Does an IV Drip Help a Hangover?
What the Evidence Says

An IV drip can replace lost fluid quickly, but no drip, tablet or home remedy has been proven to cure a hangover; the only reliable cure is time. That is the position of the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and two systematic reviews of hangover remedies found no convincing evidence for any of them. A hangover is not only dehydration. Broken sleep, inflammation, an irritated stomach and acetaldehyde, a toxic by-product of breaking down alcohol, all play a part, and fluid addresses only one of these. Many people still choose a drip after a late night because it is an easy way to take in fluid and a vitamin top-up while resting. This guide explains why hangovers happen, what a drip can and cannot do, what is in our Babelas Beater (R1,250), how mobile visits to homes and hotels work, who should not have one and how to drink more safely.

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.

Does an IV drip help a hangover?

A drip replaces fluid quickly, which may ease thirst and that dry, drained feeling, but there is no good evidence that it cures a hangover or makes it end sooner. The NIAAA states that there is no cure for a hangover other than time, and that none of the many remedies promoted online has been scientifically proven to work. IV drips have not been shown to be an exception. People who choose our Babelas Beater after a late night do so for practical reasons: fluid, a vitamin top-up and an hour to rest while a registered nurse looks after them. We do not claim that it treats a hangover.

Why do hangovers happen?

A hangover comes from several effects of alcohol happening at once, not from a single cause. According to the NIAAA, alcohol makes you pass more fluid, and the mild dehydration this causes probably adds to thirst, tiredness and headache. Alcohol also fragments sleep, even if you fall asleep faster, raises inflammation in the body and irritates the stomach lining, increasing acid. Meanwhile the liver breaks alcohol down into acetaldehyde, a toxic, short-lived compound. Because dehydration is only one piece of the picture, replacing fluid cannot address everything, which is why people often still feel tired and flat after rehydrating.

What does rehydration do, and what does it not do?

Rehydration replaces fluid and salts you have lost; it does not remove alcohol, make up for lost sleep or calm inflammation. A saline drip delivers fluid directly into the bloodstream without going through the stomach, which some people prefer when they feel too queasy to drink much. But the NIAAA notes that research has not found a link between the size of electrolyte disturbances and how bad a hangover is, so correcting salts alone is unlikely to explain feeling better. Drinking water, eating something light and sleeping do much of the same work at home, and for many people that is enough.

What does the research say about hangover remedies?

Two systematic reviews, 17 years apart, found no convincing evidence that any remedy prevents or treats a hangover. A 2005 review of eight randomised trials concluded that no compelling evidence exists for any conventional or complementary remedy, and that the most effective way to avoid a hangover is abstinence or moderation (Pittler et al., BMJ, 2005). A 2022 review of 21 placebo-controlled trials with 386 participants rated all the evidence as very low quality (Roberts et al., Addiction, 2022). No two trials tested the same product, so results could not be combined. In short, time does the real work.

What is in the Babelas Beater?

The Babelas Beater, our hangover IV, contains glutathione, vitamin C, the Myers cocktail, vitamin B12, thiamine (vitamin B1) and B complex in a saline bag, for R1,250 over about 45 minutes. “Babelas” is the Afrikaans word for a hangover. The saline provides fluid and salts. The Myers cocktail is a classic mix of B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium and calcium (see What is a Myers cocktail?). B vitamins such as thiamine help the body turn food into energy, and glutathione is the body’s own main antioxidant. The price includes a 200ml or 1000ml saline bag; a 1000ml bag with dextrose is R200 extra, and extra vitamins can be added. See our hangover drip page for more.

Can a nurse come to my home or hotel?

Yes. A registered nurse can come to your home, office, hotel or event in the areas we cover. Mobile visits are available across Johannesburg, Stellenbosch and the Winelands, and in Cape Town in Camps Bay, Clifton, Sea Point and Green Point; Durbanville, Bellville, Brackenfell and Kraaifontein; Table View, Bloubergstrand, Parklands and Sunningdale; and Somerset West, Strand and Gordon’s Bay. The call-out fee is R400 minimum, or R150 per person for groups (first 15km), which suits a group the morning after a wedding or birthday. Every person completes their own screening questionnaire. You can also walk into our lounges in Sunninghill, Stellenbosch or Queenstown (Komani).

Who should not have a hangover drip?

Anyone with a heart, kidney or liver condition, anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone on chronic medication must check with us first, and some people should not have one at all. The MSD Manual advises that pregnant and breastfeeding women and people with kidney disease, high blood pressure or a heart condition should avoid high-dose IV vitamin drips, and warns that large IV doses of thiamine can cause anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction. Tell us about any previous reaction to vitamins or medicines. A registered nurse gives every drip after a medical screening questionnaire, under the protocols of our medical director, Dr Chris van Zyl. If you have a heart, kidney or liver condition, are pregnant, or take chronic medication, tell us before you book.

Can a drip sober me up?

No. A drip does not sober you up or reverse the effects of alcohol, so never drive because you have had one. The NIAAA explains that blood alcohol can keep rising after someone stops drinking, and that cold showers, coffee and walking do not reverse an alcohol overdose. If you still feel drunk the next morning, tell the nurse during screening. Someone who is confused, vomiting, breathing slowly or hard to wake needs urgent medical help, not a drip: call an ambulance on 10177, or 112 from a mobile phone, and do not leave them alone.

How can I drink more safely next time?

The most reliable way to avoid a hangover is to drink less, which is also the conclusion of the 2005 BMJ review of hangover remedies. Practical steps help: eat before and while you drink, alternate alcoholic drinks with water, pace yourself, and plan a lift, an e-hailing ride or a designated driver before you go out. Stop when you start to feel unwell. If you are worried about how much you drink, speak to your doctor. If you do choose a Babelas Beater the morning after, book online and pick a lounge or “Your Home, Office, etc.”, or WhatsApp us on 061 509 6038.