Comments on: Gadolinium Side Effects

By: Sammie

Sammie — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:16:26 +0000

Hi Katie.
Don’t know about your medical condition, but do know that NO ONE can make you take any contrast media. If you don’t want the stuff put in you, just tell them not to use it. It only helps them see things BETTER, but they can see lots of stuff without it.

By: F R Scales

F R Scales — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:22:26 +0000

Has anyone had hallucinations after or while having an MRI with gadolinium?

I had one MRI totally without gadolinium and two MRI’s without and with gadolinium. The first, without gadolinium was as uneventful as an X-ray.

During the second MRI, when they injected the gadolinium into my arm, slid me back inside the donut and started the machine, I began having hallucinations! I saw a small girl and boy walk up to me as I lay on the table even though I knew I was INSIDE the donut! She touched my face and they disappeared. Next, I saw a pink “flower” lying on my chest. I realized it was the mouth of a small dinosaur who looked startled, slid down on the floor and crossed to a bookshelf, which did not exist. After that, there was a large brown rock on my chest which opened and revealed a flower, closed and reopened with a different flower and did it a third time.

I was not asleep and fully aware that no one could walk into that machine running or not. The person running it said she had never heard of nayone having hallucinations while in the machine. I suggested they just had not told her.

The second MRI, without and with gadolinium, was at another facility and a different machine. This time I had only one “vision” or hallucination. That was of a farmerish-looking man wearing a plaid shirt and straw hat. He was looking down through a branch of pink blossoms at me.

Since having the MRI’s with gadolinium dye, I have had other hallucinations when I am very tired, reading or watching TV at night. I will blink my eyes and they don’t come up immediately, but an entire action scene will take place, like an exerpt from a story, without sound, before I drag them open. Once it was a herd of horses running past my left shoulder. Nothing to do with what I was reading or watching on TV.

Is there anyone else out there who has had this experience during the MRI’s with the gadolinium? Please email me at: hurtygurl@sbcglobal.net

By: malinda

malinda — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:40:34 +0000

I had an MRI July 7 2009,due to fibroids.I started having bad side affects right after. my legs went out ,I started breaking out with a bad itchy rash all over my body. I have dark patches and spots all over my body.I am permanently damage. I have seen three skin specialist and they all say they haven”t seen anything like what has happen to my skin from an MRI. It took 6 months for the drug to get out my body but during that time it ate my skin alive. I am working with lawyers now and Im seeing the best derm doctor in MN. I WILL NEVER HAVE AN MRI DONE AGAIN>

By: Katia

Katia — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:31:46 +0000

I have researched Gadolinium ad nauseum as I am facing MRI & MRA in the near future for symptoms of acoustic neuroma & Pulsatile Tinnitis Does anyone know if the new 64 slice HDCT can be used for the vascular questions related to pulsatile tinnitis and also be used for IAC slices to see acoustic neuromas or small to medium size? After reading these comments from seemingly physically normal patients prior o injection of Gadolimium I am more terrified than ever!
K

By: Sammie

Sammie — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 07:48:08 +0000

Reading this because mom is having renal failure after too many doses of Gadolinium dye in too short a time. Aggregate effect.

I see that the Mayo Clinic does ‘mass spec’ testing of tissue samples for gadolinium.
You get tested by having a doctor take the tissue sample.

Apparently, the test called a ’skin punch biopsy’ is only for people who have the lesions of NSF? The question mark notes the fact that the instructions for the skin punch biopsy say that the skin should be punched at the site of the lesion. Therefore, this test must be only for people manifesting the lesion symptom of NSF.
And, apparently, only a doctor can send take a biopsy and send it there.

The pharma-chemistry researchers in the results that come up from ‘gadolinium pharmacokinetics’ googles are writing that the liver is the place where most built-up gadolinium is residing in animal testing.

I’m looking for a test to detect it in a person that has been diagnosed with renal failure right after mega-doses of gadolinium, but has no apparent symptoms of NSF. Too much coincidence.

By: Dr Jayant Sharma

Dr Jayant Sharma — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:02:43 +0000

Does Gadolinium cause fulminant hepatic failure?Any case reports/studies?

