What's Actually in the Bag? Normal Saline vs. Lactated Ringer's, Explained

Normal saline

Normal saline is sterile water with 0.9% salt — sodium and chloride at the same level your blood carries (154 mEq per liter). Because it matches your blood, it fills up the fluid around your cells without pushing water in or out of them. It has no calories. It's the standard fluid in hospitals for hydration, for replacing salts, and before and after procedures like transfusions and dialysis. A "half normal" version (0.45%) exists for special cases.

Lactated Ringer's

Lactated Ringer's is the other common choice. It's also sterile water with salts, but it carries a broader mix — sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and lactate — that's a little closer to the fluid your body loses when you sweat or get sick. Many providers prefer it for rehydration after exercise or illness. Either fluid works well for most healthy adults; your provider picks based on your history.

How much you get

A typical mobile IV visit runs 1 or 2 liters, over 30 to 60 minutes. Your provider sets the amount based on your weight, age, health conditions and what the visit is for.

Who should be careful

Fluids aren't for everyone. If you have kidney disease or a recent kidney injury, IV fluids can be a problem. If you have congestive heart failure, extra fluid can overload the heart and lungs, so it's only done in small amounts under close supervision, if at all. That's exactly why every first visit starts with a health history and a provider's order. Side effects are rare when a trained nurse runs the line.

Then the add-ons

Once the fluid is running, the vitamins go in: B-complex, B12, vitamin C, magnesium, and so on, depending on the drip you chose. Every Zen IV Spa drip except plain Hydration includes some mix of these.

A licensed nurse comes to you anywhere in New York and New Jersey, 8 AM to 11 PM, seven days a week. Before your first drip, a licensed provider reviews your health history on a quick video call and writes an order just for you, under our medical director's protocols.

Book at zenivspa.com.

All treatments are medical services. Every guest is screened, and every treatment is provided only under the clearance, prescription or standing protocol of a licensed medical provider. Compounded peptides are not FDA-approved unless stated. Nothing on this page is a diagnosis or a promise of results.