gadolinium
Gadolinium Side Effects
When undergoing an MRI scan, your doctor may use a gadolinium contrast dye to improve the quality of the results. Generally, the contrast dye is safe to use, which will pass through and exit the body naturally with time. However, there may be side effects which can possibly have severe and fatal outcomes under some circumstances.
Some minor gadolinium side effects include headaches, nausea, light headedness, and a decrease in blood pressure. These should not be a cause for concern. The sudden onsets of these symptoms are most likely just a result of increased anxiety of having the scan or being injected with the contrast dye. They should go away shortly after the scan. Be sure to take it easy if you are feeling uncomfortable and uneasy after your scan.
Other known side effects are a result of an allergic reaction to gadolinium. Complications are usually mild, such as sweating, skin rashes, itching and hives. Potentially fatal complications include irritation of the blood vessels and blood clots.
When people think of severe gadolinium side effects, nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is what comes to mind. NSF is a fatal syndrome that results in the fibrosis of soft and connective tissue. This includes the joints, skin and internal organs. The most noticeable effect is that the skin will tighten and harden and the joints will stiffen up, making it harder and more painful to stretch and move parts of the body. It is much easier to develop in patients with a history of renal (kidney) disease and failure.
Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis is a relatively new disease. The first case was reported in 1997, with the first study being published almost 3 years later. It was not until 2006 that gadolinium based contrast agents were linked to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Not much is known about how exactly this syndrome emerges, and there is no known treatment option as of today.
It is imperative that patients make it known to their doctors and nurses about their history of kidney complications if there were any. If there is only evidence of slight kidney impairment, contrast dyes may still be used if deemed essential, but it is very important that the proposed guidelines for use are strictly adhered to. It is highly recommended that all patients undergoing their first MRI scan be screened for kidney disease beforehand to avoid all fatal gadolinium side effects.
News Report About Gadolinium Side Effects
There was a recent news article about a woman who recently settled a lawsuit with GE Healthcare after developing nephrogenic systemic fibrosis because of the side effects of gadolinium. GE Healthcare manufactures the FDA approved gadolinium based contrast agent known as Omniscan.
54 year old Margaret Roxbough of Glasgow, Scotland, went for an MRI exam in September 2006. It was a standard procedure, and she was administered with the Omniscan contrast agent to improve the results of the scan. However, neither she nor the doctor knew that she had kidney disease. Without functional kidneys, the body was not able to expel the traces of gadolinium from her body afterwards, and allowing NSF to develop. Although there was “horrendous pain” the next day, the doctor wrote it off as mild side effects of the MRI scan and said they should go away soon enough.
Margaret Roxbough still experiences excruciating pain. The skin on her legs is completely raw and it is too painful to cover it with any type of clothing.
In 2004, two years prior to her scan, a woman in Denmark had died from the symptoms of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. In 2006, it had been noted by Henrik Thomas that all the patients diagnosed with NSF at his hospital had one thing in common – they were injected with Omniscan, the contrast dye produced by GE Healthcare.
Subsequently, Ms. Roxbough had sued GE Healthcare, and the lawsuit was recently settled. The FDA now requires a warning label detailing the risks of NSF on Omniscan agents, as well as all FDA regulated gadolinium based contrast agents.
This could have been avoided had it been known she was suffering from renal disease prior to her MRI scan. It is absolutely crucial that if the doctor suggests the use of a contrast dye for an MRI scan that YOU GET TESTED FOR KIDNEY DISEASE BEFORE THE PROCEDURE to avoid all side effects of gadolinium contrast dye. If you do have a documented history of kidney complications, be sure to discuss the severity of the problems and how risky a gadolinium based contrast agent would be to your health.
Why Are Gadolinium Based Contrast Agents Used?
MRI scans (and MRA scans) are known to produce very detailed images of the inner workings of the body. They are used extensively in the medical field to detect and diagnose many health conditions that could not be found otherwise. However, there are some cases where it is advantageous to use a gadolinium based contrast agent to enhance the quality of the scanned images or to better detect foreign growths inside the body.
Gadolinium is a rare earth lanthanide metal. In its original form, it is a silvery white, malleable and ductile metal. As a free ion, it is a highly toxic element to humans. It must go through a process known as chelation before it can be utilized in practical applications. Chelation is the process of taking a free ion and adding bonds with other organic compounds to prevent it from freely and uncontrollably reacting with other elements and compounds that could have detrimental effects.
The reason gadolinium has found its way into MRI scan applications is because of its strong paramagnetic properties. A paramagnetic metal does not exhibit any magnetic effects in its original state. When placed in an externally applied magnetic field, it will align its molecules parallel to the it, and in turn, create its own magnetic field. They are easily detectable in a strong external magnetic field (such as that produced by an MRI machine), allowing the possibility for much more detailed scans.
Gadolinium based contrast dyes have been manufactured to be safe for the patient and they follow strict FDA regulations to avoid any health complications. However, there are still gadolinium side effects that people must be completely aware of to avoid the risk of harm to themselves.
