Remember a few weeks back I warned you about the dangers of contrast die and colonoscopies for kidney transplant patients – well apparently the FDA is now on a similar case! You see the contrast dye used in MRI’s also cause a great deal of stress for Transplanted kidney’s – same reasons I’ve stated in my previous blog. Great news for those of us who need to be reminded – Take care of your self – no one else will!
FDA wants MRI contrast agent warning
WASHINGTON, May 23 (UPI) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration wants a warning printed on the labels of all gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.
The requested boxed warning would state patients with severe kidney insufficiency who receive the chemicals used to enhance the quality of MRI images are at risk of developing a debilitating and a potentially fatal disease known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis, or NSF.
In addition, the FDA wants the warning to state that patients just before or just after liver transplantation, or those with chronic liver disease, are also at risk.
Gadolinium-based contrast agents are commonly used to improve the visibility of internal structures when patients undergo an MRI. Reports have identified the development of NSF following single and multiple administrations of the gadolinium-based contrast agents.
A couple of months after having tests done to verify pancreatic and digestive problems using contrast dye in a Scan, I have noticed that my feet have become very sensitive. At times after being on my feet for relatively short periods my feet begin to ache and the pain can become excruciating. I was wondering if there have been any reports of a link between the dye and these pains and if other patients have reported similar incidents.
I was sent an e-mail this morning regarding the detrimental effects of contrast dyes on patients who have had MRI’s who suffer from kidney disease already, the conditions being NSF and NFD and it made me wonder if there could be a link as I never had this condition before.
Hi Susan,
Had an mri without the dye last Thursday. My feet took a real hit. I have had numbness and sensitivity in my feet due to Mercury poisioning; I think. Have you ever had your Mercury level tested? You can’t get accurate results from a blood test.
Anyway, I have had greater numbness and discomfort since the mri. Am trying to find out why.
Hi,
I had a CT scan today and got injected with the contrast fluid, does anyone know how I can find out exactly what is in it? I don’t like the idea of not knowing exactly what they put into my body.
Thanks, Kim
I had contrast dye injected when I had a MRI and a few months later they are telling me I have kidney problems, Also, I have extreme pain in my arm and cannot move my arm up and down. I think something should be done to either stop the MRI’s or stop injections of contract agents. I am in so much pain I do not know what to do.
my wife had mri with contrast dye in 2004 with a transplanted kidney and lost the kidney
I have a major concern with the fact : on this sight how come we cant reply directly to some ones comment .My opinion on mri’s is I’d never recommend one for any reason.I’ve had one my self and at age 36 had a stroke during the so-called “safe” procedure.If its so safe than why is it isolated in a separated trailer? Not to mention the MRI worker is hiding behind a barrier???My reason for the MRI was to explain a muscle tear.And after being ejected about 3 minutes in the Mri ,I was
instructed by the MRI tech/worker that I was having a heart attack/stroke and he then asked if I had Medical Insurance.I told him I did not .I left the MRI and drove myself directly to USC medical center(LACU)where after doing some tests found that I had 2 blood clots in my left lung.That was approx.9 years ago. 2 years ago our good friend passed away 1 day after a MRI ,which want even needed in the condition he was in already,yet they said it was “exploratory” procedure that was “safe”.Well he was fine before he went in the MRI but turned into a vegetable right after and died .My problem now 07/05/2008 is that another very good close friend was taken into emergency because he had fallen down .I saw him on the stretcher loading into the ambulance,and he waived to me and told me to tell my mom what happened.Half hour later I’m in intensive care and he’s saying “what happened” ,he was unsure.He was speaking to us and had movement of all joints.The doctor walks up and said ALL tests including the CT scan are all “good ,but we want to keep him overnight for observation”.I come to find the next day that they did a MRI on him and following it he is non coherent,(like a vegetable).As of 07/07/2008 his condition has not changed.I will post a update with current condition.
I had A CTA of my lungs 2 weeks ago with contrast and last friday i under went a Heart Cath with contrast . What are the dangers of IV Contrast this close together or any time ?
