Flu season driving people to try 'IV Lounge' trend

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Leaders at the Orlando IV Lounge said business is booming amid flu fears. 

Nurse Ashley DaSilva said they’ve been taking more calls and getting more clients wanting their immune boosting IV’s as people try anything to get an edge on the flu season.

"People with young families who are just more exposed to a different variety of people who are catching and contracting different flu and colds,” said DaSilva.

IV lounges are exactly what they sound like: a place people can go to hook up to a bag of IV fluid. The Orlando Lounge adds vitamins to the hydrating solutions to have effects like boosted immunity.
Regular customer Jonathan Hon was at the Winter Park location Wednesday for his second treatment this week. He said he’s not taking any chances after battling the flu himself last week.

“It was pretty bad,” said Hon.

However, he credits his IV treatments for helping him kick the illness in just a couple of days while his wife was away for business and he was fending for himself.

"If it wasn't for this I don't know how I would of survived,” he joked.

Many doctors are skeptical on the IV Lounge trend. Dr. Ray Lebeda who practices in Lake Mary said that he advises patients to skip the expensive treatments and opt for traditional flu fighting methods.

"Yes, it's a quick way of getting the nutrients, the vitamins but you can also get them just as fast through oral: taking multivitamins, eating healthy, well-balanced meals,” said Lebeda.

He said people should do their research and weigh the pros and cons before jumping into the trend.

The Orlando IV Lounge offers their immunity treatment for $175.