Some patients who undergo a popular medical scan are concerned they may have been, in fact, poisoned by the chemical used to enhance the results of the scan–MRI contrast gadolinium.

Many patients must undergo MRI scans, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), for a number of reasons. When this happens, they are often injected with a chemical called MRI contrast gadolinium. This chemical allows technicians, doctors and other medical professionals to read the results of the MRI scan more easily.

However, MRI contrast gadolinium has been in the news lately as patients are reporting problems with toxicity and their bodies being unable to expel the chemical after the scan.

In a recent article, the New York Post asks if MRI contrast gadolinium can poison a person. They report that a prominent celebrity, Chuck Norris, has recently claimed that his wife was poisoned by MRI contrast gadolinium during her MRI scan.

The celebrity couple is suing eleven medical companies, according to the Post, claiming that MRI contrast gadolinium has resulted in Gena Norris’s severe complications. These complications include “multiple, debilitating bouts of pain and burning throughout her body, kidney problems, cognitive impairment and other long-term health issues,” the Post reports.

Ms. Norris underwent multiple MRIs in 2012 because of rheumatoid arthritis. She was then hospitalized because of severe symptoms and told one news outlet that she “couldn’t think anymore” and was undergoing problems with her memory and muscles.

According to the Post, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not found any evidence to prove that MRI contrast gadolinium can cause these severe problems, but many patients have reported otherwise.

This chemical is used in nearly one-third of MRIs in order to ensure clearer images. MRI contrast gadolinium may be harmful to humans if it remains in the body, but doctors claim the body expels it naturally in a timely fashion.

It can cause a serious problem called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), a painful skin condition that occurs in patients who suffer from kidney impairment. The Clinical Journal for American Society for Nephrology reported this in 2007 and the FDA has taken note by issuing a safety alert regarding MRI contrast gadolinium and NSF.

The FDA investigated the MRI contrast gadolinium issue for two years, then convened an FDA drug advisory committee to discuss the potential danger of MRI contrast gadolinium with patients. According to the New York Post, “The committee voted to put a label on gadolinium-based contrast agents, warning that gadolinium can be retained in the brain and other organs, although there is currently no evidence linking its retention to adverse health effects.”

However, a radiology professor at Harvard Medical, David Hackney, claims that the effects of MRI contrast gadolinium toxicity are not known. He said that no one was truly sure if Ms. Norris’s symptoms were due to gadolinium poisoning.

Many, like Ms. Norris, believe that drug companies are not taking proper responsibility for their part in the toxic symptoms that those who receive MRI contrast gadolinium must endure.

If you believe that you have suffered from MRI contrast gadolinium poisoning, you may be eligible to join a gadolinium lawsuit investigation.