It's no Bloody Mary, but it does go straight to your blood.
On Saturday, the city will get its first "expedited hydration therapy" clinic courtesy of Chicago surgeon and Lakeview resident Jack Dybis. Expected to open Saturday morning at 222 W. Ontario in River North, "revive" is the first facility of its kind in the Chicago area. The treatments, delivered straight into the blood stream through an IV, are meant to aid a variety of medical causes, including one "obvious market": a hangover.
"It kind of creeps up on you," Dybis said of the treatments, which are tailored to each patient. "By the time it's over, about 45 minutes later you're like 'wow, I feel great.'"
For example, Dybis said, it's more common for men to get a splitting headache after drinking and more common for women to feel nauseous. He said patrons will be given a specifically formulated cocktail of vitamins, drugs and fluids that will help with whatever symptoms they might be suffering from. For hydration, one-liter of fluid solution provided by the IV is equal to drinking approximately two to three liters of water.
Dybis said it's no secret that many in the medical community have used IVs for years for treating hangovers and a variety of other ailments. Mostly, it's because it's so easy to become dehydrated, he said.
"It just pumps you right up," he said.
Other uses for IV treatments include colds and flu, extreme athletic activity, jetlag and generally feeling rundown. Most treatments can be completed in less than an hour, he said, and all will cost $99. Dybis said a physician is on hand at all times, and all medical professionals at the facility are certified to deliver the treatments.
"My whole goal really is to take someone who is feeling miserable, and in an hour they feel great," he said. "We're trying to merge and emergency room and a spa."
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