VALDOSTA — Sick of being sick?

Tyler Riddle, owner of ThrIVe Hydration, is here to help.

As he says, he is “in the business of making you feel better.”

How?

By taking a needle to your vein.

“If you take an oral supplement, your body can only take in so much,” said Riddle. “Using an IV, you get 90 to 100 percent of vitamins going into you.”

ThrIVe is considered a physician’s office, according to the state, yet the interior feels more like a spa.

Riddle, along with a staff of nurses under the direction of Dr. Casey Connor, gives patients an experience that is practically painless.

ThrIVe opened in Valdosta in March, but Riddle has been in the business since July 2014. He and Connor, who have known each other for more than 20 years, wanted a way to make IV treatments available to the general public, bypassing the usual wait and pain of a doctor’s office.

“He and I talked about it for a long time,” said Riddle. “I live in Tifton and he lives in Ocilla. We decided to cut our teeth in Tallahassee.”

From Tallahassee, Fla., the men decided to open in Valdosta, first only offering house calls then deciding on a brick and mortar location.

ThrIVe shares a building with Whole Cryotherapy, which Riddle feels is a “complementary business” due to both companies unique approach to health care.

As the business has expanded, it has gone beyond just simply rehydrating.

The treatments can help increase energy, improve metabolic functions, help alleviate pain from headaches and chronic illnesses, strength immune systems, treat digestive issues and lessen the symptoms of allergies, diabetes, asthma, PMS and cancer, according to ThrIVe.

“We use the word ‘treatment,’ but we are not technically curing anything,” said Riddle. “We are treating the symptoms.”

Upon entering the facility, clients will be taken through a medical history questionnaire, introduction and initial medical assessment and taking of vital signs. Connor receives this information and, if approved, treatment can begin.

Connor may need to gather more information on the potential patient, which is done through a video service called Telemedicine. Riddle stressed that any patient who asks to see Connor can do so.

Connor also verifies that all medications selected are proper for the client. Medications offered including Vitamin B12 and B-Complex, Toradol, Pepcid, Zofran and Gluthathione.

Oversized recliners line the building as clients are invited to sit comfortably through the 30- to 60-minute process.

Nurses administer the fluids intravenously. While the needle may be the horrifying aspect for many, ThrIVe does offer a numbing spray for an additional cost to help ease the process.

While receiving fluids, clients can browse the web, read a book or watch television.

Treatments start at $50 in clinic and $100 for home treatments. Add-ins range from $15 to $35. Mini-sessions are available for $30 and include half the liquid of regular treatments.

ThrIVe is located at 3338 Country Club Road, Suite M3.

Currently, the clinic is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Appointments can be made by calling 1-800-819-9406 or online at www.thrivehydrationclinic.com.

Desiree Carver is Lifestyles Editor at the Valdosta Daily Times. She can be reached at (229) 375-5777.