Self-test – it should take 3 to 4 hours for the infusion to “kick in properly”
I’m on a drip. Voluntarily. However, I am not in the hospital, but in the flagship store of Reviv on an extra large couch in Berlin’s Linienstraße, in the middle of Mitte. The IV pole doesn’t look like Charité either, but more like Vitra.
Reviv is a lifestyle and wellness company from America that offers infusion treatments, “shots”, i.e. vaccinations, and DNA analyzes in a private spa setting without a prior doctor’s visit. The fancy shop with the large window front is designed in light colors, with light effects in pink and purple. Lowkey techno music is playing in the background.
The store on Linienstraße.
In the same premises as Reviv there is also a beauty clinic called Yousthetics, for minimally invasive procedures such as lip injections or botox. Daniel Doherr, the managing director of the Berlin flagship store, calls the concept a “department store for medical and aesthetic treatments”.
Reviv was founded in Miami in 2012 and has since expanded to worldwide around 80 locations to grow. Customers include people with a desire to optimize themselves, bachelorette parties, business people with jet lag or party guests with hangovers. The Berlin store was the first in the DACH region. In addition to the infusions in the store, Reviv also offers home and hotel visits, which is called “concierge service”. Celebrities in particular would book this service. “But we have also already been ordered for meetings or garden parties,” recalls Managing Director Doherr.
Reviv’s bestselling infusions promise more beauty and a stronger immune system. (Image: Reviv)
Doherr got to know the concept in England at the end of 2018. At that time he was “not doing so well himself”, but the “royal flush” saved him. The Royal Flush is a combination of anti-aging, recovery and immune booster and, at 349 euros, is the Ferrari of infusion therapies. “The cold was like being blown away afterwards,” recalls Doherr.
Convinced by his own experience, Doherr opened the store on Linienstraße in November 2019. So shortly before the corona pandemic. Due to the medical background, the store was able to stay open most of the time. In the meantime, Reviv also offered corona tests, as an extra service, so to speak – but only for private payers.
Daniel Doherr, managing director of the Berlin Reviv store. (Image: Reviv)
As a result of the corona pandemic, the topic of health prevention has gained in importance overall. “That’s a great topic right now,” says Doherr. Nevertheless, Germany would still lag behind in the field of preventive medicine compared to England or the USA. He says: “The first thing the German thinks is: you hang on to an IV when you are sick.”
Doherr himself comes from the hospitality and real estate sector. He treats himself to the Megaboost infusion every two weeks. However, one cannot say in general how often one should do the Reviv infusions: “The medically correct answer is that the infusion therapy always has to be individually tailored to the needs and nutrition of the customer,” says Doherr.
And: “It always depends on the goal. With the beauty infusions, a cure can make sense, where you get an infusion once or twice a week, especially at the beginning. There’s no point if there’s a month in between each time. ”You only do the hangover infusion when you’re hungover.
I get the Megaboost infusion, which is available as a “mini” infusion for 79 euros or as a normal size for 199 euros. It is yellow and is a cool 1,000 milliliters. Before that, I had to go through a brief preliminary examination by a doctor, in which previous illnesses were queried and my blood pressure was measured. Two doctors work in the store – or “Medical Directors”, as they are called at Reviv.
The Megaboost is the “go to” infusion, I learn from Doherr, “with a lot of vitamin C, a vitamin B complex, extra vitamin B12, antioxidants, zinc and a little magnesium for muscle metabolism”. You wouldn’t notice anything, except perhaps from magnesium – “that can create a slight flush effect, that is, create a feeling of warmth”. Let’s see. The infusion runs for 45 minutes.
The recipes for the infusions and shots are developed by Reviv itself and contain various micronutrients. In the case of supplements, the infusions would only be limited to water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins – i.e. vitamins E, D, K, A – could not be given. Doherr reports that in England there is also some medicine in drips such as cortisone or pain relievers. This is possible because every treatment is based on an anamnesis and the appropriate medical staff is on site.
45 minutes later. The infusion has now flowed out of the drip and completely into my vein. I feel good, but I also have to say that I felt good before. I actually feel a little warm – the magnesium. And I have to pee – the 1,000 milliliters. It should take three to four hours for the infusion to “really kick in”.
I can continue working comfortably while the infusion is running.
Three to four hours later. I still feel fine I have a lot of energy and the feeling that I can see more clearly somehow. It is also interesting that I hardly feel hungry. Rather, I have the feeling that I could function optimally on infusions and coffee all day long. Is that healthy? Not much more happens, however.
It would be exciting to test the whole thing again with a hangover or a cold. In principle, however, I think it’s a good idea to do something preventive for your health and strengthen your immune system, especially in the current Corona times. In the sense, stay healthy!
Note for reasons of transparency: The application was made available free of charge by Reviv for testing. Reviv has no influence on the editorial content.
