Gadolinium side effects have been reported by numerous different patients who have gone through an MRI, even in patients who do not have an impaired kidney function.

Patients have reported gadolinium side effects after undergoing an MRI in which gadolinium contrast dye was used. A growing number of MRI patients have begun to refer to these gadolinium side effects as “gadolinium deposition disease,” though the medical community has yet to formally recognize such a condition.

A Food and Drug Administration safety alert from December 2017 indicates that certain patients who had gadolinium-based contrast used in their MRI could retain that gadolinium in their body for a long period of time.

Patients have blamed this retention for a broad range of different types of gadolinium side effects, many of which can be very painful. Gadolinium side effects reported by patients include rubbery or spongey skin, headaches, memory impairment, brain fog or cognitive difficulties, burning and painful sensation in the arms, tightness in the feet and hands, and painful and thickened ligaments.

MRIs often use gadolinium contrast agents in order to improve the images provided by the test. This heavy metal, however, has magnetic qualities that may be tied to gadolinium side effects. Patients believe that gadolinium poisoning can even develop if residual gadolinium dye remains in the body for months or years after the initial injection.

Many people who receive a gadolinium-based MRI might not even realize that it could stay in their bodies for a long period of time. The long retention period may make it difficult for patients to draw the connection between the use of contrast agent and the challenges with gadolinium side effects.

Gadolinium side effects might present immediately after the patient has gone through contrast MRI or could take years to develop. Patients who begin to experience sudden and unexplained side effects after a gadolinium MRI should report these concerns directly to their doctor.

People who have had multiple MRIs using this contrast agent may need to be especially careful. Some pharmaceutical companies making this contrast dye allege that other than certain, specific risks for patients who have preexisting kidney problems, there is no link between adverse events and gadolinium.

However, in lawsuits filed by patients who have been significantly injured and who have developed severe side effects and medical conditions, evidence allegedly suggests that this heavy metal can stay in the body for years rather than what was previously thought to be hours.

Any serious side effects should be reported to a doctor as soon as possible after a patient goes through an MRI. A doctor might be able to explain the connection between a previous MRI and the development of serious side effects for the patient.

Individuals who have been harmed by gadolinium side effects could be eligible to participate in a free class action investigation to learn more about their rights and to determine whether or not filing a lawsuit is in their best interests.