The Best Way to Cure Your Las Vegas Hangover

You’ve already tasted the 21 drinks in Las Vegas to celebrate 21 Years of EDC, so you might be suffering from a classic Sin City hangover right about now.

The business of hangover cures is booming in Las Vegas, and it’s no wonder: Sin City isn’t exactly known for moderation, and a visit to the alcohol-fueled, club- and casino-driven party capital of the nation usually involves loosened responsibilities and an excess of booze. Sometimes the Vegas hangover, exacerbated by the desert heat and lack of sleep, requires something stronger than popping an Advil and crawling back into bed. Plus, you probably don’t want to spend an entire 24 hours of your Vegas trip sleeping off a headache—especially if you’re trying to hit all three nights of EDC Las Vegas.

Of course, in terms of preventative measures, there’s always good, old-fashioned water. Don’t forget it, because it’s easy to get dehydrated in the desert heat.

That’s where IV therapy comes in. Yes, it’ll cost you, but it just might save your weekend. There are many pills, drinks, and gels out there that advertise their hangover-curing powers, but to get the most bang for your buck, IV therapy is the way to go.

IV therapy is more efficient than your standard aspirin treatment, due to its delivery method. Dr. Darien Cohen of Hangover Heaven in Las Vegas, the world’s first therapeutic IV company, explains that taking a medication orally is only about 30 percent efficient, as medication is lost during the digestion process. However, delivering that same medication intravenously allows the patient to more easily reach the correct therapeutic dose.

Hangover Heaven treats what Cohen describes as the eight symptoms of hangovers: hypertension, renal distress, tremulousness (shaking), cognitive and visual impairment, nausea, headache and diarrhea. The IV itself delivers a blend of saline for dehydration, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as well as an IV form of ibuprofen to get rid of those nasty headaches and the nausea associated with hangovers. As for the rest of the symptoms, well, that’s why they have the Hangover Heaven bus.

“You can imagine if you’re suffering from all of that, walking around isn’t something you want to do,” says Cohen. Before Hangover Heaven had a brick-and-mortar business, they had the bus, which brings the medical staff and IVs directly to their patients. House calls still make up the bulk of Hangover Heaven’s business.

At Reviv—a company specializing in IV therapy, with offices around the world—IV therapy is more about wellness than it is about undoing the excess of last night, though the company doesn’t discriminate. Founder Dr. Johnny Parvani spent the beginning of his career as an ER doctor, where he saw people with many different types of ailments benefit from their IV hookups.

“I realized that there’s a small subset of people who don’t need to be in an ER or clinical environment that would still benefit from IV therapy,” he says. “Our therapy is all about getting people to look and feel their best. A lot of people don’t realize how run-down they are in their daily lives. There are common maladies—such as colds, seasonal allergies, heat exhaustion, and yes, hangovers—that could be alleviated by IV therapy.”

Reviv offers wellness IVs and recovery IVs, both of which have a saline base and minerals, electrolytes and vitamins. The recovery IV has added medications to combat things like body ache and acid reflux, lending its hangover-curing properties.

Both Hangover Heaven and Reviv are busiest on the weekends, so if you have an inkling that you might need their services over EDC weekend, it’s best to plan ahead and make an appointment in advance. Reviv has two locations in Las Vegas: one at the Underground at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino and another at the Palazzo. While Hangover Heaven’s office is located off the Strip, about a mile from Encore, you can always hire the Hangover Heaven bus, which will come to your hotel room for an extra fee. At either company, the IV itself will cost you anywhere from $99 to $249, depending on the cocktail, and from hookup to completion, the whole process takes about 35 to 40 minutes.

If the price tag just isn’t for you, there are other ways to fight the hangover before you’ve even started drinking.

Drinking, says Cohen, is like exercise: “You have to prepare. Take some kind of antioxidant blend before you drink, or even consider getting an intramuscular B vitamin injection. Intramuscular injections are great, because you get a longer-lasting version of the therapeutic dose, and both the antioxidant blend and vitamin injections will help your body begin to process the alcohol as soon as you consume it.”

Of course, in terms of preventative measures, there’s always good, old-fashioned water. Don’t forget it, because it’s easy to get dehydrated in the desert heat—especially when alcohol is involved. “I’d recommend hydration and electrolyte drinks,” says Parvani. “Why get to the point where you need recovery at all?”

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