A banana bag is a bag of IV fluids composed of electrolytes and B-complex vitamins that turn the mixture yellow. A banana bag treatment can be a quick solution to the imbalance resulting from dehydration and chronic health conditions such as alcohol use disorders but is also efficient in relieving hangover symptoms.
Here’s everything you need to know about banana bag IV therapy and how you can benefit from one if you’re not feeling your very best.
What Is a Banana Bag?
A banana bag, also known as a rally pack, is a bag of fluids that contains a combination of selected vitamins and minerals. The fluids are given to patients intravenously in order to correct nutritional deficiencies or chemical imbalances. The solution has a yellow color, hence the name "banana bag."
Here’s how it works.
When your body has the right balance of vitamins and electrolytes—chemicals like sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium necessary for nerve and muscle performance and hydration—you feel energetic and your health is optimal. However, when your body is out of balance due to a vitamin and electrolyte deficiency, your health will start suffering. The symptoms of this imbalance can include fatigue, heart arrhythmia, and muscle weakness.
When are banana bags used?
Banana bags are primarily used to alleviate alcohol-related conditions such as alcohol poisoning, alcoholic ketoacidosis, and hangovers.
Alcohol poisoning
Alcohol poisoning results from an alcohol overdose. Symptoms include vomiting, slowed respiration, seizures, and loss of consciousness. Administering a banana bag helps restore essential electrolytes and vitamins and hydrate the patient.
Alcoholic ketoacidosis
Alcoholic ketoacidosis occurs in over-drinkers when dangerous levels of acid begin to build up in the body. Common symptoms are fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, vomiting, and dehydration.
Hangover
Although less serious than the conditions mentioned above, hangovers still make you feel tired, nauseous, and thirsty. Banana bags can help reduce these symptoms.
Besides alcohol-related conditions, banana bags can also be used:
- After a day in the sun
- Before or after sporting events
- For pre-hydrating before a night out
- To reduce the effects of jet lag
- To boost the immune system.
Banana bags have many advantages and are often more efficient than other rehydrating methods.
Here’s why.
The Benefits of Using a Banana Bag
In general, a banana bag IV therapy becomes effective much faster than oral vitamin consumption. It can, for instance, treat hangover symptoms in a fraction of the normal recovery time. Because fluids are delivered directly into your bloodstream, there is no need for your body to digest and absorb vitamins. You are likely to feel relief in less than an hour, and many of our patients report feeling better almost immediately.
Reset IV banana bags have numerous other benefits:
- There is no need for you to drive to a clinic or to wait for treatment. Our nurses can come to you any time of day or night, including weekends and holidays. Transportation fees are always included in the price.
- We’ll be at your door within an hour of booking, depending on availability.
- You can relax in the comfort of your home, hotel room, or office while you’re receiving the treatment.
- There’s no need for any special equipment or tools. We’ll bring everything you need for the treatment so that you can sit back and enjoy the benefits.
- Our banana bag IV treatments are customizable for your individual needs. Your IV therapy package will be designed specifically to target your symptoms.
- We offer a range of add-ons to make sure you get all the vitamins you need to alleviate your symptoms. Our professionals will be happy to make recommendations to help address your particular condition.
So what exactly does the banana bag therapy involve?
What Is the Process of Using a Banana Bag IV Like?
When receiving a banana bag IV treatment, you’ll get connected to a drip that’s administered intravenously. You’ll be sitting comfortably while a medical professional inserts the IV into your arm. The fluids will start flowing directly into your bloodstream for maximum effectiveness. Our expert nurses will guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have.
Is there any pain from the IV?
The nurses who administer Reset IV treatments are extremely skilled and professional and will make sure that you feel minimal discomfort during your treatment.
Once the IV tube has been placed, your arm won’t hurt, sting, or burn. After the procedure is completed, however, you may see some swelling and bruising at the site where the needle was inserted. This is common and there’s no reason for concern. Bruises will completely heal in a few days.
Are there any side effects?
