NAD+ IV Drip vs
NAD+ Injection Pen

An NAD+ IV drip gives a larger amount of NAD+ straight into a vein over 90 to 120 minutes with a nurse beside you, while an NAD+ injection pen lets you inject smaller amounts under the skin at home on a schedule set by a doctor. Neither route has been proven better for wellness outcomes, so the choice usually comes down to time, budget and how you prefer to receive it. At mobivIVe, MobiNAD+ 250mg costs R1,300 (about 90 minutes) and MobiNAD+ 500mg costs R1,950 (about 120 minutes), given by a registered nurse in one of our lounges or at your home. Our NAD+ 250mg/1ml pen costs R1,399 for a 2.4ml pen and is couriered anywhere in South Africa after a doctor reviews your questionnaire. This guide compares the two side by side: how each is given, how it feels, what it costs per month, who tends to choose which, and what the evidence honestly says.

This guide was written under the medical direction of Dr Chris van Zyl (registered as M.C. van Zyl, HPCSA MP0287067), mobivIVe’s medical director. Our IV drips are given by registered nurses after a medical screening questionnaire.

What is NAD+?

NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a coenzyme found in every cell, where it helps turn the food you eat into usable energy. A review in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology explains that NAD+ drives the redox reactions at the centre of energy metabolism and acts as a cofactor for enzymes such as sirtuins and PARPs, which take part in DNA repair and cell signalling. The same review notes that NAD+ levels in tissues gradually fall with age in rodents and humans. Your body builds NAD+ from niacin (vitamin B3) and other building blocks in food. Both our drip and our pen contain NAD+ itself rather than a precursor. For the full background, read our guide What is NAD+?

What is the main difference between an NAD+ drip and an NAD+ injection pen?

The drip gives a larger amount of NAD+ in one slow, nurse-led session; the pen gives smaller amounts that you inject under the skin yourself at home. Here is how the two compare at mobivIVe:

Both are Schedule 3 medicines in South Africa, so both are only supplied under medical oversight.

How is an NAD+ IV drip given?

A registered nurse places a small cannula in your arm and runs NAD+ in a 200ml saline bag slowly into the vein. MobiNAD+ 250mg takes about 90 minutes and MobiNAD+ 500mg about 120 minutes. You first complete a medical screening questionnaire, and the nurse works under the protocols of our medical director, Dr Chris van Zyl. You can walk into our lounges in Sunninghill (Johannesburg), Stellenbosch or Queenstown (Komani), or book a mobile drip and a nurse comes to your home, office or hotel in Johannesburg, the Winelands or Cape Town. Mobile visits carry a call-out fee of R400 minimum, or R150 per person for groups (first 15km). See prices and times on our NAD+ IV drip page.

How does the NAD+ injection pen work?

The pen is a prefilled NAD+ 250mg/1ml pen (2.4ml, 600mg in total) that you inject under the skin yourself, at home. You start by sending us a WhatsApp message, then complete a short questionnaire that a registered doctor reviews. If your screening calls for it, a consultation is arranged. If NAD+ is safe and suitable for you, a script is issued, because the pen is only dispensed on a valid prescription. The doctor sets your schedule based on your goals and screening, and the pen comes with clear dosing instructions. It is couriered anywhere in South Africa, so it also suits people who live outside our lounge and mobile areas. Read more on our NAD+ therapy page.

What does an NAD+ drip feel like, and what are the side effects?

The most common complaints with IV NAD+ happen during the infusion and are linked to how fast it runs. In a 2026 retrospective study in Frontiers in Aging, people receiving 500mg NAD+ by drip reported stomach cramping, nausea, a faster heart rate and chest pressure during the infusion. The symptoms stopped once each infusion finished, and participants slowed the rate, so the drips averaged about 97 minutes. The study was small and run by a commercial IV clinic. Some people also notice warmth or flushing. This is why we always give NAD+ slowly in a small 200ml bag, and the nurse adjusts the rate to how you feel. Tell the nurse straight away if you feel tightness or discomfort.

Which is more convenient: the drip or the pen?

The pen is more convenient day to day, while the drip asks for 90 to 120 minutes of your time but needs nothing from you except to sit back. With the pen, each injection takes a few minutes at home and there is no appointment to travel to, which suits frequent travellers and people with packed diaries. You do need to be comfortable giving yourself an injection and following a schedule on your own. With the drip, a nurse handles everything: placing the cannula, controlling the rate and watching how you feel. Many people read, work on a laptop or simply rest while it runs. If you dislike needles, the drip means one needle per session and no injecting yourself.

How much does NAD+ cost per month, drip versus pen?

A pen costs R1,399 and lasts about three weeks at the higher end of dosing, so a month works out at roughly R1,400 to R2,000; drips cost R1,300 or R1,950 per session. At lower doses a pen lasts longer, so your monthly cost depends on the schedule the doctor sets. For drips, the monthly cost depends on how often you book: one MobiNAD+ 250mg drip a month is R1,300, while weekly drips add up to about R5,200, plus a call-out fee for mobile visits. Some clients choose a structured programme instead, such as the Reverse Aging Programme at R9,320 (5 x NAD+ 250mg and 2 x The Anti-Clockwise), the Athletic Endurance and Performance Programme at R9,100, or the Elite NAD+ Programme at R10,600.

Who usually chooses the drip, and who chooses the pen?

People who like a supervised, unhurried session tend to choose the drip; people who want something regular at home tend to choose the pen. The drip is popular with busy professionals who block out time for a wellness ritual, endurance athletes following one of our programmes, and anyone who would rather not inject themselves. It also suits people who want NAD+ alongside vitamins, for example the Elite NAD+ Programme with The Royal IV. The pen is chosen by people who travel often, live far from our lounges, prefer short routines at home or want to spread NAD+ over several weeks. Some clients use both: an occasional drip with a pen in between, if the doctor agrees it is suitable.

What does the evidence say about NAD+ drips and injections?

NAD+ clearly matters to the body, but human evidence for NAD+ drips or injections as a wellness routine is still limited. A 2026 systematic review in Ageing Research Reviews looked at 33 human intervention studies and found that oral NAD+ precursors such as nicotinamide riboside raised NAD-related markers in the blood, but effects on health outcomes were mixed. The reviewers found no eligible outcome trials of intravenous or intramuscular NAD+ itself and concluded that larger, well-designed trials are needed, particularly for injected routes. We therefore make no promises about results, and we do not claim that NAD+ in any form treats, cures or prevents any condition. Keep seeing your own doctor for any medical concern.

Who should check with us first, and how do I start?

Anyone with a heart, kidney or liver condition, anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone on chronic medication must tell us before booking either option. For the pen, the doctor also screens for active or hormone-sensitive cancers and uncontrolled heart disease, and asks about all the medicines you take. Every drip is given by a registered nurse after a medical screening questionnaire, under the protocols of Dr Chris van Zyl. To have a drip, book online at book.mobivive.co.za: choose a lounge or “Your Home, Office, etc.” for a mobile visit. To ask about the pen, or if you are unsure which route suits you, WhatsApp or call us on 061 509 6038.