IV therapy: what happens at an IV drip appointment

TL;DR

• IV therapy means a drip of fluid, often with vitamins added, given slowly into a vein in your arm through a thin, soft tube called a cannula.
• At Revitalise Clinic in Halifax, every IV drip is booked as a one hour appointment, from £99.
• The hour covers health questions, placing the cannula, the drip itself and taking the cannula out.
• There are five drips: vitamin C (three doses), Multi-Vit, Glow Me Up (Skin and Hair), the Antioxidant Drip and The Wellness Drip. The clinic tells you what is in each one and does not claim what it will do for your body.
• Your practitioner asks about your health first, and whether a drip is suitable that day is decided with you.

IV therapy is a drip of fluid with vitamins added, given slowly into a vein through a thin tube in your arm. At Revitalise Clinic, 4 Hopwood Lane, Halifax, a drip appointment lasts one hour, and you spend most of it sitting in a chair while the bag empties.

This guide walks through what happens at an IV drip appointment, step by step: the health questions, the cannula, the drip options, how long it takes, what it costs and what happens afterwards. It is general information about the appointment. It does not tell you what a drip will do for your body, and it is not advice about your own health.

What is IV therapy?

IV therapy is any fluid given straight into a vein. IV stands for intravenous, which simply means “into a vein”. In hospitals, drips are used to give fluids and medicines. In a private clinic like Revitalise, an IV drip is a bag of fluid with vitamins, and sometimes minerals or amino acids, added to it.

You may also see it called IV vitamin therapy, a vitamin drip or an IV infusion. They all describe the same thing: a bag hung above you, a thin tube running down from it, and a cannula in your arm that the fluid flows into.

Who gives the drip at Revitalise?

Revitalise Clinic is owned and run by Adil Mahmood, a pharmacist registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC 2076427). Drips are given by the clinic team. Mohammad Subhan Anwar Khan, a pharmacist independent prescriber (GPhC 2078837) and co-director, has clinical oversight. Sophia Shah, who has 16 years’ experience in healthcare, gives treatments under Subhan’s oversight. You can read more about the clinic and check both pharmacists on the GPhC register.

Your practitioner asks the health questions, places the cannula, stays with you while the drip runs and takes the cannula out at the end. Treatments are for adults 18 and over.

What happens at an IV drip appointment, step by step?

An IV drip appointment follows the same six steps each time.

1. Booking

You pick a drip and a time in the online diary. You do not need a consultation first, but if you are not sure which drip to choose, you can book a free 30 minute consultation, in person or by video. Most treatments take a £25 deposit when you book, and if you cancel or move with at least 24 hours’ notice you get a full refund.

2. Health questions

When you arrive, your practitioner asks about your health, any medicines you take and any allergies. Whether a drip is suitable for you that day is decided with you. If it is not, you are told why and no drip is given.

3. Getting comfortable

You sit in a chair with your arm resting on a pillow. Wear a top with sleeves that roll up past the elbow. A tight band called a tourniquet may go around your upper arm for a moment. The NHS cannula leaflet from Gloucestershire Hospitals explains that this band makes the veins easier to see.

4. The cannula goes in

The skin is cleaned and a cannula is placed in a vein, usually on the inside of the elbow or in the forearm. A cannula is a small, soft plastic tube. It goes in on a fine needle, and the needle comes straight back out, leaving only the soft tube in the vein. The same leaflet notes you may feel a brief pain or discomfort as the needle goes in, and that this goes once the needle is out. The cannula is then taped down.

5. The drip runs

The bag is connected to the cannula and the drip runs slowly. You can read, scroll your phone or rest. Your practitioner checks on you and on the cannula as it goes.

6. Cannula out and home

When the bag is empty, the cannula comes out, gentle pressure goes on the spot and a small dressing goes on. You can usually go straight home or back to work.

How long does an IV drip take?

Every IV drip at Revitalise is booked as a one hour appointment. That hour covers all six steps above, not only the drip. The drip itself is usually the longest part.

Plan for the full hour so you are not rushing. If an hour is longer than you have, ask about shorter options when you book.

What is in each drip?

There are five drips. Each is a one hour appointment, booked on its own. Here is what each one contains, as far as the clinic’s online diary sets it out.

Drip	What is in it	Price
Vitamin C	Vitamin C, at 10,000mg, 30,000mg or 50,000mg	£99, £129 or £159
Multi-Vit	A mix of vitamins	£125
Glow Me Up (Skin and Hair)	A mix of vitamins and other ingredients	£175
Antioxidant Drip	Vitamin C and glutathione, with vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6	£175
The Wellness Drip	A mix of vitamins, minerals and amino acids	£199

For the vitamin C drip, the dose is the only difference between the three prices. If you would like the full ingredient list for any drip, ask at your appointment.

Before your drip starts, your practitioner tells you exactly which drip you are having and what is in it. The IV drips page describes each one, and the IV drip cost page sets out every price.

Why does the clinic not say what a drip will do?

Because UK advertising rules expect strong proof before anyone claims what a drip does, and Revitalise does not make those claims. The CAP advice on IV drips, from the body that writes the UK advertising code, says that any claim of a specific effect from an IV drip is likely to be a problem unless the evidence behind it is robust. It also says claims to treat or prevent a medical condition are unlikely to be acceptable unless the drip is licensed as a medicine.

A 2024 CAP article adds that studies of taking vitamins regularly by mouth are unlikely to support claims for a one-off drip. It also notes that prescription-only drips and vitamin injections cannot be advertised to the public.

So this guide, and the clinic, stick to what can be checked: what is in the bag, the dose, who gives it, how long it takes and what it costs.

Does an IV drip hurt, and are there side effects?

Most people feel a brief sharp scratch as the cannula goes in, a bit like having blood taken. After that, most of the hour is just sitting still. If you are nervous about needles, say so when you arrive and your practitioner will take it at your pace.

Any cannula carries some known risks. The NHS leaflet asks patients to tell staff straight away if they notice:

• pain, stinging, redness or swelling around the cannula
• bleeding or fluid leaking from the spot
• feeling hot, cold or shivery
• a dressing that is wet, dirty or loose

The leaflet also lists the steps staff take to keep the chance of infection low, including clean hands, gloves, cleaning the skin and a sterile dressing. Who should not have an IV drip, and any side effects, are covered at your appointment before anything is given.

Is IV therapy regulated in the UK?

Adverts for IV drips are covered by the UK advertising rules described above. The drips themselves sit within a wider set of rules that is still being written.

In 2023 the government asked for views on licensing non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England. Its consultation response, published in August 2025, shows the original proposal put “all intravenous injectables and infusions” in its highest-risk group. Procedures in that group would only be carried out by suitably qualified healthcare professionals. The response also makes clear that the regulations are still to come, so none of this is in force yet.

Whatever the rules say, it is reasonable to ask anyone offering you a drip:

• Are you registered with a professional body, and what is your number?
• Who decides whether the drip is suitable for me?
• What exactly is in the bag, and at what dose?

What should you do after an IV drip?

Before you leave, your practitioner explains how to look after the spot where the cannula went in, including how long to keep the small dressing on. The NHS leaflet advises keeping an eye on the spot for the next 24 hours for any redness, pain or leakage. If you notice any of these, call the clinic on 01422 525503 so it can be checked.

Ready to book?

You can book any of the five drips, or the free consultation, from the online booking page. If you have a question about parking, payment or booking, the clinic FAQ may already answer it, or you can call 01422 525503.

The clinic also offers hair loss sessions. You can read how PRP and exosome sessions differ.