Advertisements on Al-Tawasul promoting “intravenous injections” that ease the hardship of fasting

Emirates Today monitored advertisements promoting what are known as “intravenous vitamin injections” (IV Drips) on social media platforms, for prices of up to 1,200, depending on the nature of the offer.

Private clinics and beauty centers competed to offer special packages for the month of Ramadan under tempting names, such as “Ramadan Recovery,” “Ramadan Package,” and “Recovery Potion,” targeting those who are fasting, especially the sick among them, with promises to restore immediate energy and activity, compensate for nutritional deficiencies and lost fluids, and alleviate the symptoms of headaches, fatigue, exhaustion, lethargy, and caffeine withdrawal symptoms to overcome the hardship of fasting.

Emirates Today contacted a number of clinics and centers, and it turned out that they had designated a “home service” to administer solutions.

The offers designed to “anti-fast” focused on a solution to restore activity and energy, an intravenous solution for diabetics and gastrointestinal patients, and an intravenous solution to relieve the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal.

On the other hand, doctors warned against using solutions promoted under the name “resuscitation solutions,” after they have turned, according to their description, into something similar to a “seasonal fad” or a phenomenon during Ramadan, which healthy people resort to due to a mild headache or transient fatigue. They also warned against being led by the marketing-attractive idea of ​​an “immediate solution” without a medical evaluation.

They told “Emirates Al-Youm” that these solutions are a therapeutic medical procedure used when there is a clear medical reason, such as the inability to drink or absorb fluids, or in cases of dehydration, and they should not turn into a quick solution to every feeling of fatigue out of comfort only during the month of Ramadan.

They indicated that it may cause seven complications, including inflammation or infection at the needle site, painful phlebitis, bruising or bleeding, allergic reactions to some vitamins, an imbalance in salts or excess fluids, especially for those who have undetected heart or kidney problems, palpitations or nausea when some vitamins are given too quickly, worsening high blood sugar, or a sudden drop in blood pressure.

They stressed that a healthy body is able to compensate through balanced nutrition and drinking fluids. They also warned of the danger of giving intravenous fluids without assessing sugar levels and kidney function. They warned that linking the word “diabetes” to marketing offers may confuse patients and give them a false sense of security, prompting them to make ill-informed decisions.

In detail, family medicine specialist, Dr. Nashwa Diab, warned against IV Drip solutions that are promoted during the month of Ramadan under the name “resuscitation solutions,” which have become a phenomenon or a “seasonal fad” that healthy people accept because they feel a mild headache or transient fatigue, stressing that their use should not turn into a quick solution to every feeling of fatigue or headache.

She explained that from a medical perspective, intravenous solutions are a therapeutic intervention used when there is a clear medical reason, such as the inability to drink or absorb fluids, or in cases of moderate to severe dehydration, stressing that they are not a cosmetic procedure nor a means to compensate for the natural fatigue that the body experiences in the first days of fasting.

Lifestyle modification

She explained that headaches or lethargy at the beginning of Ramadan are often the result of caffeine withdrawal, changing sleep schedules, different meal patterns, and sometimes lack of fluids, pointing out that these changes are a natural physiological adaptation that does not require intravenous intervention in most cases.

She added that the solution does not lie in a “quick needle,” but rather in regulating sleep, improving the choice of the suhoor meal, distributing fluids intelligently between iftar and suhoor, and gradually reducing caffeine before the month arrives. She warned against getting carried away by the idea of ​​an “immediate solution” that may be attractive marketingly, but it is not always the correct medical option.

She emphasized that there is a clear difference between normal fatigue and dehydration that requires medical intervention, explaining that cases that may actually require an intravenous solution include vomiting or severe diarrhea that prevents the retention of fluids, severe dizziness accompanied by low blood pressure, a very apparent lack of urination, severe dehydration with noticeable lethargy, or high fever with loss of fluids and the inability to drink, in addition to some elderly people and those with chronic diseases after careful medical evaluation.

