Needle-phobia, stark and sterile rooms, and medical staff dashing from one patient to the next are nonexistent when you sink into a cushy armchair at MedSpa SLO.
The “longevity lounge” is a one-stop shop where locals can receive an intravenous (IV) cocktail of fluids that can boost energy and beauty and even fight the flu.
“By the time you leave, you either feel the benefits of clearer thinking, the hydration, or in the next day or the next few days with the vitamins,” MedSpa SLO owner Kristie Geiges said. “You’re getting a 100 percent of that versus taking them orally.”
Three for IV
MedSpa SLO is located at 867 Pacific St., suite 110, in San Luis Obispo. Visit medspaslo.com or call (805) 457-3244 for more information on its treatments.
IV Hydration and Beyond is located at 1512 Park St. in Paso Robles. Call (805) 769-4001 or visit ivhab.com for more information.
IV Beach House is located at 1801 Shell Beach Road in Pismo Beach. Visit ivbeachouse.com or call (805) 706-0511 for more information.
Geiges is a registered nurse who worked in critical care until 2022. Her responsibilities peaked during the pandemic when she was assigned to night shifts at the COVID-19 unit in an unfamiliar community. That’s when she began researching different health and wellness treatments, especially considering her own history with low vitamin D levels.
“I started looking into IVs because what do we do when you come to the ER? Pretty much the first thing you’re going to do is get an IV,” Geiges said. “Why can’t we do that outpatient? I mean, they’re doing it in Vegas for the last 20 years for hangover drips.”
IN GOOD HANDS At MedSpa SLO, clients quickly leave their fear of needles at the door thanks to owner-registered nurse Kristie Geiges’ gentle use of a vein reader that ensures needle insertions for IV therapies are quick and virtually painless. Credit: PHOTO COURTESY OF MED SPA SLO
The popularity of IV treatments is growing around the Central Coast, with medical spas popping up from Santa Maria to Paso Robles. It can be expensive. For instance, in Santa Maria, mobile IV therapy through I.V. Doc can cost between $200 and $3,000, depending on the treatment. Central Coast Allure Med Spa’s Liquivida IV therapy offers payment plans to help customers afford the treatments.
“It’s not a trend, it’s just a choice and lifestyle, and people starting to care more about what goes into their body,” Geiges said. “I think people are advocating for their health a lot more than they were.”
At MedSpa SLO, outpatient care looks like being welcomed into the serene spa on Pacific Street where a medical expert first conducts a good-faith exam on video about the client’s medical history.
Then, Geiges and her fellow registered nurse guide their clients into the IV therapy room where a quick blood pressure check is followed by a virtually painless needle insertion thanks to the help of a vein finder device.
Depending on individual needs, people can choose from a menu of four IV therapy concoctions priced between $179 and $199 that usually come in 1-liter bags.
There’s the amino acid-rich “Peak Performance” mixture that’s designed for athletes and active people; the amber-colored Myers Cocktail packed with B-12, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and zinc meant for all-around wellness; “Flu Who?” that kicks colds, flu, and inflammation with a double dose of vitamin C; and “the Glow Getter” infused with biotin and glutathione that hydrates, detoxifies, and promotes healthy skin, hair, and nails.
The MedSpa SLO team also offers mobile IV treatments for groups—like bachelor and bachelorette partygoers the morning after their shindig.
“Typically, if we’re doing pregame, like big event parties, we always have glutathione and vitamin C. That’s really going to help our skin glow,” Geiges said. “If we’re looking at hangover drips, we’re always going to bring that Zofran, which is for nausea, Toradol for headaches and body aches, and then we’re going to put some magnesium in the bag and all the B vitamins because alcohol depletes all of those. We’re going to perk you right back up!”
Each IV treatment lasts roughly an hour, during which clients socialize, curl up with a book, or help themselves to snacks. Geiges recommends a light meal before arriving and added that people can go on with their regular activities uninterrupted after their treatments.
Paso Robles registered nurse and family nurse practitioner Hanna Roewer agrees that education is key. The founder of IV Hydration and Beyond, Roewer noticed a flutter of interest in IV therapy after the release of an episode of The Kardashians where celebrities Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber catch up over a treatment called NAD.
NAD or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is found naturally in the body, and it helps with generating energy but can their levels drop with age and stress. Through injections and IV, NAD therapy is meant to reduce fatigue and brain fog and improve longevity. Both IV Hydration and Beyond and MedSpa SLO offer NAD treatments.
“I think it’s the Kardashians who said, ‘Oh, NAD makes you look younger,’ and this and that. But I always tell my patients that it does have benefits in it, but it’s not for everyone,” Roewer said. “Locally, it’s more a medical necessity, but we have more tourists who are more familiar on the longevity route, like the IVs and all the biohacking modalities.”
CLEAR MARKERS MedSpa SLO founder Kristie Geiges said that some of the signs of a trustworthy IV treatment center are meticulous cleanliness, transparency on where the professionals are getting their supplies, and clarity about who the business’s majority stakeholder medical director is—a requirement under California law. Credit: PHOTO COURTESY OF MED SPA SLO
Roewer moved from Chicago and previously worked at Community Health Centers of the Central Coast in Atascadero before opening IV Hydration and Beyond in 2022. Along with IV treatments ranging between $120 and $220 each for immunity, hangovers, energy, pain relief, and anti-aging, she also offers a simpler option for hydration.
“The older population who can’t take two water bottles a day and they just can’t take sufficient hydration, they’re a good candidate for IV,” she said. “Then people who are just getting sick and they want to combat those illnesses are good candidates as well. … Pregnant patients—we also treat them in collaboration with their OB-GYN.”
According to registered nurses Linda McCormick and Yvette Hickey, who are co-founders of IV Beach House in Pismo Beach, insurance doesn’t cover IV therapy because it’s an elective treatment.
“It can get really pricey, and the average cost is between $150 and $225,” Hickey said. “The benefits, depending on the person and the severity of the condition, they can feel great up to two weeks after.”
Since they opened IV Beach House in August 2025, Hickey and McCormick see from six to eight clients every day, and they have room to tend to seven people at a time. About half their clientele are regular visitors.
The business offers four monthly membership plans between $99 and $400, which include several IV treatments, vitamin B12 injections, and discounts on add-on services.
IV Beach House will also be bringing its services to group events in the future, with discounts available for gatherings of more than five people.
“Since I’ve started receiving the infusions, I haven’t been sick once,” McCormick said. “That’s a common thing that our clients mentioned, especially clients that travel a lot. It really helps boost your immune system and can help prevent illness and definitely shorten the duration.” ∆
Reach Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal at brajagopal@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Health & Wellness 2026.
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