NAD+ is one of the most talked-about names in longevity wellness, and 2026 brought a useful piece of evidence to the conversation. A retrospective pilot study compared how people actually tolerate intravenous NAD+ against intravenous nicotinamide riboside (NR), a related compound the body can convert toward NAD+. The headline is not about anti-aging. It is about comfort.
What the study compared
The pilot looked at tolerability in a real-world setting: what people felt during the infusion. Participants receiving IV NAD+ more often reported gastrointestinal discomfort, an increased heart rate, and a sensation of chest pressure during the drip. Participants receiving NR more often reported milder effects, such as tingling in the tongue, jaw, or arm, and mild cramping.
That is a meaningful, practical finding, and it is important to be precise about what it is not. This was a comparison of how the two are tolerated, not a test of whether either slows aging or improves a health outcome.
What the evidence still does not show
As of 2026, there are no outcome trials demonstrating that IV or IM NAD+ slows aging or treats any condition, and NAD+ is not FDA approved for any medical use. The scientific rationale people cite is real at the cell-biology level: NAD+ is central to how mitochondria produce energy and participates in DNA repair, and levels decline with age. But a plausible mechanism is not the same as a proven clinical result. Anyone marketing NAD+ as an anti-aging cure is getting ahead of the data.
This is why our language is careful. We describe NAD+ as something that may support how you feel within a wellness framework, not as a treatment, and not as a cure.
Why the drip rate is the real story
The discomfort people associate with IV NAD+ is closely tied to how fast it is infused. Push it quickly and the sensations intensify. Slow the drip and most sessions become comfortable. That single variable is one of the strongest arguments for receiving NAD+ in a clinical setting rather than chasing the lowest price.
At Soothe IV, NAD+ sessions are physician-supervised and administered by a registered nurse who paces the infusion to your comfort and reviews your health history first. The comfort of the session is a clinical decision, not an afterthought.
Considering NAD+? Do it under supervision.
Our NAD+ sessions are physician-supervised, RN-administered, and paced to your comfort. Talk to our team about whether it fits your wellness goals.
How to think about NAD+ in 2026
- Set expectations honestly. The evidence supports a plausible mechanism and a real experience, not a proven anti-aging outcome.
- Prioritize the setting. A slower, supervised drip is the difference between a comfortable session and an unpleasant one.
- Screen first. A clinician should review your history before your first infusion.
- Be wary of cure claims. Support-focused language is a sign a provider is reading the science accurately.