Once you have decided to try IV therapy, the next question is usually: how often should I do this? The answer varies significantly based on why you are getting IV therapy, your health status, and your budget. There is no universal schedule that works for everyone, but there are practical guidelines that can help you find the right frequency.
It Depends on Your Goal
The ideal frequency of IV therapy is directly tied to what you are trying to accomplish. A one-time hangover recovery drip has completely different scheduling implications than an ongoing wellness protocol. Here is how frequency typically breaks down by use case.
Acute Recovery (As Needed)
If you are using IV therapy for situational recovery — a bad hangover, food poisoning, a stomach virus, or severe dehydration after a long flight — there is no schedule. You book a session when you need one. Most people in this category get IV therapy a few times a year at most.
This is the simplest and most cost-effective way to use IV therapy. You pay only when there is a clear, immediate need, and the benefits are typically felt within the session itself.
General Wellness (Every 2 to 4 Weeks)
People using IV therapy for general wellness — energy, immune support, skin health, or overall nutrient optimization — typically schedule sessions every two to four weeks. This frequency allows enough time between sessions for your body to use the nutrients while maintaining a relatively consistent level of supplementation.
Many providers recommend starting with weekly or biweekly sessions for the first month, then spacing them out to every three or four weeks once you have established a baseline. Learn more about the specific benefits different IV formulations provide.
Athletic Performance and Recovery (Weekly to Biweekly)
Competitive athletes and serious fitness enthusiasts who use IV therapy for performance and recovery often schedule sessions one to two times per week during heavy training periods. This drops to biweekly or monthly during off-season or lighter training phases.
The logic is straightforward: intense physical training depletes fluids, electrolytes, and certain nutrients faster than normal. More frequent IV therapy replenishes these resources more consistently. Our guide to IV therapy for athletes covers this in more detail.
Chronic Condition Management (As Directed by Physician)
People using IV therapy to manage chronic conditions like migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or nutrient malabsorption should follow a schedule determined by their treating physician. This might range from weekly sessions to monthly maintenance, depending on the condition and how the patient responds.
In these cases, frequency is a medical decision rather than a lifestyle choice, and it should be guided by symptom tracking and periodic lab work.
NAD+ Therapy (Varies by Protocol)
NAD+ infusions have their own scheduling considerations because the infusions take longer (two to four hours) and tend to cost more. A typical introductory NAD+ protocol involves three to five consecutive daily sessions or sessions spread across a single week. After the initial loading phase, maintenance sessions are usually scheduled every two to four weeks.
Signs You Might Be Overdoing It
More is not always better with IV therapy. While the risk of serious complications from too-frequent infusions is low in healthy people, there are practical reasons to avoid overdoing it:
- Diminishing returns — If your nutrient levels are already in the normal range, additional infusions will not push them meaningfully higher. Your body excretes excess water-soluble vitamins through urine.
- Vein fatigue — Frequent IV insertions in the same area can cause vein irritation or scarring over time. If you are getting weekly infusions, rotate insertion sites and give veins time to recover.
- Cost accumulation — At $150 to $400 per session, weekly IV therapy adds up to $600 to $1,600 per month. Make sure the frequency matches the value you are getting.
- Masking underlying issues — If you feel like you constantly need IV therapy to function, that could be a sign of an underlying health issue that deserves proper medical investigation rather than recurring IV drips.
Signs You Could Benefit from More Frequent Sessions
On the other side, certain signals suggest you might benefit from increasing your IV therapy frequency:
- Benefits from each session fade noticeably before your next scheduled appointment
- Lab work shows persistent deficiencies despite oral supplementation
- You are going through a period of unusual physical or mental demand (training for a competition, recovering from surgery, high-stress work period)
- Seasonal illness has hit and you want extra immune support
How to Find Your Optimal Frequency
The best approach is to start conservatively and adjust based on how you feel and what your lab work shows. Here is a practical process:
- Start with a specific purpose — Book your first session to address a specific goal, not just to try it. This gives you a clear baseline for evaluating results.
- Track how you feel — Pay attention to how long the benefits last after each session. If you feel great for two weeks and then notice a decline, a biweekly schedule might be right.
- Get blood work — A comprehensive nutrient panel before starting IV therapy and again after a few months of treatment gives you objective data about whether your protocol is working.
- Talk to your provider — Experienced IV therapy providers have seen hundreds or thousands of patients and can offer practical guidance based on your specific situation. Find a provider near you to discuss your goals.
- Reassess regularly — Your needs change with the seasons, your activity level, your diet, and your age. What works in January during cold and flu season might be different from what you need in July.
Budget-Friendly Scheduling Tips
Since cost is a real factor in how often you can get IV therapy, here are ways to make your sessions go further:
- Use IV therapy strategically — Instead of a fixed weekly schedule, use IV therapy when you need it most (before travel, after illness, during heavy training) and rely on oral supplements for daily maintenance.
- Buy packages — Most providers offer multi-session packages at a 15% to 25% discount. If you know you will use IV therapy at least once a month, packages save money over time.
- Compare pricing — Search by city in our directory to compare what providers near you charge. Prices can vary by $100 or more for the same basic treatment within the same metro area.
The Bottom Line
For most people using IV therapy for wellness purposes, sessions every two to four weeks provide a good balance of benefits and cost. Athletes and people managing chronic conditions may benefit from more frequent sessions, while those using IV therapy for occasional recovery can simply book as needed.
The key is to be honest with yourself about the results you are getting and adjust accordingly — not to lock into a schedule because a provider told you to come back every week. Let your body, your budget, and your lab work guide the decision.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any IV therapy treatment.