Intravenous infusion delivers a compound directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive tract. For some substances that matters a great deal: the blood concentration achievable by the intravenous route can be far higher than oral dosing can reach, because absorption across the gut wall is a hard ceiling.
That difference is the reason intravenous nutrient therapy exists. It is also the reason it deserves more caution than the same compound taken by mouth.
This page covers the compounds we infuse, what is actually known about each, and what we screen for before administering any of them. It is a companion to our vitamin infusion therapy overview, which describes the standard formulations we offer.
Please read this first
None of the infusions described below is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of any disease. Injectable vitamin preparations are regulated as drugs. Several of the compounds here have no FDA-approved injectable form in the United States at all, which means any intravenous preparation of them is compounded.
We put this at the top rather than in small print at the bottom because it is the most important thing to understand before considering any of it. It does not mean these compounds are without value. It means the evidence supporting intravenous use ranges from moderate to very thin depending on the compound, and you are entitled to know which is which.
Nothing here is a claim that any infusion treats, cures, prevents, or mitigates any disease. Venturis Clinic is not a cancer treatment center and does not treat cancer.
How we decide whether an infusion is appropriate
We do not run a menu where you choose something and we hang the bag.
Every infusion begins with a clinical evaluation — history, examination, and for most of these, laboratory work before anything is administered. One of the infusions below requires a specific lab result in hand before a first dose, and that requirement is not waivable.
Frequently the outcome of that evaluation is that intravenous therapy is not the right approach, or not yet, or that what someone needs is something else entirely. That is a normal result rather than a failed visit. A clinic that finds every patient to be a candidate for its most expensive service is telling you something about the clinic, not about the patients.
On compounded preparations
Where a compound has no FDA-approved injectable form, what goes in the bag is a compounded sterile preparation. Three things follow from that, and they matter more than most clinic websites admit.
A compounded preparation is only as safe as the facility that made it. We verify licensure and the specific formulation — including the solubilizing vehicle — before any preparation is used in this clinic.
The vehicle is not a technicality. Fat-soluble compounds cannot simply be dissolved in saline; they need a solubilizing agent. Where serious harm has occurred with intravenous botanical preparations, the vehicle has been the cause more often than the active ingredient. See the curcumin section below.
And you are entitled to ask what is in the preparation you are being given, including the vehicle. We will tell you at your evaluation.
High-dose vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
We maintain a detailed page on high-dose vitamin C covering the pharmacology and the evidence in depth. In brief:
What it is. Ascorbic acid given intravenously at doses well above what the gut can absorb. Oral vitamin C absorption saturates — past a point, more oral dose does not meaningfully raise blood levels. The intravenous route is not subject to that ceiling. This pharmacokinetic difference is well documented and not controversial.
What the research shows. The pharmacology is the best-established part; what those concentrations do clinically is far less settled. Published Phase I and Phase II safety work exists across several settings, alongside a large body of preclinical and mechanistic research. The large controlled human trials that would establish a treatment effect for any specific condition do not exist, and high-dose intravenous vitamin C is not FDA-approved to treat any disease.
What we screen for — and this is not negotiable. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency must be excluded before a first high-dose infusion. In G6PD-deficient people, high-dose intravenous ascorbate can cause acute hemolysis, and this has been fatal. We require a G6PD result before the first dose — no exceptions, and a verbal history does not substitute for the test.
We also assess kidney function. Ascorbate is metabolized in part to oxalate, and oxalate nephropathy has been reported following high-dose infusion, particularly with pre-existing renal impairment. A history of calcium-oxalate stones requires individual consideration.
One practical thing. High-dose vitamin C interferes with many point-of-care glucometers, producing falsely high readings for a period afterward. If you use a home meter or a CGM, tell us — and tell anyone else who checks your glucose over the following day or two. This has caused insulin dosing errors elsewhere, and it is entirely avoidable by knowing about it.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
What it is. A water-soluble B vitamin and a component of most B-complex infusion formulations rather than usually a standalone infusion. Riboflavin is the precursor to two coenzymes central to cellular energy metabolism.
What the research shows. Oral high-dose riboflavin has a real if modest clinical literature — the migraine prophylaxis work is the most developed part of it. Evidence for intravenous riboflavin specifically is much thinner. The oral literature does not automatically transfer to the intravenous route and we will not represent that it does.
What we screen for. Riboflavin has a wide safety margin; toxicity is not a practical concern at the doses used. Expect bright yellow urine for a day afterward — that is riboflavin being excreted, it is harmless, and it startles people who were not warned.
Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone)
What it is. A lipid-soluble compound central to mitochondrial electron transport, and an antioxidant within cell membranes.
There is no FDA-approved injectable CoQ10 in the United States. Any intravenous CoQ10 is compounded, and because CoQ10 is fat-soluble it requires a solubilizing agent or emulsion system — see the note on vehicles above.
