Vitamin C IV Therapy — Benefits, Cost and Where to Get It
Vitamin C is one of the most-requested IV ingredients in the entire IV therapy market. At doses orders of magnitude higher than you can absorb orally, IV vitamin C delivers an antioxidant and immune-supporting effect that simply isn''t achievable from supplements or food.
The bioavailability problem with oral vitamin C
Oral vitamin C absorption is capped at roughly 200 mg per single dose. Higher oral doses don''t increase plasma vitamin C meaningfully — the excess is excreted unchanged.
IV administration bypasses this transport limit entirely. Plasma vitamin C concentrations achievable through IV are 30 to 70 times higher than the maximum reachable through oral intake.
Common doses and what they''re used for
- Low dose (1,000 to 2,500 mg) — included in most general wellness drips as antioxidant support
- Mid dose (5,000 to 10,000 mg) — dedicated immune protocols, used before travel or at first sign of illness
- High dose (15,000 to 25,000 mg+) — used in integrative medicine, requires G6PD testing first
What it costs
- Standard immune drip with low-dose C: $150 to $250
- Mid-dose dedicated vitamin C drip: $200 to $400
- High-dose protocols (15,000 mg+): $300 to $600 per session
- C push as an add-on: $25 to $75
- Mobile premium: $50 to $100 on top
Safety considerations
G6PD deficiency — affects roughly 5% of the global population. Any clinic offering high-dose vitamin C should require this test before treatment.
Iron overload — vitamin C significantly increases iron absorption. Discuss with your physician if you have hemochromatosis.
Kidney stones — high doses can increase oxalate excretion. Consult your physician if you have a history of calcium oxalate kidney stones.
Where to find IV vitamin C
Almost every IV therapy clinic offers some level of vitamin C, usually as part of an immune support drip. Dedicated high-dose protocols are less common and typically require an integrative-medicine clinic.
Looking for IV vitamin C in your city? Browse immune support clinics → or take our 60-second matching quiz.