Got an extreme hangover? There is a cure — in a needle

It’s the time of year for drinking, but all that holiday cheer can leave you less than happy the next day. If you’ve got a vicious hangover, there is a cure — if you’re willing to brave a needle.

Whether dehydrated from drinking too much or just recovering from the flu, the IV therapy trend is spreading throughout the Northeast, with salons providing injectable vitamin concoctions to the Sunday night party crowd.

The practice is much more common on the West Coast, says Ronen Morris, owner of Delete Tattoo Removal and Laser Salon in Boston. Delete provides nutrient infusions that are meant to last between three and six weeks for about $125 a piece.

“It’s definitely a West Coast trend,” says Morris. “The West Coast tends to favor some of these different types of medical practices, but it’s certainly growing exponentially in popularity. It’s only a matter of time before it becomes part of the landscape.”

Delete initially started offering the infusions as part of its tattoo removal service, but clients kept coming back because they enjoyed the burst of energy. The salon offers a range of nutrient infusions, which are administered by a registered nurse and can be tailored to clients’ specific desires.

For instance, marathon runners may choose the Elite Athlete, a combination of B vitamins for a post-workout boost. For those hoping to lose weight there is the Skinny, a cocktail of B vitamins that rev your metabolism and burn fat. But the most popular of all infusions is the Hangover Helper: a cocktail of magnesium, selenium, zinc, calcium and saline for those feeling the heat after a night of partying.

“I’ve taken B12 pills, but you just feel it right away,” Bella Carneiro, 38, says of nutrient infusions.

As a bartender at The Brahmin and the Bell in Hand in Boston, Carneiro says she frequently gets traditional B12 injections. “It depends on what I’m going for. I always do a B complex shot because it gives me so much energy, and the infusions for hangovers.”

But experts caution that if you’re relying on such an extreme solution, it might be time to reconsider your lifestyle.

“If you are so debilitated after a night of partying that you actually need intravenous hydration and vitamins, you need to go to the emergency room and get proper treatment for dehydration and vitamin deficiencies that are commonly seen in alcoholism or acute alcohol toxicity,” says Dr. Caroline Apovian, the director of Boston Medical Center’s Nutrition & Weight Management Center.