She warned that intravenous solutions, despite their apparent simplicity, are not without risks, as they may cause inflammation or infection at the needle site, or painful phlebitis, palpitations or nausea when some vitamins are given at high speed, or bruising and bleeding in those taking blood thinners, in addition to the possibility of allergic reactions to some vitamins or disturbances in salts and fluid overload, especially in those who have undetected heart or kidney problems.

She stressed that the priority for a healthy person who suffers from a mild headache, lack of energy, or fatigue due to lack of sleep should be to modify the lifestyle, and not resort to intravenous intervention, calling on those who are fasting not to replace water with solutions, and to ensure a regular hydration plan, reduce salt and fried foods, choose a balanced suhoor, and get enough sleep.

Therapeutic tool

Intensive care medicine specialist, Dr. Mahmoud Medhat, said that intravenous solutions are used in emergency departments as a therapeutic tool when there is a clear medical need, such as severe dehydration, low blood pressure, electrolyte imbalance, or vomiting and acute diarrhea, stressing that their use in these cases is based on an accurate clinical evaluation.

He stressed the need to differentiate between normal fatigue resulting from lifestyle changes and pathological conditions that require intravenous intervention.

He pointed out that caffeine withdrawal may cause headaches and fatigue in the first days of Ramadan, but it is a temporary symptom that goes away within days with the gradual reduction of caffeine before the month and sleep regulation. He stressed that this type of headache is not a medical indication for giving intravenous solutions, and that treatment is with rest, good hydration after breakfast, and the use of simple analgesics when needed, and not with an intravenous procedure.

He warned against giving intravenous solutions outside equipped medical facilities, indicating that this may expose the person to complications such as a sudden drop in blood pressure, a severe allergic reaction, or a disturbance in salts, in the absence of sufficient equipment to quickly deal with emergencies.

He added that giving the solution as a means to “increase energy” to a medically healthy person deviates from the medical concept and enters into a commercial scope.

He stressed that, as a result of working in emergency and intensive care, cases of phlebitis, blood pooling, sudden sensitivity to some components of vitamins, and sometimes fluid overload have been observed in patients with heart or kidney conditions without prior diagnosis, as a result of taking intravenous solutions. He pointed out that these complications are not common, but they are possible, especially in the absence of an accurate medical evaluation before the procedure.

He stated that scientific evidence does not support the use of intravenous solutions as they are a routine means to compensate for natural fatigue, stressing that a healthy body is able to compensate through balanced nutrition and drinking fluids, and that resorting to intravenous intervention should be reserved for cases in which oral compensation is not possible or there is a real risk of dehydration.

Diabetics

Consultant and Head of the Endocrinology Department, Dr. Hisham Muhammad Hassan Abu Al-Saud, said that the promotion of so-called “intravenous diabetes solutions” during Ramadan raises professional concern, stressing that their use is not recommended as part of routine care for diabetics.

He explained that there is no strong, high-quality scientific evidence proving the safety or effectiveness of these solutions in improving blood sugar control, preventing hypoglycemia, or enhancing the ability to fast, stressing that the correct medical indications for intravenous treatment are limited to specific cases only and within the hospital.

He continued that some promotional campaigns may create a false sense of security among patients, as these solutions are marketed as enhancing energy or hydration, while – medically – they do not protect against the basic risks associated with fasting for a diabetic patient, stressing that controlling sugar levels depends on appropriate medications, meal planning, and careful monitoring, and not on intravenous fluids.

He warned that this may exacerbate high blood sugar or stimulate ketoacidosis if the fluids contain glucose, or hide and delay the detection of low blood sugar, or increase fluids in kidney patients, in addition to disturbances in salts such as high potassium.

He stressed that linking the word “diabetes” to a marketing offer may confuse patients and encourage them to make ill-informed decisions, as it may suggest unproven medical legitimacy, and create a false sense of reassurance for the patient that it is a clinically approved product, which may lead to exaggerating the benefits, underestimating the risks, and even replacing correct medical management with these commercial offers.