Hospital doctors warn of growing number of gruesome skin infections linked to Vitamin IV drips loved by Kendall Jenner
Influencer Bea Amma suffered a severe skin infection after having IV therapy Experts have warned that unregulated treatments could lead to infection READ MORE: Celeb-backed vitamin IV drips DON'T work and have 'serious risks'
Experts have warned of increasing cases of severe infections linked to vitamin IV drips, a favorite among celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Chrissy Teigen.
The treatments are infusions or jabs of vitamins like A, B12 and C, which are said to be absorbed into the bloodstream faster than capsules.
Clinics across the US offer the drips, which cost between $100 and $400 per session, and claim they carry a range of benefits from helping you fight infections to curing hangovers.
But now, doctors working in Texas hospitals have warned of a surge in admissions related to the treatments.
Dr Richina Bicette-McCain, an emergency medicine physician at Baylor College of Medicine, told NBC News that she’s seeing a growing number of worrying reactions to vitamin drips.
Model Chrissy Teigen often speaks of the vitamin infusions that she says grant her a host of health benefits – but experts say they’re too risky
‘One of the most common complications that we see is infection, usually at the site of the IV placement,’ she said.
The warnings come amid reports of young women experiencing alarming complications.
In 2021, aspiring wellness influencer Bea Amma visited a med spa in California to boost her energy and burn body fat.
She received more than 100 injections of vitamins B12 and C, which have been shown to keep blood and nerve cells healthy and boost immunity.
The treatment was injected into her arms, stomach, and lower back.
Ms Amma, who was 24 at the time, told NBC News: ‘They told me that the more areas of my body they inject, the better.’
Within 24 hours, she felt dizzy and feverish, and the injection sites all started oozing with pus.
Bea Amma of California went to a med spa in 2021 and suffered a severe infection known as Mycobacterium abscessus, which affects just one in 100,000 Americans
Ms Amma, who was 24 at the time, told NBC News: ‘They told me that the more areas of my body they inject, the better.’ Within 24 hours, she felt dizzy and feverish, and the injection sites all started oozing with pus
‘Anything touching my skin was excruciating,’ she said. ‘My entire body felt like it was on fire.’
Tests showed that Ms Amma had contracted Mycobacterium abscessus, an aggressive bacterium found in water, soil, and dust. It has also been found in contaminated medical equipment, such as improperly sterilized needles.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infection from Mycobacterium absecessus can cause skin to be red, warm, tender to the touch, swollen, and painful.
Other symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, and a general feeling of illness known as malaise.
The infection affects just one in 100,000 Americans.
Kendall Jenner has also documented herself using IV therapy to recover from Long Covid
The Los Angeles County Public Health Department investigated Ms Amma’s case, but the results were ‘inconclusive.’ She was hospitalized and put on five rounds of antibiotics.
Ms Amma is now left with permanent scarring and has to undergo a rigorous antibiotic treatment regimen.
She’s not the only customer to fall victim to the craze.
Despite receiving the treatment on an episode of The Kardashians, Kendall Jenner was hospitalized due to complications from an IV drip four years previous.
The 28 year-old reportedly had a vitamin infusion before her appearance at the 2018 Oscars, but ended up in the hospital after having a ‘bad reaction’.
Getting too many of the vitamins in IV drips, which often include vitamins B, C, and D, could have few benefits because the body cannot hold excess amounts
Last month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned against ‘fat-dissolving’ IV drip treatments at these med spas because some facilities were mixing products incorrectly without proper sterilization.
Risks, according to the agency, include permanent scars, serious infections, skin deformities, cysts, and painful knots.
According to the CDC, people ‘who receive injections without improper skin disinfection may be at risk for infection.’
So, are all vitamin drips dangerous?
Experts say using sterilized equipment significantly reduces the chance of complications.
However, even sterile IV nutrition therapy is not risk-free.
The drips often contain vitamins A, D, and E – known to support vision, bone health and immune function.
But it takes the body a long time to break down these vitamins – meaning giving them in large volumes can be harmful.
For example, getting a one-off high dose of vitamin D — vital for bone health — will could trigger a loss of bone density.
Studies suggest this is down to vitamin D supplementation increasing the production of osteoclasts — cells that break down bone tissue.
Meanwhile, an overdose of vitamin A — which supports vision, the immune system and skin — may trigger blurred vision, nausea, headaches and fatigue.
Many drips also contain vitamin C, a crucial nutrient the body needs to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle, and collagen. It also helps protect cells against illness and support immune health.
Dr Carolyn Williams, registered dietitian in Alabama and co-host of the Happy Eating podcast, previously told DailyMail.com that while vitamin C is vital for supporting immune health, most Americans get enough of it through their diets.
‘Even if you don’t eat the best diet, vitamin C is a pretty easy [nutrient] to get,’ she said. ‘It’s always best if you can get it from food.’
Because the body can’t hold excessive amounts of vitamin C, the extra gets filtered out through the urine, which Dr Williams said could render extra supplements ‘useless.’
She said: ‘Any excess is literally going to go down the toilet.’