Key takeaways
- The easiest way to choose is to start with how you feel today, not with a list of ingredients.
- Hangover, heat, jet lag, active days, feeling run down and skin all have a drip built around them.
- Your nurse does a health check first and can suggest a different drip, or none at all, if that suits you better.
- Water, rest and rehydration salts still come first. A drip is one option, not the only answer.
You have had a big night, a long flight or three days of diving in the heat, and you have decided an IV drip might help. Then you open the menu and see six options. So, which IV drip should I get? The short answer is to start with your main symptom, because each drip on our menu is built around a particular kind of holiday tiredness.
This guide matches common situations to the right drip, explains what makes each one different, and covers the times when the honest answer is a glass of water, a nap or a doctor instead.
Start with how you feel, not the ingredient list
Most of our drips share a base of fluids and vitamin B complex. What changes is the extra ingredients, and those are chosen with a particular situation in mind. Rather than comparing vitamins, ask yourself one question: what is bothering me most right now?
Is it a pounding head and a queasy stomach? Feeling dried out after a day in the sun? Wide awake at 3am because your body still thinks it is in Europe? Aching legs after a week on the dive boat? Once you know the main problem, the choice usually becomes obvious.
Which IV drip should I get? A quick symptom guide
Use this as a starting point. Each drip links to its own page, where you can read more about it.
- Headache, nausea and a rough morning after drinking: Hangover Recovery, with 1 litre of saline, vitamin B complex, vitamin C, and anti-nausea medicine and pain relief if suitable.
- Thirsty, tired or light-headed from the heat: Hydration Boost, with 1 litre of electrolyte fluids, vitamin B complex and magnesium.
- Groggy and out of sync after a long flight: Energy & Jet Lag, with vitamin B12, vitamin B complex, magnesium and fluids. It contains no caffeine.
- Sore and drained after diving, Muay Thai or long hikes: Dive & Active Recovery, with amino acids, magnesium, vitamin B complex and fluids.
- Feeling run down and wanting extra support: Immunity Boost, with high-dose vitamin C, zinc, vitamin B complex and fluids.
- Skin feeling dry and dull after sun and travel: Beauty Glow, with glutathione, vitamin C, biotin and fluids.
If two of these sound like you, pick the one that matches your strongest symptom, then mention the other to your nurse during the health check.
What is the best IV drip for a hangover?
For a classic morning after, Hangover Recovery is the one most people choose. It is the only drip on our menu that can include anti-nausea medicine and pain relief, and those are only given if they are suitable for you after the health check. That makes it the natural choice when you feel sick, have a headache and are struggling to keep water down.
If your night out was mild and the main problem is simply feeling dry and sluggish in the heat, Hydration Boost may be enough. For a frank look at what a drip can and cannot do for a hangover, read does an IV drip help a hangover?
IV drip for jet lag or hangover: which comes first?
It is surprisingly common to arrive on Koh Lanta after a long journey, celebrate the first night, and wake up with both jet lag and a hangover. In that case, think about which feeling is louder.
- If nausea and a headache are the main issue, Hangover Recovery is usually the better fit.
- If you feel foggy, flat and are sleeping at the wrong times, but your stomach is fine, Energy & Jet Lag suits you better.
- If you are mainly thirsty and tired from the heat and the travel, Hydration Boost covers the basics.
Whichever you choose, daylight, sensible meal times and plenty of fluids do a lot of the work in resetting your body clock.
Choosing an IV drip for active days and long stays
Koh Lanta is a base for dive trips to Koh Haa and Hin Daeng / Hin Muang, and there are Muay Thai gyms on the island. If your days involve hard exercise, salt water and hours in the sun, Dive & Active Recovery is built for that. It combines fluids with amino acids and magnesium, which many active guests find helpful between training days or dive trips.
Long-stay visitors who feel generally worn down, perhaps after a cold or a run of late nights, often look at Immunity Boost. It is named for its high-dose vitamin C and zinc, but no drip can stop you catching a bug. Think of it as a top-up of fluids and vitamins rather than a shield.
Beauty Glow is the one drip that is more about how you feel in your skin than about recovering from something. If you are curious about it, our honest guide to glutathione explains what is known and what is not.
Koh Lanta tip: Planning a dive trip or a long day out? It is easier to book a drip for the afternoon you get back to your villa or bungalow than to squeeze one in before an early boat departure from Saladan.
When you might not need a drip at all
A drip is not always the right answer, and we would rather you knew that before booking. If you are mildly thirsty, can drink normally and feel better after a rest, water, oral rehydration salts and a light meal are often all you need.
It is also not the right choice if you are seriously unwell. A high fever, severe stomach pain, chest pain, confusion or difficulty breathing need a doctor or hospital, not a wellness drip. Koh Lanta Hospital is near Lanta Old Town, and Thailand’s emergency ambulance number is 1669.
Some people are also not suited to a drip, for example those with certain heart or kidney conditions, or who are pregnant. If you are unsure, our article on whether it is safe to get an IV drip in Thailand covers this in more detail.
What happens if you choose the “wrong” drip?
Do not worry too much about picking perfectly. Every visit starts with a health check, where a registered nurse asks how you feel, about any medical conditions and medicines you take, and checks the basics. If another drip would suit you better, the nurse will say so.
The nurse may also suggest skipping a drip altogether if it does not seem right for you. That conversation is part of the service, not an upsell. You can see each step of a visit on our how it works page.
Still not sure which IV drip to choose? Ask us first
If you have read this far and are still torn between two drips, that is completely normal. Send us a short message saying how you feel, where you are staying and anything relevant about your health, and we will help you narrow it down. You can message us on WhatsApp with any questions before you book, or browse the full menu on our IV drips page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best IV drip for a hangover?
Hangover Recovery is designed for the morning after, with saline, B vitamins, vitamin C, and anti-nausea medicine and pain relief if suitable. If you mainly feel dry and tired, Hydration Boost may be enough.
Should I get an IV drip for jet lag or a hangover if I have both?
Go with the stronger symptom. Nausea and a headache point to Hangover Recovery, while grogginess and broken sleep with a settled stomach point to Energy & Jet Lag.
Can I have more than one drip at the same visit?
Your nurse will advise you during the health check. In most cases one well-chosen drip is enough, and the nurse can suggest which one suits you best.
What if I am not sure about choosing an IV drip at all?
Message us first and describe how you feel. Sometimes water, rest and rehydration salts are the better answer, and we will tell you if so.