What is Gadolinium?
In 2020 I had a patient that had an MRI done. She told me she felt strange after the test. She had the feeling that she was getting sick, experienced fatigue and said her mind didn’t seem clear. That’s when I realized she had an MRI “with contrast”. Although contrast to most of us means a striking difference between two things, in medicine contrast refers to an injected substance that exaggerates brightness and darkness in images. The liquid injection used for an MRI to increase color variance is Gadolinium. I had known about the side-effects of this contrast, but for the first time I had to help someone clear it out ASAP.
Remember when you were a kid and you had to learn about the periodic table in science class? It is the table of elements listed by molecular weight. Hydrogen is the first one, helium is the second and gadolinium is number 64. Gadolinium is considered a heavy metal because of its heavy molecular weight. It also has a ‘paramagnetic’ component to it making it ideal for MRI use. MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. During an MRI a magnetic field is induced to produce an image. Using a paramagnetic material that is slightly attracted to a magnetic field helps to brighten or darken the look of tissues on the image. We don’t need it, but it does improve the image. The problem is there are side-effects with this injection that most are not aware of before choosing to agree to its use.
Research reveals that some of this metal may be retained in multiple organs, especially the brain. This is where the trouble begins. Even the FDA has acknowledged that gadolinium is retained in the body and call it “gadolinium retention”. The FDA declared two warnings, one in 2017 and the other in 2022. Here is a link to a 2018 update that specifically recommends “Patients, parents, and caregivers should carefully read the new patient Medication Guide”. The Lighthouse Project was created in an effort to increase awareness of the effect of gadolinium Toxicity.
Varying amounts deposit in tissues of the brain, cardiac muscle, kidney, skin and other organs. Gadolinium toxicity depends on the dose administered, type of contrast used and number of procedures done. The more MRI’s with contrast that are done in one’s lifetime, the more likely it is stored indefinitely causing symptoms.
Gadolinium is similar to calcium and may remove and replace calcium in the bone, teeth and muscles. This may contribute to osteoporosis, loss of healthy teeth and decreased muscle contraction. Decreased muscle contraction can lead to muscle atrophy, flaccid muscles and possibly Sarcopenia. Gadolinium can disrupt cardiac function by interrupting calcium channels of the heart. It may prevent messages within the nerves causing nerve damage. It can also impact blood clotting and even mitochondrial function causing great fatigue.
The research states that symptoms may emerge weeks, months or even years later. Most people are not considering new symptoms being caused by an MRI they had in the past. Every MRI with contrast increases potential accumulation of heavy metals leading to more symptoms with greater severity down the road. Fortunately my patient recognized a reaction within days. It is reported that people with decreased kidney function are more likely to store gadolinium. My patient’s kidneys worked perfectly.
I’ve been told that there are large groups of people on Facebook and other platforms sharing their long-term effects from getting this contrast. Some people have filed lawsuits because of health issues that it caused.
The literature states that a small percentage of patients claim to have symptoms, but when there have been 450 million MRI’s done with contrast since 1988, even 1% translates to 4.5 million people potentially developing problems. I doubt it is that low.
Common Side Effects of Gadolinium
Altered taste
Dizziness
Fatigue
Headaches
Increased sweating
Injection site pain
Itching
Nausea
Oral discomfort
Pins and needles sensation
Rash
Restlessness
Shortness of breath
Toxicity symptoms include:
Brain fog
Burning or “pins and needles” sensations in the skin
Changes to the skin, such as thickening or discoloration
Difficulty breathing
Flu-like symptoms
Headache
Metallic taste
Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
Pain in the bones or joints
Vision or hearing changes
You can see how serious and prevalent using contrast can be. Heavy metals are not easy to remove from the body and I suspect that many chronic conditions of today are related to toxicity preventing healthy normal function. Try to discuss these concerns with your doctor if an MRI is recommended for you or your loved one. I have included several links to help you educate yourself before agreeing to using contrast with your next MRI. Cleaning this up as quickly as possible helps prevent damage but can be difficult to retroactively heal from. It may take time and patience or may never restore function if the damage is too severe. Prevention is best.
If you’re interested in reading more about this topic, here are a few links for you: lawsuits, side effects and warnings.
Dr. Julie Wilson 6009 N Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, IL. 60646 773-481-9988
http://drjuliewilson.com
Hi Doctor Julie, what do you recommend to treat this if symptomatic within weeks? I’ve read about Chelation but that it carries a lot of risk. Grateful for your feedback.