Experts warn against ‘serum cocktails’

ISTANBUL

With the recent trend of "serum cocktails" going viral on social media, experts have raised concerns about the risks associated with intravenous applications conducted outside the observation of medical supervision and hospital settings.

Emergency medicine specialist Doctor Özlem Dikme emphasizes the dangers of administering intravenous drugs in non-medical environments, underscoring the importance of procedures being overseen by qualified medical professionals within hospital premises.

Dikme pointed out that influencers on social media platforms often promote treatments dubbed “yellow serum,” “vitamin serum” and “atom serum,” contributing to the trend.

“Recently, this business has gotten so out of hand that there have even been cases coming from beauty centers and hairdressing salons. Services are being delivered to homes. We see this on social media.”

Highlighting the inherent dangers of such administrations in places outside of medical contexts, Dikme warns that these treatments often lack individualized adjustments for factors such as age and weight, potentially triggering allergic reactions.

Rapid onset allergic reactions can lead to life-threatening emergencies, including respiratory distress and cardiac arrest, she added.

She points out the increase in cases of adverse reactions coming to emergency rooms, sometimes leading to intensive care admissions

Furthermore, Dikme emphasized that the excessive doses of vitamins, particularly vitamin C and B complexes, present in these serums can overload the body unnecessarily, with the surplus being eliminated from the body.

Dikme advocated for awareness about the dangers of such practices, cautioning against the allure of social media-driven trends when it comes to health.