How long does an IV drip take?

Most visits take about an hour at our Elmhurst or Chinatown clinic. The health check takes 10 to 15 minutes, and the drip itself usually runs 30 to 60 minutes depending on the fluid volume and what is added. We check your vital signs again before you leave, and most people return to their day right away.

How often can I get an IV drip?

There is no single safe schedule that fits everyone, and more frequent drips are not proven to add benefit. Most healthy people who use wellness drips do so occasionally, not weekly. Your clinician in Elmhurst or Chinatown will look at your health, labs and reasons for coming, then advise whether and how often a drip makes sense.

Is IV drip therapy covered by insurance?

Wellness IV drips are usually self-pay because most insurance plans do not cover them. Infusions ordered to treat a diagnosed condition, such as a confirmed vitamin deficiency, may be covered. We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, for medically needed care. Call our Elmhurst or Chinatown clinic to confirm your plan.

Our Medical Services

IV Drip Therapy in Queens & Manhattan, NY

City Prime Care offers IV Drip Therapy at our Elmhurst, Queens and Chinatown, Manhattan clinics. Our IV drip therapy NYC patients receive fluids and vitamins through a small IV line, given by licensed medical staff only after a short health check. People come to us for hydration after illness, travel or a long run, and they choose a primary care practice because a clinician looks at their health first, not just the menu.

Last updated September 2026

Elmhurst, QueensChinatown, Manhattan

IV Drip Therapy at City Prime Care – a clinician securing an IV line

IV Drips We Offer

If you are comparing options for IV therapy in NYC, it helps to see exactly what goes into each bag. Our drip menu is short on purpose. Every drip starts with a sterile IV fluid, and the clinician who reviews your health can adjust or leave out any add-in that is not a good fit for you. The table below shows what each drip typically contains and why people tend to ask for it.

Drip	What it typically contains	Why people choose it
Hydration	Saline or lactated Ringer’s solution with electrolytes	Feeling dry after a stomach bug, heat or travel
Immune Support	IV fluid with vitamin C and zinc	Wanting extra fluids and vitamins during cold season
Energy & Recovery	IV fluid with B-complex vitamins and B12	Tiredness after hard exercise or a demanding week
Myers' Cocktail	Magnesium, calcium, B vitamins and vitamin C in fluid	A broad vitamin and mineral blend

Treating a lab-confirmed deficiency is a different service with its own workup.

Hydration Drip

Our simplest option is plain IV hydration, NYC style: a bag of sterile fluid with sodium, potassium and other electrolytes, similar to what hospitals use to rehydrate patients. People often ask for it after a stomach virus, a day in the summer heat, a long flight or an endurance race, when drinking enough water has been hard. Because fluid goes straight into a vein, you may feel less lightheaded within the hour. If you have heart or kidney problems, the clinician may lower the volume or suggest oral fluids instead.

Immune Support Drip

Many visitors to our Catherine Street clinic ask for an "immune boost IV" in Chinatown, so we want to be clear about what this drip is. It combines IV fluid with vitamin C and zinc, two nutrients the immune system uses. People choose it during cold and flu season or when they feel run down. Research has not shown that an IV vitamin drip prevents infections or shortens illness in healthy adults, so we present it as a wellness option, not a treatment. A yearly flu shot remains the proven step.

Energy & Recovery Drip

This drip pairs IV fluid with B-complex vitamins and vitamin B12. People choose it after a hard training block, a run of night shifts or a trip across time zones, when they want to rehydrate and feel steadier. The fluid is the part most likely to make a noticeable difference. Ongoing tiredness can also come from anemia, thyroid problems, poor sleep or depression, and a drip will not fix any of those. If fatigue keeps coming back, we would rather check your blood work first.

Myers' Cocktail

The Myers' Cocktail is the best-known vitamin drip, named after a Baltimore physician who used it decades ago. It usually contains magnesium, calcium, several B vitamins and vitamin C in a base fluid. If you have been searching for a Myers cocktail NYC clinic, know that small studies on it have been mixed, and it is not an approved treatment for migraines, fibromyalgia or any other condition. Magnesium can cause a warm, flushed feeling during the infusion, so we run it slowly and watch how you respond.

Who IV Therapy Is For

Most people who search for an IV drip near me are healthy adults who feel depleted for a short, clear reason and want to recover under medical supervision rather than at a pop-up drip bar. Common reasons include:

mild dehydration after a stomach bug, heat or heavy exercise
trouble keeping fluids down for a day or two, once serious causes are ruled out
recovery after an endurance event or a physically demanding job
jet lag and long travel days

IV therapy in Queens or Manhattan is usually not the right choice for people with heart failure, advanced kidney disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or anyone who is pregnant without their obstetrician’s input. Signs of severe dehydration, such as confusion, fainting or no urine for many hours, need emergency care. For emergencies, call 911. If your goal is steadier energy over months, our lifestyle counseling team can help with sleep, nutrition and hydration habits that last longer than a single drip.

Safety & Medical Screening

Every drip at City Prime Care begins with a health check by a licensed clinician. We ask about your medical history, current medicines, allergies and why you want a drip, and we check your blood pressure, heart rate and temperature. For some people we order a quick blood test first, for example a kidney function check or a G6PD test before higher doses of vitamin C.

Before you choose IV therapy in NYC anywhere, know this: evidence for wellness drips in healthy people is limited. Fluids help when you are truly dehydrated, but extra vitamins in a well-nourished person are mostly cleared by the kidneys. We do not claim that any drip detoxifies the body or cures illness. Sometimes the health check shows that a drip is not right for you, and in that case we will tell you and suggest a better next step.

Risks are small but real. They include bruising, fluid leaking into the skin around the needle, vein irritation and, rarely, infection or an allergic reaction. Trained staff place the line with sterile technique and stay nearby for the whole session.

What to Expect During Your Drip

Whether you come for IV hydration in Elmhurst or a vitamin drip in Chinatown, plan on about an hour. After check-in and the health review, you settle into a reclining chair. A nurse or medical assistant cleans the skin on your arm or hand, places a thin catheter in a vein and connects the bag. You will feel a quick pinch, then little else.

The infusion itself usually runs 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the drip and how fast it is safe to run for you. You can read, work on your phone or rest. Some people notice a cool feeling in the arm or a brief metallic taste. Tell the staff right away if you feel pain at the site, dizziness, chest tightness or itching.

Afterward we remove the line, apply a small bandage and check your vital signs once more. Most people go straight back to work or home. Eat something beforehand, wear a top with loose sleeves and bring a list of your medicines.

Pricing & Packages

Prices vary by drip, as they do at most IV therapy NYC providers. We quote the cost of your drip before any treatment begins so there are no surprises. For our current price list, call the Elmhurst clinic at (929) 491-4592 or the Chinatown clinic at (917) 304-0445. We do not publish prices online because add-ins and fluid volume can change after your health check.

Wellness IV drips are usually self-pay, because most health plans do not cover them. IV fluids or vitamins given to treat a diagnosed medical problem are handled differently. If your doctor has confirmed a deficiency such as low B12 or iron, see our vitamin and mineral infusions page, where treatment may be billed to insurance. We accept most major insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, for medically needed care, but call to confirm your plan.

Ask the front desk whether multi-visit packages are available when you call. When you are ready, you can book an IV therapy appointment online at either clinic.

Available at Both Locations

You can get IV drip therapy at either clinic, Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM. Our Elmhurst, Queens clinic on 75th Street serves Jackson Heights, Sunnyside and Astoria, with care in English and Spanish. Our Chinatown, Manhattan clinic on Catherine Street serves the Lower East Side and Financial District, with care in English, Chinese and Spanish.