Ondansetron for the nausea. Ketorolac for the headache. B12 for the fatigue. Two of those are prescription drugs, which is why this is a physician appointment rather than a wellness service.
An intramuscular injection combining ondansetron (Zofran) for nausea, ketorolac (Toradol) for pain, and vitamin B12 for fatigue. Nausea relief in about 30 minutes, pain relief in 30 to 60. Takes roughly ten minutes total. Ketorolac isn't appropriate for everyone — the assessment beforehand is the reason a physician gives it.
A serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist — the same medication used for chemotherapy-induced and post-surgical nausea. It blocks the signalling that produces the urge to vomit rather than coating the stomach or settling it.
Relief typically within 30 minutes. This is usually the component patients notice first and value most.
A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory used for moderate to severe pain. It's considerably more potent than over-the-counter NSAIDs, which is why it's prescription-only and why it's used short-term rather than routinely.
It addresses the headache and body aches, which are largely inflammatory.
This is the component with real contraindications — see below. It isn't given to everyone who asks.
Included for energy and general recovery support. Alcohol interferes with B vitamin absorption and utilisation, so there's a reasonable rationale for it.
Being straight about this one: B12 doesn't produce a dramatic immediate effect the way the other two do. It's supportive rather than the reason the treatment works.
Saline with added vitamins. 45 to 60 minutes with a line in your arm. Anti-nausea medication sometimes offered as an add-on, sometimes not available at all.
Prescription medication targeting the actual symptoms, given intramuscularly. About ten minutes. No line, no infusion time.
Fluids help a hangover. They genuinely do — dehydration is part of what makes you feel terrible, and you can achieve that by drinking water.
What water can't do is block the nausea signalling or reduce the inflammation driving the headache. That's what the medication is for, and it's the part most services can't provide because it requires a prescriber.
The ketorolac component has genuine contraindications, and this is the part that requires assessment rather than a form.
Where ketorolac isn't appropriate, the other components can still be given. Ondansetron alone handles the nausea, and that's frequently the symptom people most want gone.
Used together, they raise the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. For a single dose in an otherwise healthy person with no GI history, that risk is low — but it isn't zero, and it's the reason this is a medical appointment rather than something available on demand.
It's also the reason this isn't appropriate as a routine. Occasional use is reasonable. Weekly is not.
It doesn't lower your blood alcohol. Nothing does except time. Feeling better is not the same as being sober, and this treatment doesn't make anyone safe to drive.
It doesn't detox anything. A hangover isn't toxin buildup waiting to be flushed — it's dehydration, the byproducts of alcohol metabolism, inflammation, disrupted sleep, and an irritated stomach. This relieves the symptoms those produce. Your liver handles the rest on its own schedule, and nothing speeds that up.
Every service in this category sells "detox." It's a marketing word, not a mechanism.
Worth mentioning, since the same combination is useful outside the obvious context.
Migraine. Ketorolac is used for acute migraine, and ondansetron addresses the nausea that frequently accompanies it. If migraines are a recurring problem, that's a conversation for a physician managing them rather than treating each episode — but for an acute one, this helps.
Nausea from other causes. Ondansetron isn't specific to alcohol. Motion sickness, food-related nausea, or nausea following a medical procedure all respond.
After a long flight. Dehydration, headache, and fatigue after long-haul travel respond to the same components. Newport Beach patients arriving from far enough away sometimes book this on the way in.
This is a small treatment and I'd rather be plain about it. Two of the three components are real medications that work, and one is a vitamin that helps a bit. The assessment isn't a formality — ketorolac genuinely isn't right for some people, and after a night of drinking is exactly when the stomach lining is least able to tolerate it. If someone's booking this often, that's worth a different conversation.
What is in the hangover therapy injection?
Three components. Ondansetron, commonly known as Zofran, for nausea and vomiting. Ketorolac, commonly known as Toradol, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory for headache and body aches. And vitamin B12 for fatigue. The first two are prescription medications, which is why the treatment is administered by a physician following assessment rather than sold as a wellness service.
How is this different from a hangover IV drip?
Most hangover IV services deliver saline with added vitamins, sometimes with an anti-nausea medication available as an add-on. This is an intramuscular injection of prescription medication targeting the specific symptoms — nausea, pain, and fatigue — and takes about ten minutes rather than sitting through an hour-long infusion. There is no line placement and no infusion time.
How fast does it work?
Nausea relief from ondansetron typically begins within about 30 minutes. Ketorolac generally produces pain relief within 30 to 60 minutes, with peak effect around one to two hours. The B12 component does not produce an immediate perceptible effect.
Who should not have this treatment?
Ketorolac is not appropriate for patients with a history of gastrointestinal ulcers or bleeding, kidney disease or impaired renal function, bleeding disorders or use of blood thinners, allergy to aspirin or other NSAIDs, aspirin-sensitive asthma, or during pregnancy. It should also be avoided before or after surgery. These are assessed before treatment, and where ketorolac is not appropriate the other components may still be given.
Is it safe to take an NSAID after drinking?
Alcohol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs both irritate the gastric lining, and using them together increases the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding. That risk is low for a single dose in an otherwise healthy patient without gastrointestinal history, but it is the reason this treatment requires assessment rather than being available on demand, and the reason it is not appropriate as a regular routine.
Does this lower my blood alcohol level?
No. Nothing lowers blood alcohol concentration except time. This treatment addresses hangover symptoms — nausea, headache, and fatigue — and does not affect how much alcohol remains in your system. It does not make anyone safe to drive, and feeling better is not the same as being sober.
Does hangover treatment detox your body?
No, and that framing is misleading. A hangover is caused by dehydration, the metabolic byproducts of alcohol, inflammation, disrupted sleep, and gastric irritation — not by toxin accumulation that can be flushed out. This treatment relieves the symptoms those processes produce. Your liver handles the rest, on its own schedule.
How often can I have this?
Occasionally is reasonable. Regularly is not. Ketorolac is intended for short-term use and repeated NSAID exposure carries cumulative gastrointestinal and renal risk. If hangover treatment is becoming a routine, that is worth a different conversation with a physician — and it is a conversation Dr. Mortazavi will have honestly rather than simply continuing to treat.
Does it hurt?
It is a standard intramuscular injection, typically into the shoulder or gluteal muscle. Brief sting during administration and occasional soreness at the site afterward. The appointment takes about ten minutes in total.
General information, not medical advice. Ondansetron and ketorolac are prescription medications administered following individual assessment. Suitability depends on medical history, current medications, and clinical judgment. If you are experiencing severe or persistent vomiting, confusion, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or symptoms that seem disproportionate to alcohol consumption, seek urgent medical care rather than cosmetic treatment — these can indicate a condition requiring emergency assessment.
Call ahead if you're on your way — it's a short appointment and we can usually fit it in.
4667 MacArthur Blvd, Suite 310 — Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 568-7544 — Tuesday to Saturday, 10am – 6pm