By: Anita

Anita — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:14:28 +0000

I got an MRI done yesterday to see if i have a tumor on my pituitary gland. Before doing the MRi the radiologist explained to me that i will be getting a dosage of gadolinium. I stopped him right there and explained to him that I had a CT done a few weeks ago and I had an allergic reaction to the Iodine, he told me everything will be fine it doesnt have Iodine in it. I went in to do the MRI than they took me out and injected me with the gadolinium. as i was laying there after being injected my whole body went numb i couldn’t feel like legs. I felt has if i had 400lbs of weights on me and i couldn’t pick them up. I began to cry in the MRI and he began to talk to me for me to say whether i was OK or not and i keept saying yes but he kept asking me, i guess my words weren’t coming out, than i remembered the button so i pressed it and they took me out. They basically told me i had a panic attack and i should walk it off and there was only 5 mins left of the MRI. I believed them and said ok. When i went back to change out of the scrubs I realized i had rashes all over my body. I finished getting dressed and asked one of the nurses if that was normal she said she would get my radiologist for me. he came back and had me go into the MRI clinic place or whatever you want to call it. a resident came and checked on me and asked if my breathing was ok and if i had any sweeling i explained no. They gave me benadyrl and told me i needed to stay for an hour. The resident never came back to check on me and another nurse told me i could leave. When i got home i showered and realized i had a few bruises on my legs, and the next day when i began to play tennis my right hand began to hurt where the carpal bones are or whatever you call them, it was swallon and i iced it for 15 mins. I am unsure on what to do at this point. I think im going to wait and see if anything else occurs. does anyone have any suggestions?

By: Steve (UK)

Steve (UK) — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:26:53 +0000

Hi everyone, thanks for sharing your stories here, sorry to hear so many of you have experienced problems. I can’t believe they still use this agent!
I was due to have an MRI here in the UK. The hospital information sent to me I must say was good in admitting Gadolinium is used. However they went on to state that they are “obliged to inform you of the lack of license for Gadolinium in MRI Athrography”. What!?
Although they stated that it has proved effective with rare allergic reactions to the medium, obviously a lack of license and the fact that I was told to make arrangements to be collected after the scan as I would not be able to drive, made me suspicious. So, after finding many sites like this one, I’ve cancelled the appointment!
Good luck everyone and thanks again. Steve

By: Marge Weissberg

Marge Weissberg — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:08:37 +0000

A few days ago, I had and MRI with contrast. I was told that the machine that pumps in the dye had malfunctioned and I did not received enough of the dye to show any contrast. I was told to reschedule the MRI. However, even with the small amount of dye in my system, I immediately experienced lightheadedness and the migraine aura that precedes the headache. I was told by several doctors that they have no knowledge of migraine resulting from an MRI and that it was probably caused by nervousness about the MRI. I was not nervous and have not had a severe migraine like that in over 20 years.

I spoke with a neurologist who assured me that the dye could be a trigger for migraine and could cause serious problems. I have recovered completely from the headache and will not reschedule the MRI. My concern is that the reason so many doctors say they’ve never heard of a patient having a migraine headache after an MRI is because no one has told them. If I had accepted the “diagnosis” as nerves, I would have gone home, recovered, and not said anything. How many people have done this? That is why I am happy to add my experience to this website.

By: Beverly Clarke

Beverly Clarke — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 21:51:26 +0000

My mother was given the contrast dye to see if she had a blockage in an kidney. This was in December 7, 2009. She is still suffering from the terriable itching and red spots. I think the doctors know exactly what is going on. Get a lawyer and take many pictures. My prayers and thoughts are with all of you. Keep up the fight to get this GADOLINIUM off the market .

By: Kendall

Kendall — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 02:53:34 +0000

I too had several MRI’s done in a 2 week period in Sept 2009, due to an anyurisim & stroke at the age of 38 & a week after giving birth. All the MRI’s had dye/contrast… so did my angiogram
All I know is I have joint pain, they lock up, my hips are killing me & the pain in my thighs are like intense charlie horses, and my hair falls out every brush stroke.
What can I do??? Help….

