Self administer IV-hydration (and/or methyl-b12 IM) at home

[sealseal]

tldr; Anyone have tips on where to learn how to administer saline IV drip at home?

Hi all, I'm posting on behalf of my very severe partner. For about 4 months, my partner did 2 liters of IV hydration at home (with glutathione, B12, magnesium, and vitamin C) and methyl B12 IM injections twice a week.

We did this through a private company, which was exorbitantly expensive (and of course we haven't been able to get the insurance company to actually cover any of it, even though it should be covered by her plan). But she was in such a low place, we were desperate to try anything that might help. She had some modest improvements during that period, and since stopping the IV, she's declined again.

I know some people buy saline and other supplies and administer IV at home for themselves. I would love to do this for my partner, and I'm sure I could save money, but I don't even know where to start in learning about how to access this safely. Are there phlebotomy courses I can take? Where can one buy saline and other supplies? Any tips would be greatly appreciated and helpful.

 

[linusbert]

i would post a job offering, and look for a nurse or md practictioner or naturopath who learned that and ask them to do it. if you are lucky they do it for 10-20 bucks. describe your situation.
thats how i once did a blood draw for special laboratory at home, because doctors in germany do not like visits at home, rare exceptions. the person who did it was doing it voluntarely was even annoyed when i tried to give him money.
so there is that.

there is also the possibility of giving that hydration solution subcutaneous, means into fat tissue, thats rather easy. but it doesnt have the exact same effects and also as you can imagine, it takes a while until fat absorbs this. but this is actually done by nurses in nursing homes because in germany they arent allowed to do IV either (even if they know how to do it). so they do subcutaneous.
(who made those laws?!)

THOUGH, administering B12 and even magnesium is possible subcutaneous, and for b12 i would even say thats the best route (personal opinion). because its slowly taken up by the body and doesnt overwhelm the homeostasis machinery. there is also a thread here somewhere describing how to do it for magnesium. for b12 and other vitamins are ready to go solutions. you can find youtube videos how to inject those. but its easy.

how ai would see this:

Spoiler

the advice given in the forum contains both accurate information and potentially risky suggestions that need to be carefully considered.





Accurate Information:





1. Hiring a Nurse or Practitioner:


• It is indeed possible to hire a healthcare professional such as a nurse, MD, or naturopath to administer IV fluids or injections at home. This is a safe and legal approach, as they have the necessary training and experience to perform such procedures. This can be a more affordable and convenient option compared to using private companies.


2. Subcutaneous Hydration:


• The suggestion about subcutaneous hydration is also correct. In some cases, particularly in nursing homes, subcutaneous (under the skin) fluid administration, known as “hypodermoclysis,” is used as an alternative to IV hydration. This method is less invasive and easier to administer but is generally used for mild to moderate hydration needs. It is slower in delivering fluids compared to IV administration.


3. Subcutaneous Injections for B12 and Magnesium:


• Administering B12 subcutaneously is a common practice, and it is often considered an effective route for this vitamin. Magnesium can also be administered subcutaneously, but this should be done with caution, as magnesium can be irritating to tissues if not administered correctly.





Potentially Risky or Misleading Information:





1. DIY IV Administration:


• Learning to administer an IV at home without formal medical training is risky. IV administration requires knowledge of anatomy, aseptic techniques, and the ability to manage potential complications such as infections, air embolisms, or phlebitis. Taking a phlebotomy course may teach you how to draw blood, but it will not provide comprehensive training on safely administering IV fluids and managing complications.


2. Sourcing Saline and Supplies:


• Purchasing saline and IV supplies online or through unauthorized channels is not advisable. Medications and medical supplies should always be sourced through licensed providers to ensure quality and safety. Additionally, there may be legal restrictions on purchasing

 

[Byles]

For (self) injecting B12 IM I use a 0,40 x 40 mm needle instead of the more usual 0,8 x 40. I find this much less painful and have rarely any complications (which I did have with the 0,8 needle). It does however take a bit longer. It's pretty easy, probably even more so if you can do for your partner.

 

[sealseal]

@linusbert Thank you so much for your thoughts and reply!

i would post a job offering, and look for a nurse or md practictioner or naturopath who learned that and ask them to do it. if you are lucky they do it for 10-20 bucks.

