Learn what NAD+ is, why IV NAD+ has been studied in addiction treatment, and what current human research does—and does not—show.
Our Experience With NAD+ Infusion Therapy
Present Moments Recovery previously provided NAD+ infusion therapy in more than 20 cases. We later discontinued the service after California Department of Health Care Services licensing guidance meant that this type of IV-based therapy could no longer be provided within our licensed residential substance-use treatment setting. We no longer offer NAD+ infusion therapy, but we maintain this article for educational purposes because of our firsthand experience with the service and the continued public interest in NAD+ and addiction recovery.
Our experience is part of why we continue to follow this subject closely. At the same time, firsthand experience is not a substitute for controlled scientific research. As the evidence around NAD+ has developed, it has become increasingly important to distinguish what researchers know about NAD+ biology from what has actually been demonstrated about IV NAD+ as a treatment.
California DHCS licenses residential substance-use treatment facilities as nonmedical residential programs. Certain Incidental Medical Services can be provided when specifically approved and within the facility’s authorized scope, but IMS does not extend to general medical care or medical services that must be performed in a separately licensed health facility.
What Is NAD+?
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, commonly abbreviated NAD+, is a naturally occurring coenzyme found in cells throughout the human body.
It plays important roles in cellular metabolism, energy production, DNA repair, and cell signaling. Those functions make NAD+ scientifically important and have generated considerable interest in whether changing NAD+ levels might influence aging, metabolism, neurological health, or other conditions.
But there is an important distinction:
NAD+ being essential to normal human biology does not mean that intravenous NAD+ has been proven to treat a particular disease or condition.
That difference is often lost in marketing surrounding NAD+ therapy.
A 2026 systematic review identified substantial biological research involving NAD+-related compounds. In human studies, oral NAD+ precursors such as nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide mononucleotide often changed NAD-related biomarkers, but improvements in meaningful clinical outcomes were inconsistent. The review found no eligible clinical-outcome trials of IV or intramuscular NAD+ itself for anti-aging or wellness indications.
Why Has NAD+ Been Studied in Addiction Treatment?
Interest in NAD and addiction treatment is not new.
A preliminary report published in 1961 described use of a pyridine nucleotide related to NAD in people being treated for addiction. That early report became part of the historical basis for continued interest in NAD-related therapies.
However, scientific standards have changed considerably since then. An early clinical report is not equivalent to a modern randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trial.
More recent researchers have continued investigating NAD-containing infusion protocols in people with substance use disorders.
A published study involving 50 patients reported reductions in self-rated cravings, anxiety, and depression following a series of infusions. However, the infusion was not simply NAD+. It included NAD+ along with other compounds, and the study lacked the type of randomized placebo-controlled design needed to determine whether NAD+ itself caused the improvements. The researchers acknowledged the need for larger, controlled studies.
That makes the research interesting—but still preliminary.
Does NAD+ Reduce Drug or Alcohol Cravings?
There are published reports describing reductions in cravings among people receiving NAD-containing infusion protocols.
What those reports do not yet establish is that IV NAD+ reliably reduces cravings in people with substance use disorders.
There are several reasons for the uncertainty:
- studies have generally involved small groups;
- some have lacked placebo or control groups;
- some protocols contain several ingredients in addition to NAD+;
- outcomes may rely heavily on self-report;
- treatment populations and protocols vary;
- long-term relapse and recovery outcomes have not been established in large controlled trials.
The responsible conclusion today is therefore:
NAD+ has been investigated for substance-use treatment, but the evidence is not strong enough to describe IV NAD+ as a proven treatment for cravings, withdrawal, or relapse prevention.
What Happens When NAD+ Is Given Intravenously?
Researchers have studied how IV NAD+ behaves in the human body.
A 2019 pilot study followed participants during a six-hour NAD+ infusion and measured NAD+ and related metabolites in blood and urine.
The research demonstrated measurable changes in NAD-related metabolism and provided useful information about how infused NAD+ is processed.
But the study was primarily a metabolism and pharmacokinetic investigation.
It did not demonstrate that IV NAD+:
- treats addiction;
- prevents relapse;
- eliminates withdrawal;
- improves long-term recovery;
- reverses aging;
- repairs the body immediately;
- or produces specific psychiatric outcomes.
Those are separate clinical questions requiring separate clinical trials.
What About Withdrawal and Detox?
This is one of the areas where NAD+ marketing has historically been particularly aggressive.
Claims sometimes suggest that NAD+ can dramatically reduce withdrawal symptoms or make detoxification relatively effortless.
Current evidence does not justify presenting those outcomes as established facts.
Withdrawal from some substances can also carry significant medical risk. Alcohol and benzodiazepine withdrawal, for example, can require careful clinical assessment, monitoring, medications, and escalation of care when clinically necessary.
NAD+ should therefore not be viewed as a replacement for evidence-based withdrawal management.
Present Moments Recovery currently provides Residential Detox and Withdrawal Management using a physician-directed, medication-supported approach when clinically appropriate.
Is IV NAD+ Safe?
Another common historical claim was that NAD+ therapy had essentially no side effects.
That statement should not be made.
More recent research examining commercially administered IV NAD+ has documented infusion-related symptoms and confirms that the safety and effectiveness literature remains limited.
A 2026 retrospective tolerability study evaluated people receiving several consecutive days of NAD+ or nicotinamide riboside infusions. Researchers monitored symptoms, vital signs, and laboratory markers.
The study contributes useful short-term safety information, but it does not establish universal safety or long-term safety across different populations.