By: regina

regina — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:19:19 +0000

had an mri done on thanksgiving eve, since then i have had facial swelling and hives all over my body, prior to the injection i did ask what side effects i could have, i was told this injection was natural no side effects. i have suffered from chronic hives in the past and this injection has brought these hives back times ten. i have been awakened every morning with hives and swelling for the past three days and it doesnt stop there, this is happeneing at night also, i am currently taking 100mg of benadryl at a shot, zantac 150 twice a day, 2 zyrtecs not to mention the prednisone which i am on my 4th day of it and it doesnt make a difference. i cant leave the house when i am swelled not to mention cant drive cause all i want to do is sleep!!! how much longer will this last??????

By: Janet

Janet — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:25:39 +0000

My son is almost 5 years old and has never had an MRI but he has high levels of gadolinium showing up in heavy metal hair analysis. He doesn’t have any skin problems but he does have a lot of stiffness he also has autism. I can’t figure out where he is coming in contact with the element. Does anybody know? Could he have gotten it from vaccines?

By: Marsha

Marsha — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:47:41 +0000

I had a mri with gadolinium dye on 10-20-09 and my hair has been falling out and breaking. It has also gotten thinner in texture. My eyes have become bloodshot and I have developed a cyst on my upper lid. My skin on my face and hand has also become drier. I asked the when it was set up if there was a dye involved and she said it was only a saline solution. When I was preparing for the test she told me about the dye. I can’t go back but I reget it every day as I am losing self esteem because of the hair loss. There is not much left!

By: Lena

Lena — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:52:55 +0000

Hi, I had a MRI with contrast last month on the 22th. It was OK, no big pain when the dye was injected on my right arm, but after a week start having pain in that arm. So it started last Friday, got better the weekend , yesterday got worst – but today is getting really bad!
Don’t know if that can be caused by the dye ( have no idea what they inject), and after a week (?)
Even if I don’t move my arm, still feel painful, and when I move it, I can scream…!

By: Rich

Rich — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 03:15:18 +0000

I had an MRI conducted with a gadolinium injection in the Spring 2008. Shortly thereafter, I experienced an incredible pain in my left hip. Subsequent x-rays did not indicate anything, but the deep hip pain continues to this day. It is only the left hip so it is a mystery to me and the doctors as to what the problem is. I have seen orthopedists, neurologist, neuro surgeon and more. No luck,

By: leslie

leslie — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:14:49 +0000

I have had a blue tatoo where the dye was injected from the mri and the veins are bluer. Has anyone else had this? Can you do anything to remove the tatoo?

By: Angela C

Angela C — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:22:37 +0000

I had three MRI’s back to back yesterday mid-morning, which in itself was grueling. I found out recently that I have Pseudotumor Cerebri, amoungst a couple other neurological things and needed to have the MRI’s, one of the MRI’s called for contrast dye. I had been through an MRI with contrast before so I wasn’t worried this time. After speaking with the tech about how the dye made me feel funny (like I was peeing), he said this was a different dye (Gadolinium) and assured me that this dye would not do that. After all the MRI’s were finished my husband took me home and I’ve been sick with diarrhea and feeling feverish. I called the radiology department where I had the MRI’s done and the tech assured me that this was not a side effect of the Gadolinium, but after reading all these stories I’m not so sure now. Nothing in my diet, nor my medications have changed either. I’m certainly open to any other ideas or suggestions too!

Thanks,
Angela

By: scott

scott — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:46:18 +0000

i had an mr arthrogram done on my left shoulder, with the gadolinium dye. my dr told me there would be some muscle weakness but i never expected it to be this bad. i compete in bench press meets. i weigh roughly 220lbs and am more than capable of bench pressing 515lbs, after having the MR done i could not bench press more than 405lbs in my last meet. i’m just wondering how long the weakness is supposed to last. the MR was done on the 11th of september and my meet was on the 26th of september

By: June Tucker

June Tucker — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:00:45 +0000

I just found this site. My husband died in May 2009 and one of the reasons for death listed Nephrogenic Fibrosis. I am so angry that the last months of his life he was in terrible pain due to gadolinium poisoning. I am trying to educate everyone I come in contact with about the risks of getting NSF. I wish there is more I can do, but don’t know what that might be.
My best to all and if anyone wants to e-mail me please do.
June