What Is in a Myers Cocktail? Every Ingredient, Explained
If you have looked at any Canadian IV clinic menu, the Myers cocktail is almost certainly on it. It is the industry's default drip, the one nearly every clinic offers under some name. This page is the ingredient reference: what is actually in the bag, what each component is, and what Canadian clinics charge for it, based on their own published menus. No claims about what it will do for you, because that is a conversation for a clinician, not a menu page.
What is in a Myers cocktail?
A Myers cocktail is a vitamin and mineral infusion that typically contains magnesium, calcium, B complex vitamins, vitamin B12, and vitamin C in a saline or sterile water base. Exact amounts vary from clinic to clinic, because there is no single standardized formula.
That last point surprises people, so it is worth repeating: "Myers cocktail" is a recipe family, not a fixed product. Two clinics can both sell a Myers cocktail with meaningfully different volumes and concentrations in the bag. That is why the most useful question you can ask any clinic is for the exact ingredient list and amounts in their version.
The typical ingredients, one by one
| Ingredient | What it is |
|---|---|
| Magnesium (usually magnesium chloride) | A mineral involved in muscle and nerve function, given intravenously in dilute form |
| Calcium (usually calcium gluconate) | A mineral, included in the classic recipe alongside magnesium |
| B complex | A mix of B vitamins (typically B1, B2, B3, B5, B6) |
| Vitamin B12 | Usually as hydroxocobalamin or methylcobalamin |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | A water soluble vitamin, dosed well above dietary amounts in most versions |
| Base fluid | Normal saline or sterile water, which makes up most of the bag's volume |
Each row here describes what the substance is, not what it treats. Clinics in Canada are not permitted to make disease treatment claims for wellness drips, and neither are we.
Where the recipe comes from
The mixture is named after Dr. John Myers, a Baltimore physician who administered slow vitamin and mineral pushes to patients until his death in 1984. The version used today was reconstructed and published by Dr. Alan Gaby, who described the formula and his clinical experience with it in a 2002 review in Alternative Medicine Review. Gaby himself noted the original Myers formula was never precisely documented, which is part of why versions vary.
Common variations on Canadian menus
Across the clinic menus we have captured verbatim (each with a source URL and capture date), the most common Myers variations are:
- Added glutathione, usually as a separate push at the end of the drip, often at extra cost
- Added zinc or selenium in "immune" versions
- Higher dose vitamin C versions, which are a different clinical conversation entirely because high dose IV vitamin C has its own screening requirements
- "Mini Myers" or half volume versions at a lower price
If a menu name is not clear, ask which of these you are actually getting. A clinic that discloses its ingredient list without friction is showing you exactly the transparency our Transparency Score measures.
What a Myers cocktail costs in Canada
Across the 6 Canadian clinic menus we track that publish a Myers cocktail price (in Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Vancouver, and Nanaimo), the price runs from $170 to $250 CAD, with a median of $199. Every price in our index comes from the clinic's own published menu, with the source URL and capture date recorded.
See the full picture, including other drip types and cities, on our IV price index. Membership pricing, first visit discounts, and bundled naturopath consultations all move the number, so treat menu prices as a starting point.
Who administers and prescribes it in Canada
The infusion must be ordered by an authorized prescriber: a physician, a nurse practitioner, or in provinces that permit it, a naturopathic doctor with IV certification (in Ontario, IVIT certification with the College of Naturopaths). The person placing the line is often a registered nurse working under that prescriber's order. Our guide to who can legally give you an IV in Canada covers the rules province by province, and our verification guide shows you how to check any clinic's prescriber on the public register in about five minutes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a Myers cocktail take?
Most Canadian clinic menus advertise 30 to 60 minutes for a standard Myers cocktail, with the time depending on the bag volume and drip rate. Check the specific clinic's menu listing, and expect your first visit to take longer because of the health screening.
Is the Myers cocktail safe?
Any IV infusion should be preceded by a health screening by the clinic's prescriber, because suitability depends on your health history and medications. Some people should avoid IV therapy altogether; our guide on who should not get IV therapy covers the main categories to discuss with a clinician.
What is the difference between a Myers cocktail and a banana bag?
They are different recipes. A banana bag is a hospital formulation built around thiamine (B1), folic acid, and a multivitamin in saline, historically used in emergency settings. A Myers cocktail is the wellness clinic formula described above, with magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, and vitamin C. The yellow colour of a banana bag comes from the multivitamin.
Does every clinic use the same Myers recipe?
No. There is no standardized formula, and Gaby's published version is a reference point rather than a rule. Volumes, concentrations, and add ins vary by clinic, which is why asking for the exact ingredient list is always reasonable.
Is a Myers cocktail worth the price?
That depends on what you are hoping it does, and the honest answer is that the evidence for wellness drips in healthy people is thin. We wrote a separate, blunt guide on exactly this: is IV vitamin therapy worth it.
Ready to compare clinics near you? Browse IV therapy clinics by city or search the directory, where verified listings show who prescribes and who administers.