Medication watchdog agencies around the world are instituting new regulations of gadolinium contrast dye used in many MRI tests.

Last month, South Korea announced a ban on 13 linear gadolinium contrast dyes through Dec. 31, 2018. Gadolinium contrast agents that include the ingredients gadodiamide, gadoversetamide and gadopentetic acid are no longer available in the country until at least the end of this year.

Gadolinium contrast dye is available in two different formulations based on molecular structure, linear and macrocyclic. Linear gadolinium contrast agents recently have come under the most scrutiny because of allegations the material can reportedly build up in the brain and cause complications.

In 2017, the European Commission stopped the sales of certain linear gadolinium contrast dye formulations for brain and spine MRI orders due to fears the dye could stay in the brain.

The dyes are still available in the United States, but the FDA issued a new safety alert in December 2017. The FDA warned that some MRI patients could potentially retain gadolinium in their bodies for months or years after undergoing an MRI that used gadolinium contrast dye.

Gadolinium is a heavy metal that enhances the MRI’s pictures of organs, tissues and blood vessels. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging, and gadolinium’s magnetic qualities are responsible for the higher contrast outcomes.

Doctors recommend gadolinium contrast dye with and MRI when they are searching for cancer, infections, sources of internal bleeding or other abnormalities that may otherwise go undetected.

Gadolinium Contrast Dye Potential Problems

Up until recently, the only patients who were told to be concerned about gadolinium contrast dye, according to drug makers and FDA warnings, were those who suffered from pre-existing kidney problems because they are at risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF).

NSF is a rare but painful skin condition that causes the skin to swell and tighten. Over time, the skin becomes thick and hard. Some patients say their skin has a “woody” feeling that can experience periodic feelings of itchiness, burning or pain. Severely irritated skin with NSF can develop blisters or open ulcers.

Sometimes NSF affects more than just the skin. Tendons and muscles in the arms, hands, legs and feet might become contracted, and their shortening can become disabling. Other symptoms can include bone pain and yellow spots on the white surface of the eyes. The kidneys, heart, liver and lungs also can suffer functional problems due to NSF. Patients also complain of cognitive impairment, memory loss and a feeling of foggy-headedness.

The body eliminates dye through the kidneys, which is why patients with kidney problems were thought to be at a higher risk of developing NSF. However, doctors, researchers and patients are placing a new focus on gadolinium contrast dyes and the possibility that a certain amount of the metal is staying in the brain even in patients without kidney problems.

An FDA drug advisory committee decided in September 2017 that drug manufacturers need to study and determine the full extent of possible side effects of gadolinium.

If you have suffered ill effects after receiving an MRI with a gadolinium contrast dye, you could be eligible to participate in this lawsuit investigation.