I somehow find it unlikely that a practitioner in the U.S. would be willing to do this... especially because they could be paid much, much more to do the same work through the kind of private company we're currently using. And we wouldn't be looking for a one-off thing, but a way to do regular infusions. That said, it would certainly would lower the risk if we had a professional doing it instead of me! If we did try to go that route, is there a safe place to look for supplies they could use? I see the A.I. response thinks there's no safe way to do that, but obviously lots of people in this community source medical supplies not directly from doctors.

 

[sealseal]

For (self) injecting B12 IM I use a 0,40 x 40 mm needle instead of the more usual 0,8 x 40. I find this much less painful and have rarely any complications (which I did have with the 0,8 needle). It does however take a bit longer. It's pretty easy, probably even more so if you can do for your partner.

Thank you for the tip! Are you in the U.S.? Where do you buy your supplies, and how did you learn to inject?

 

[Mary]

@sealseal - I used to give myself B12 injections 3 times a week for a few years. It was simple - here's a good youtube video on how to do it:

I don't have any experience with IV saline, but there are several videos on this link which might be helpful:

https://www.google.com/search?q=how...AGIAEGKIEmAMAkgcENy4yMKAHgscB&sclient=gws-wiz

 

[kangaSue]

Would 'hangover IV rehydration' be a more affordable option;
https://hydramed.com/iv-therapy/hangover-rescue

 

[Byles]

Thank you for the tip! Are you in the U.S.? Where do you buy your supplies, and how did you learn to inject?

Sorry can't help with that, I am from the Netherlands and get it per subscription.

Got instructions at the Gps office that weren't great, so watched several YouTube vids that where more helpful. I really hated it until I switched needles.

 

[heapsreal]

tldr; Anyone have tips on where to learn how to administer saline IV drip at home?

Hi all, I'm posting on behalf of my very severe partner. For about 4 months, my partner did 2 liters of IV hydration at home (with glutathione, B12, magnesium, and vitamin C) and methyl B12 IM injections twice a week.

We did this through a private company, which was exorbitantly expensive (and of course we haven't been able to get the insurance company to actually cover any of it, even though it should be covered by her plan). But she was in such a low place, we were desperate to try anything that might help. She had some modest improvements during that period, and since stopping the IV, she's declined again.

I know some people buy saline and other supplies and administer IV at home for themselves. I would love to do this for my partner, and I'm sure I could save money, but I don't even know where to start in learning about how to access this safely. Are there phlebotomy courses I can take? Where can one buy saline and other supplies? Any tips would be greatly appreciated and helpful.

The problem with regular IVs is that you end up with alot of scar tissue and it gets harder to find good veins. It all depends on how regular one gets them. Generally if someone needs regular IVs for awhile, they get a picc line put in, which is a semi permanent IV line put in.

Intramuscular infections for things like b12 are easier and plenty of nursing videos online showing how to do them. You do need to rotate the injection sites if they are regular injections, again to avoid scar tissue etc. Plus if someone is injected in the same spot, it can turn into an infection.

Injection sites can get abit red and swollen but usually go away after 3 days, but if it doesn't, then one might have an infection. It's a good idea to have a broad spectrum antibiotic on hand if doing regular injections incase the site gets infected. If using good aseptic techniques, it's rare.

My personal experience with b12 shots is they can help but it's hit and miss. Doing them regularly for more than 2 weeks, I haven't seen anything startling. But they can help as a one off or if in a crash take a shot every 2nd day for week. It's worth a go but not sure of the value of regular long term b12 shots helping. Good to keep up your sleeve for when you need it, in my opinion and take methylated B vitamins regularly.

 

[kushami]

It’s possible for unqualified people to be trained to administer IV medication through a port or other (semi)permanent access equipment.

Without a port, the person doing the IV would need to be trained as a nurse or emergency responder, as far as I know. I am not sure whether current registration would be required. A retired nurse might be able to do this for a family member or partner, depending on local regulations, for instance.

Not what you asked, but if your partner can see an autonomic specialist who uses home IV saline to help patients who have failed all other less-risky volume expansion measures then that specialist is usually able to order it, along with a port, in a way that will be recognised by insurance/local authorities/private services. The autonomic specialist can liaise with a local doctor or specialist.

There are a couple of people on the DINET forum who have managed to achieve the above arrangement, which now works well for them. Some have a port and a regular schedule; others have no port and get the service as needed, e.g. when in a flare. However, it does take a lot of time and effort from the patient and the specialist to get to this stage.

https://www.dinet.org/

***
In contrast, B12 injections are fairly easy to do at home. This forum has lots of good resources to read:
https://healthunlocked.com/pasoc