Banana Bag

Categories: Prescription Medication

Description:

A “banana bag” (named for its yellow color) is an IV fluid mixture commonly given to patients with alcohol use disorder or malnutrition.

It usually contains:

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) – prevents Wernicke’s encephalopathy (brain damage from deficiency).
Folic acid (Vitamin B9) – supports red blood cell production.
Multivitamin solution – gives the bag its yellow color.
Magnesium sulfate (sometimes included) – helps with common deficiencies in alcohol withdrawal.
Normal saline – the fluid base.

Treatment For:

Alcohol Withdrawal

AI generated Summary: Based on the provided information, there are no user reviews available for the treatment "Banana Bag" against the disease "Alcohol Withdrawal". The author of the content has not provided a review or rating for this treatment either. Therefore, it is not possible to determine the effectiveness of the "Banana Bag" treatment for alcohol withdrawal based on the given data.

Reviews

Average rating: 5/5

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Average rating: 5.00/5

Total Reviews: 1

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All Physician Healthcare provider (non-physician) Healthcare Consumer (Patients & Caregivers)

Dr. Curbside

August 18, 2025

5.0

The banana bag is a standard ER treatment for patients in alcohol withdrawal, especially those who are vomiting, confused, or unable to take medications by mouth. It provides thiamine, folate, multivitamins, and fluids to prevent serious complications like Wernicke’s encephalopathy and correct common deficiencies. However, if a patient is stable, not vomiting, and mentally clear, I usually skip the IV and give the pill equivalents with oral fluids instead. This approach is easier, just as effective in those cases, and avoids unnecessary IV use.

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