What the research shows. Oral CoQ10 has a substantial literature across several areas. Controlled human data on intravenous administration is close to absent. Anyone presenting the intravenous route as established for CoQ10 is overstating what exists.
What we screen for. Current medications, with attention to anticoagulants — CoQ10 is structurally related to vitamin K and interactions with warfarin have been reported. Formulation and vehicle are verified before use.
Curcumin
We also maintain a page on curcumin IV therapy. The safety information below is the part that matters most.
What it is. The principal curcuminoid from turmeric (Curcuma longa). Curcumin is very poorly absorbed orally, which is precisely why the intravenous route has been of interest — and, like CoQ10, it is fat-soluble and needs a solubilizing vehicle.
A serious safety matter you should know about. In 2017 the FDA investigated two serious adverse events, including the death of a 30-year-old woman, associated with a compounded curcumin emulsion product for injection. The investigation implicated the diluent — a polyethoxylated castor oil vehicle associated with anaphylactoid reactions — rather than curcumin itself.
We include this because anyone considering intravenous curcumin should know it, and because it is the clearest illustration of the point above: with compounded intravenous preparations, the formulation and its source can matter more than the active ingredient.
What the research shows. Oral curcumin has a large literature, much of it preclinical, and much of the human work limited by the absorption problem. Controlled human trials of intravenous curcumin are essentially absent. There is no FDA-approved injectable curcumin.
What we screen for. Full medication review, with attention to anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents. Gallbladder disease and biliary obstruction are relevant contraindications. Vehicle and source are verified for every preparation.
Boswellia
What it is. An extract of Boswellia serrata — frankincense resin — standardized to boswellic acids.
What the research shows. Oral boswellia has a modest human literature, most of it in inflammatory joint conditions and most of the trials small. Controlled human data on intravenous administration is very limited. There is no FDA-approved injectable boswellia, so any intravenous preparation is compounded.
What we screen for. Medication review with attention to anticoagulants and to drugs sharing hepatic metabolic pathways. Source and formulation verified before use.
Safety and screening
Every infusion carries baseline risks independent of what is in the bag: infiltration at the IV site, phlebitis, vasovagal reactions, and rarely infection or allergic reaction. These are uncommon, manageable, and real.
Beyond that, three rules govern this service:
Screening first. G6PD before high-dose vitamin C, without exception. Renal function where relevant. A complete medication list every time, because the interactions that matter most here are with anticoagulants.
Sourcing verified. We do not use a compounded preparation whose source, formulation and vehicle we cannot account for.
Evidence described accurately. You will notice this page says the evidence is thin more than once. That is deliberate. You cannot meaningfully consent to something that has been described to you inaccurately, and a clinic that overstates the evidence has made your decision for you.
We do not administer the botanical infusions described here during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
Practical details
Venturis Clinic is a direct-pay practice and does not bill insurance for infusion therapy. Cost is discussed with a care coordinator after your evaluation, once there is a specific plan to price.
Venturis Clinic
[STREET ADDRESS], Oklahoma City, OK 73120
(405) 848-7246
Monday–Thursday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Closed Friday.
To get started
If you want to know whether any of this applies to you, the first step is an evaluation — not an infusion.
Call us at (405) 848-7246, or request an evaluation and we will call you back. If you already know you want to be seen, you can schedule a first appointment directly.
Frequently asked questions
Are these infusions FDA-approved?
No. Injectable vitamin preparations are regulated as drugs, and none of the infusions on this page is FDA-approved to treat any disease. Curcumin, boswellia and CoQ10 have no FDA-approved injectable form in the United States at all, so any intravenous preparation of them is compounded.
Why do I need a blood test before high-dose vitamin C?
Because G6PD deficiency — an inherited red-cell enzyme condition that many people carry without knowing — makes high-dose intravenous ascorbate dangerous, and can cause acute breakdown of red blood cells. This has been fatal. It is one inexpensive test and we require the result before a first infusion.
Can I pick an infusion from this page and book it?
No. Every infusion follows a clinical evaluation. Part of that is safety screening; the other part is that the right answer is frequently something other than an infusion.
How long does an infusion take?
It varies by compound and dose, from roughly thirty minutes to a few hours. We tell you at scheduling so you can plan the day.
Do you treat cancer?
No. Venturis Clinic is not a cancer treatment center and does not treat cancer, and does not offer any infusion as a cancer treatment. If you are in active cancer treatment and considering supportive care, that decision belongs with your oncology team, and we will communicate with them.
Is this covered by insurance?
No. Venturis is direct-pay.
Reviewed by Dr. Alvin Philipose, B.S., B.S., DC, ICCP.
These statements have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The therapies described on this page are not approved by the FDA for the treatment of any disease, and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. This information is educational and is not a substitute for individual medical evaluation. Individual results vary and no outcome is promised. Venturis Clinic is not a cancer treatment center and does not treat cancer.