note: If you get queasy looking at needles, the next few pics may not be for you. Nothing gross, just ... squirm-inducing.

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine

I warned you because as June started to set up her stuff, I remembered my horrible fear of needles. If nothing else, I thought maybe the adrenaline from freaking out over the needle might fix my hangover.

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine
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Not so much. I have been known to pass out when getting shots. I don't know why this didn't occur to me. I was freaking out.

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine

More fun — June didn't have the easiest time finding a vein to stick the IV into. Squeamish yet?

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine
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As she put the IV in, I did not become more relaxed.

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine

But after a few minutes, I started to chill out.

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine
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I figured I might as well get some work done. If June's rich and famous clients can multitask while doing this, so can I.

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine

I didn't get the rush of refreshing hydration that I thought would come. I did have one weird side effect: my mouth started tasting like a B vitamin. It was the most bizarre feeling. June said it's really common.

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The drip took about 40 minutes. Check out that massive bag. I couldn't believe the entire thing was going to fit inside my veins. Gross.

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Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine

After June left, I continued to binge on Netflix and took a long nap. I can't say the IV treatment made my hangover vanish, but it did make my headache and nausea go away. If I was in a dire enough situation to spend about $200 on a hangover cure, I would probably do this again.

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