“Our IV drips and vitamin injections will give you vitality, revitalization, and freshness.” An IV therapy clinic offers a vitamin cocktail administered via injection, promising hydration, energy, a strengthened immune system, and a quick cure for exhaustion or hangovers. Dr. Jesús Maximiano’s office in Hermosillo, in the Mexican state of Sonora, offered this treatment until a few days ago, when his patients began dying.
As of Tuesday, 11 patients have been affected, and eight have died in what authorities believe was a bacterial infection. These types of miracle procedures, sold in clinics that operate with health risks, become popular from time to time. The latest case of medical negligence in Mexico has brought into sharp focus these practices that take place without oversight and with little regard for prevention.
Wellness Drips is the name of an IV drip clinic in Mexico City that offers “the fuel needed to reach your full potential.” Mad Espinosa, 45, opened this chain with branches in three cities nine years ago. She caters to adult clients, providing them with personalized treatments using solutions containing B complex vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, zinc, and other essential nutrients.
Espinosa acknowledges the skepticism surrounding the therapy she sells, while defending its effectiveness. “It’s become a trend, but this must be done with a medical evaluation, review of medical history, and monitoring of vital signs. The problem are the clandestine clinics, not the therapy itself,” she asserts. Costs range from 1,500 to 3,900 pesos ($85 to $223) per application every six to eight weeks for no longer than eight months.
A patient receives medical treatment in a hospital.FS Productions (Getty Images)
Mexican journalist and television host Montserrat Oliver has promoted the Wellness Drips business. It is precisely celebrities who have popularized this kind of therapy. Madonna, Cara Delevingne, and Rihanna use it to recover from a night of drinking or to perform well during demanding workdays. In the United States, it is now common to find mobile hangover units outside concerts and festivals where large quantities of alcohol are consumed.
The famous “vitamin drips,” invented in the 1980s by Dr. Myers under the name IVT (intravenous therapy), are not considered safe practices by U.S. health authorities. In Mexico, they are sold on Amazon, Mercado Libre, and social media. They are delivered to homes, and consumers self-administer them without medical supervision.
Mexico’s Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) has issued alerts regarding the risk posed by fraudulent intravenous fluids. From minerals and antioxidants to vitamins and nutrients, the agency has identified the illegal sale of solutions that do not meet the safety, quality and efficiency criteria for distribution in the country.
Adolfo Martínez, a researcher at the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), points out that the Hermosillo case highlights the shortcomings in health oversight. “This case is an example of how regulatory gaps still exist and what happens when there isn’t enough capacity to supervise the private sector,” he concludes. In his opinion, Cofepris faces “limitations in both human and technical resources” to supervise the large number of establishments that offer medical procedures.
In addition to the health risks, these therapies lack solid scientific evidence to support their effectiveness. “It’s important for people to understand that it won’t do them any good,” said Health Secretary David Kershenobich on Tuesday, speaking about the case in Sonora.
Martínez believes it is necessary for authorities to improve oversight mechanisms. “Intravenous vitamin administration has become fashionable, but if it is not performed under proper hygienic conditions, it can cause serious infections,” he warns.
In the victims in Hermosillo, laboratory results and clinical analysis revealed possible bacterial contamination and a very rapid progression of symptoms. Most patients died within hours; others within a couple of days.
Both the doctor and the clinic linked to the deaths were licensed and officially authorized. Martínez points to a gap in the legitimacy of these establishments: “A health certification is not enough if there are no regular evaluations or follow-ups.” Finally, he notes the lack of public databases on sanctions and closures, which hinders early warning: “There is no culture of prevention. Action is taken only after the tragedy has occurred.”
Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition
