Dr. John Myers, M.D. was a Baltimore based physician who used IV nutrition to treat a broad range of patients. Like many of the greatest discoveries in medicine, one brilliant mind experiments with an idea, usually on themselves, and then slowly expands use with patients. The elements that Dr. Myers used were in no way risky, they were basic vitamins and minerals but his idea around dosing is what made the difference.
Dose is everything. Take vitamin C as an example. Linus Pauling won 2 Nobel prizes for his research on this basic nutrient as he showed that when dosed at high levels this basic vitamin became a superhero. The vast majority of animals with the exception of guinea pigs, some birds and bats, are able to manufacture their own vitamin C internally. Humans lost that ability some 60 million years ago during our evolution. The ability to make vitamin C is huge in its ability to support tissue repair, immune stability, and cardiovascular health. This is what Linus Pauling showed as he surmised that high dose vitamin C could eradicate a large percentage of heart disease.
Dr. Myers included a high dose of vitamin C in his famous cocktail and gave it by way of IV because oral administration of this dose is ineffective. Tissue levels needed to drive healing and change can’t be accomplished using oral capsules or pills. Oral intake is helpful but it pales in comparison to IV acquired levels. The highest level of vitamin C in the blood stream that we can measure after high dose oral administration is only 9 mg/dl. Blood levels after IV administration reach 80 mg/dl or higher. That's why they are so helpful in treatments of cancer and immune issues.
Other basic elements like magnesium follow a similar trajectory. Great when taken orally but tiny compared to what can be accomplished with an IV. Add to this the B vitamins, minerals and glutathione and you can see the tidal wave of change that becomes possible. This is what Dr. Myers and thousands of other practitioners have reported. An IV when done correctly in the hands of experienced professionals can be a huge tool in shifting our physiology to heal.
Cardiovascular patients that experience chest pain or congestive heart failure may in fact have a significantly low level of vitamin C and magnesium in the cells of their heart thus limiting the cells ability to function properly. A study by Frustaci published in the Lancet in 1987 showed that cardiomyopathy patients only had 35% of the needed magnesium level in the heart cells. An IV of magnesium can radically shift this level towards normal and thus impact performance.
B vitamins may sound basic to you but under stress, and who isn’t experiencing stress today, we use B vitamins at a highly accelerated rate. Given the low intake of B vitamins from eating processed foods devoid of ideal nutrition, many of us experience fatigue, mental exhaustion, poor sleep, headaches, and body aches simply because we aren’t detoxing and fueling our cells with adequate levels of B vitamins. Once again, the levels we can accomplish orally pales in comparison to the wave that is achievable when we engage IV replacement.
Seemingly everyone these days is being diagnosed with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome with clinicians scrambling to understand and effectively treat this issue. A study by Uchida in 1989 done in a lab (not human trial) showed that introducing high dose vitamin C destroyed 72% of the histamine in the medium. A series of safe, gradually increasing doses of vitamin C could be a turning point in the symptom expression. Added benefit is vitamin C’s support of balanced immune function which is in fact the likely culprit in mast cell abnormalities.
What is a Myers Formula good for?
Here is a list of medical conditions that have been reported in the medical literature to improve or respond to basic IV therapy:
• Fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Migraine headaches
• Mood and depression
• Asthma – acute and chronic
• Mast cell activation syndrome
• Heart disease – of a broad range
• Respiratory tract infections
• Seasonal allergic rhinitis
• Narcotic withdrawal
• Chronic urticaria (itch / hives)
• Hyperthyroidism
• Athletic performance
Not all “Myers Cocktails” are created equal
Over the years thousands of practitioners have delighted in altering Dr. Myers original formula to suit their specific needs. I have seen many variations of this theme and in fact enjoy the opportunity to fine tune any Myers formula to the patient at hand. There are a variety of adjustments that can be engaged to custom fit your Myers cocktail to you. Based on what’s being treated or what symptoms are most problematic, additions or deletions can be made.
Cautions
Despite these elements being basic, the doses engaged can cause some unwanted effects. These negative effects are uncommon and easily avoided by a sharp practitioner who understands the proper mixing and application of each element. High dose magnesium may cause blood pressure to drop if given too quickly but easily avoided with an adjustment in how fast the infusion is done. Anytime we are administering more than 10 grams of vitamin C we will require a blood test to ensure that you don’t have an enzyme deficiency that might create problems.
Anytime an IV is initiated there is risk for bruising or inflammation at the site of the IV but these issues are uncommon and simple to treatment.
If you would like to explore more deeply into the science of Myers IV solutions then I invite you to read Dr. Alan Gaby’s well written review of the “Myers Cocktail” available on this website - Intravenous Nutrient Therapy: the “Myers’ Cocktail”.