A recent review of IV NAD+ research similarly concluded that available human evidence remains sparse and largely consists of small uncontrolled or observational studies. Reported infusion-related effects have included symptoms such as nausea, cramping, flushing, and chest discomfort, while long-term safety data remain limited.
Statements such as:
“NAD+ has no side effects”
or
“IV NAD+ is completely safe”
go beyond the available evidence.
What About NAD+ for Anti-Aging and Wellness?
NAD+ has also become widely promoted in the wellness and longevity industries.
Researchers are actively studying NAD+ metabolism, aging, metabolic health, mitochondrial biology, and related compounds.
That research is legitimate.
The marketing conclusions sometimes drawn from it are much less certain.
A 2026 systematic review evaluated 113 preclinical and human studies involving NAD-related interventions. Human trials of oral NAD+ precursors frequently showed changes in biological markers, but effects on functional, metabolic, vascular, and other health outcomes were inconsistent or sometimes absent.
The authors concluded that clinical effectiveness for anti-aging and wellness remains inconclusive, particularly for injectable and intravenous approaches.
Therefore, claims that NAD+ infusion therapy has been proven to:
- reverse aging;
- improve fertility;
- regenerate cells;
- restore cognitive function;
- dramatically boost immunity;
- produce healthier skin;
- guarantee better sleep;
- or create immediate cellular healing
should not be presented as established clinical facts.
Why Biology Does Not Automatically Equal Treatment
This distinction is important far beyond NAD+.
A substance can have an essential biological function without supplementation with that substance becoming an effective medical treatment.
NAD+ is involved in important cellular processes.
That is well established.
The unanswered question is whether administering NAD+ intravenously produces specific, meaningful clinical outcomes—and for which patients, doses, conditions, and treatment settings.
Those questions require controlled human research.
A 2026 systematic review summarized the situation well: NAD+-related interventions demonstrate biological activity, but their clinical effectiveness remains uncertain, and considerably stronger trials are needed for parenteral approaches such as IV administration.
Does NAD+ Have a Role in Addiction Treatment Today?
At this point, NAD+ infusion therapy is better described as investigational than established addiction treatment.
Preliminary research provides reasons for scientists to continue studying it.
It does not provide enough evidence to replace established substance-use-disorder care.
Evidence-based addiction treatment can include combinations of:
- withdrawal management;
- medications when clinically appropriate;
- residential treatment;
- Medication-Assisted Treatment;
- individual and group therapy;
- behavioral therapies;
- treatment for co-occurring mental health conditions;
- relapse-prevention planning;
- family involvement;
- outpatient treatment;
- peer and recovery support;
- and continuing care.
There is no single infusion, medication, therapy, or program that eliminates the need for individualized treatment planning.
Why We Chose to Keep This Article
We could have simply removed this article when PMR stopped offering NAD+ infusion therapy.
We chose not to.
There are two reasons.
First, people continue to search for information about NAD+, detox, addiction, withdrawal, and recovery.
Second, Present Moments Recovery has firsthand experience with NAD+ infusion therapy from the period when we provided it.
That experience gives us a reason to remain interested in the science—but it does not give us permission to claim outcomes that current evidence cannot establish.
Our position in 2026 is therefore straightforward:
NAD+ is an important biological molecule and an interesting area of ongoing research. Preliminary addiction research exists, but current evidence is not strong enough to call IV NAD+ a proven treatment for addiction, withdrawal, cravings, relapse prevention, or recovery.
If stronger clinical research changes that conclusion in the future, this article should change with it.
What Present Moments Recovery Provides Today
Present Moments Recovery does not currently provide NAD+ infusion therapy.
Our treatment services focus on established levels of substance-use-disorder care, including:
- Residential Detox and Withdrawal Management
- Residential Treatment
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
- Outpatient treatment (OP)
- Medication-Assisted Treatment and medication management when clinically appropriate
- Continuing recovery and aftercare support
Treatment recommendations are individualized.
The appropriate level of care may depend on the substance involved, withdrawal risk, medical and psychiatric history, medications, previous treatment experiences, living environment, family circumstances, and current clinical needs.
If you are trying to understand what level of treatment may be appropriate for yourself or someone you love, you can speak directly with our team.
Call or text Present Moments Recovery: (619) 363-4767
Verify insurance confidentially: /insurance/verify/
Research & References
California Department of Health Care Services. Incidental Medical Services. DHCS explains that licensed residential SUD facilities may provide approved incidental medical services associated with detoxification, treatment, or recovery, while excluding general primary care and medical services required to be performed in a separately licensed health facility. https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/providers-partners/incidental-medical-services/
Grant R, Berg J, Mestayer R, et al. A Pilot Study Investigating Changes in the Human Plasma and Urine NAD+ Metabolome During a 6 Hour Intravenous Infusion of NAD. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 2019;11:257. DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00257. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31572171/
Blum K, et al. Published observational research involving NAD-containing infusion protocols in people with substance use disorders reported changes in craving and psychiatric symptoms but called for larger randomized controlled studies. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39949994/
Gallagher C, Emmanuel OO. NAD+ supplementation for anti-aging and wellness: A PRISMA-guided systematic review of preclinical and clinical evidence. Ageing Research Reviews. 2026;116:103057. DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2026.103057. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41655607/
Intravenous NAD+ tolerability research. A 2026 retrospective pilot study examined commercially administered IV NAD+ and nicotinamide riboside, contributing short-term tolerability data while emphasizing the need for additional evidence regarding safety and effectiveness. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41704678/