The use of banana bags can sometimes be accompanied by mild side effects such as:
- Headache
- Itching
- Rashes
- Dizziness
- Double vision
- Skin redness
- Agitation
- Anxiety
In very rare cases, an IV treatment can cause phlebitis, a damage to a vein that occurs when inserting a needle. It can cause pain, swelling, and tenderness around the affected vein, and can usually be treated with warm compresses.
How long does a banana bag treatment take?
Reset IV hangover treatments take between 30 and 45 minutes to administer. The entire process, from a nurse arriving at your location, setting up and administering the IV to payment and cleanup typically takes about 60-90 minutes.
What Is in a Banana Bag?
A banana bag contains the following ingredients:
Thiamine
Banana bags include 100 milligrams of thiamine (vitamin B1), which helps alleviate hangover symptoms like brain fog. Alcohol use depletes thiamine that is critical for brain function. Besides confusion, thiamine deficiency can lead to irritability, loss of appetite, muscle weakness, and fatigue.
Folic acid
In addition to thiamine, banana bags contain one milligram of folic acid, which is a synthetic vitamin B. Folate deficiency can result in headaches, weakness, extreme tiredness, and heart palpitations.
Multivitamins
A combination of different essential vitamins in a banana bag helps boost the immune system.
Magnesium
One to two grams of magnesium sulfate work together with thiamine to restore balance to your brain and heart.
Depending on your needs, the essential banana bag ingredients are combined either in a fluid saline solution which helps with dehydration or in dextrose which targets the acid buildup in the body.
Let’s see how all the banana bag ingredients can be beneficial as a hangover cure.
Are Banana Bags Effective Against Hangovers?
A hangover is a combination of the body's physiological and psychological responses to excessive alcohol consumption, caused by dehydration and nutrient depletion. Without proper treatment, the symptoms of a hangover can last up to 72 hours.
Everyone responds to excessive alcohol consumption differently, but the most common symptoms include:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Muscle and body aches
- Fatigue
- Rapid heart rate
- Upset stomach
- Difficulty sleeping
- Trouble concentrating
- Sensitivity to light
- Feeling anxious or depressed.
The most important step in recovering from a hangover is rehydrating your body. To further accelerate recovery, it is important to flush out the toxin build-up caused by alcohol consumption and replenish nutrients lost while drinking alcohol.
While a banana bag treatment won’t completely cure a hangover, the combination of IV fluids can significantly reduce the severity of your symptoms and lead to a recovery in as little as 30-45 minutes.
We have several IV alternatives to prevent you from feeling down after you’ve had one too many drinks.
Other Effective IV Options to Combat Hangovers
The Reset IV banana bag hangover treatments are a quick and effective way to combat hangover symptoms. They detox and rehydrate your body, restore nutrients lost after drinking, and cleanse your system.
Our formulas include anti-nausea and anti-inflammatory medications to provide fast relief, so you’ll soon be back to feeling your normal self. We also provide custom blends and add-ons to address your specific needs.
Reset IV offers several hangover packages:
Hydration package
The hydration package IV bag contains one liter of normal saline fluid that helps restore a healthy balance of fluid and electrolytes in your body while boosting energy levels.
Still Spinning package
This package has a base of electrolytes—a mixture of water and sodium chloride—and your choice of anti-heartburn medication to help with acid reflux symptoms, nausea medication to calm your stomach, or pain relief medication to help get rid of headaches caused by a hangover.
Pre Game package
The Pre Game package is made of normal saline solution (a mixture of water and sodium chloride) that recharges the fluids necessary for normal body function, in addition to a B-vitamin complex to replenish lost nutrients.
The Baller Package
With this package, you can choose between the following medications: anti-nausea and pain relief, anti-heartburn medications, or a multivitamin cocktail. The mixture also contains Modified Myers Cocktail where vitamin C and B vitamins are combined with magnesium and calcium to speed your hangover recovery.
Defcon 1 Package
In addition to a liter of fluid and electrolytes, the Defcon 1 package gives you a choice of two of the following medications: anti-nausea, anti-heartburn, and pain relief meds.
Reset IV has five convenient locations: Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tampa, and Orange County. So if you are looking for the best IV therapy provider give us a call!