MRI/MRA Agent Gadolinium Linked to Severe Side Effects

Gadolinium is an injectable chemical used during Magnetic Resonance Imagery (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) scans to help provide contrast between blood vessels and other tissues.  There are currently five FDA-approved gadolinium based contrast agents for use in medical procedures.  They include:

• Magnevist MRI contrast agent
• MultiHance MRI contrast agent
• Omniscan MRI contrast agent
• OptiMARK MRI contrast agent
• ProHance MRI contrast agent

Unfortunately some people have severe reactions to Gadolinium and suffer MRI contrast agent side effects.  Since 1997, Gadolinium has been associated with potentially life-threatening conditions in people with reduced kidney function such as Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis, or NSF.  Gadolinium MRI dye allergic reactions Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF)/ Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermopathy (NFD) are characterized by a number of diverse symptoms such as:

• Thick, hardened skin over the joints that severely restricts movement and impaired kidney function.  This scar tissue can often prevent movement of the arms, hands, fingers, legs, or feet.
• Severe fibrosis and scarring of internal organs throughout a number of systems.
• Other Gadolinium side effects include
• Muscle Weakness
• Dark red patches on the skin
• Yellow spots in the sclera(white part) of the eye
• Pain deep in the bones of the hips or ribs
• Stiff joints
• Itching, burning, swelling, hardening of the skin
• Symmetrical skin lesions that commonly occur on the ankles and thighs, followed by the wrists and upper arms
• Rapid onset hypertension

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of NSF/NFD allergic reactions is there were no reported cases before Gadolinium became widespread in MRI/MRA cases.  Some patients with NSF have actually died due to complications caused by their kidney disease or due to necessary transplant surgery.

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