My Mother just had a sever reaction to Gadolinium she went in to cardiac arrest and the in to a coma, She’s coming out of is slowly. has this happened before are there any other know case’s of this reaction
I had an MRI with Gadolinium two years ago and immediately went into shock with extremely elevatevated heart rate and blood pressure accompanied by a “stiffness” in my throat. The technician had not left me with a call button and had gone off to assist another patient. I called out and tried to attract attention by kicking my legs but nobody came to assist me for about five minutes. I thought I was going to die.
When he did return my heart rate had slowed to 198! I was kept under observation for five hours and sent home.
Since this episode, I have been to numerous specialists and doctors because I have have random episodes of elevated blood pressure and heart rate. I have an increased need to pass urine before and during these frightening episodes and battle to breathe. My arms and legs become extremely cold and I shake violently from head to foot.
I have been suffering from increasing muscle weakness and debilitating joint pain, which I have had to put down to aging.
I have been taken to the emergency rooms of our hospital on 14 ocassions in the last two years and had numerous tests carried out to no avail.
I have been told on more than one occasion that this is probably a panic attack or in my mind! I am not the type of person who panics and during the attacks have to tell the people around me what to do!
I have been told by my GP, a specialist cardiologist and an endocrinologist that they are certain that I am suffering from adrenal tumours which are randomly releasing adrenalin into my system. They have been unable to confirm this with the multiple blood and uring tests I have undergone.
At each and every consultation and hospital admission, I have mentioned that these episodes have only been occuring since the MRI and every time this has been dismissed because the Gadolinium is considered to be one of the “safest” contrasts available! I have been told that there is no way it could still be in my system because it is excreted from the body within hours.
Nobody has considered that the Gadolinium may have left my body but the damage is done!
Can anyone tell me if there are any tests that should be carried out to confirm my suspicions?
I had an MRI w/ contrast in January 2008. The used some saline solution prior to administering contrast IV and orally inspite of my having asked beforehand what I would be given and having agreed to only one of the two contrasts. I was VERY sick afterwords and then found out that the FDA published a recall on saline flushes like the one I was given.
I inquired at hospital and they said they never used that brand. I already knew that they did and even had the invoice numbers from the purchase orders and they had made a large purchase just a week or two prior to my MRI.
I thought of getting a lawyer, but then becoming involved in that cesspool was just too daunting. The public is in danger, really.
A few months ago I had an MRI with contrast dye, ever since I have had sever pain in my right arm where the injection was as well as my wrist and shoulder. It husrts to the point that I can not hardlt move my arm. What can I do?
My sister in-law died 2 days ago from side effects of mri dye.
If anyone knows of a good lawyer in Illinois have them contact me for my brother.
petwaste@msn.com
I had an allergic reaction to ivp contrast during my second ct with the dye.I developed a small number of welts on my skin and a scratchyness in my throat,i have 1kidney with constricted uretor on top and bottom,so the ct with dye is the onlyreal effective methode of looking at the inner parts of your body.There are some precausionary steps that can be taken before getting the dye injection.They give you medications up to 48 hours before the exame to prevent any reactions,im still scaredto get the dye test even with these precautionary steps.
I had a MRI with contrast day last Nov and again last week. I have chronic renal difficiency since my transplant. I’ve been having increasing levels of pain in my tendons, like all of my tendons, legs, groin, neck, etc. They will just throb with movement and on/off again during rest. The doctors don’t know what’s causing it. I’ve seen my liver doc, who sent me to my rheumatologist and I asked him if this could be a fibromayalgia flare up and he said no. He then asked if I had an MRI lately and I told him yes. Then he changed the subject. He’s aware of both the suppressed immune system and the kidney problems. I can home tonight and looked up the MRI issue and am wondering if my tendon inflammation can be a result. On Monday, I’ll call the imaging center and see if Gadolinium was used. It’s like I can feel every tendon in my body, like they are very tense and being pulled even at rest. It’s awful. My primary care guy is sending me to the pain clinic and it’s a 5 week wait to get in there.
I have had several MRI’s since I hurt my knee in 1986. I have had four within the last three years, and my Primary Care Doctor ordered an MRI for my right hand, as during the MRI in April of 2009, they discovered my recurring Staph/MRSA infections put me back in the hospital.
I just happened across articles about the Dyes used in several tests and NEVER ONCE WAS I TOLD OF THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS.
I told the hospital that called me today when she informed me my doctor had order the use of Dye during the MRI. I told her I would take the MRI as it alone is safer than a CT Scan-No Radiation, but after reading about the two Syndromes, and the one that kills NSF, I told her I am refusing to use the dye.
She said she would have to call my doctor and report it. I told her be my guest, I am not refusing the MRI, just the dye. I think I had dye used in April on my second day of hospitalization. Because I have a Portacath, where dye was used to find the right vein to do the implant, no one ever told me there was a possible fatal effect to the dye, and I don’t even know if they used dye in my last MRI in Aoril of 2009 as my IV line was out of my sight with me in the MRI chamber.
My doctor’s MA called me and told me she was going to have to note it in my file and I told her fine, go ahead, but I was not going to have anymore dye put into my veins. I have CRPS/RSD, which is a severe, total body pain syndrome along with Fibromyalgia and I don’t need another disease to deal with.
I noticed after coming home my blood pressure has been elevated, something I have never had. Chronic pain patient’s bodies adjust to the pain and since I have had low blood pressure my whole life, and now it’s started to be elevated, I am extremely concerned. The skin on both my thighs is getting very hard as well and getting out of bed has become extremely painful.
No one ever told me the dye could cause a fatal side effect, especially since it can take up to a year to show up. I intend to mail my doctor a copy of the info about the FDA”s Black Box Warning in 2007, which is the last step before having it recalled.
I believe patients should have any adverse side effects explained in full, not just an authorization form, which I don’t think I have ever signed, only signed authorization for medical care.
If these symptioms continue, I may contact an attorney.
Guess it’s now Patient’s Beware instead of Buyer Beware, an I don’t care if the results aren’t as good as they could be without the dye being used. Besides the Doctor who told me I now have Osteomyelitis in the bones in my hand, I will have the rest of my life and really don’t see the use in getting the MRI again.
Who was that recently died from MRI with IV injection of dye or something. Was it a nuclear, radioactive drug?
Mary
Our seven year old son has awaken at night with head pain once in Dec., once in June, and once in August. The dr. wants to do a MRI. We wanted to get some feedback on the safety of MRIs. Anyone have advice for us?
I’m a radiology nurse. This thread of mis-information is frightening to me!!! First of all yes, NSF is REAL, and very scary…which is why there are guidlines in place. If a person is over 65, has a history of diabetes or a history of kidney problems..then a BUN/Creat(blood kidney levels) should be check prior to injection for MRI. If the level is high, it is safer to NOT give the contrast and do the MRI plain (but the study is often very limited). If the level is slightly on the higher side, but still with in normal limits and the person has risk factors then a 1/2 dose, and certain type of Gad is given that is processed in the kidneys and liver ( this one is easier tolerated at 1/2 doses and doesn’t cause the nausea/vomitting like the full dose can).
As for the person who question the safety of MRI’s itself! Well, let me just say, there IS NO RADIATION, MRI’s are extremely safe. The reason the tech has to be outside of the room during the scan is the machine is a huge magnet and to run it there is a computer…that obviously has metal…which can’t be in the room. The entire room is specially designed with aluminum and other non-ferrous (non-magnetic) metals. As to why the MRI this person was in was in a trailer….well….they are exremely expensive..i.e. 1.5-3 million per machine so many smaller hospitals share their MRI machine with other hospitals…so it’s mobile. Or, the hospital doesn’t want to spend even more money to build the special room..so it is kept in a trailer. Most moderate, to large hospitals, and multiple outpatient radiology centers have fixed MRI units. I spend many hours a day in the MRI room with patients that are either claustrophobic and need someone to hold their hand, or are being sedated and I need to monitor them. After 10yrs of doing this….if MRI’s were not safe….trust me I would have had effects by now!!!!!!
As the the women who complained about having oral contrast for MRI….there is no such thing. There is for CT…but not for MRI. Then she mentioned having problems with IV saline….really….she had problems with IV salt water…..wow….she has real problems!!!!
imp re; dangers of gadolinium
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/articles/10510/mri-hard-facts.html
A metabolic panel blood test should always be done before any MRI contrast material is injected. People with kidney diseases should not have any contrast injected.