A natural occurrence of metal that is abundant in streams, oceans, dirt and the Earth's crust, Gadolinium is extracted by mineral mining companies for industrial purposes.
When successfully separated from monazite and bastnasite, gadolinium is used to make products including magnets, refractories, colored television sets, contrast agents and CDs.
Oddly enough, while gadolinium is helpful in a providing a better picture, in MRI, of the internal body processes and activities, it causes major health issues in individuals who were previously deemed healthy. It is the presence of the gadolinium contrast agent in combination with magnetic resonance imaging or MRI that seems to cause the problem.
During the radiographic process, the metal is spread throughout the body, being absorbed into several areas on a cellular level. It then provides the medical professionals with a readable picture, which has a high contrast as compared to a picture from the device completed without any contrast agent.
The choice of gadolinium as the contrast agents provided the foundation for MRI lawsuits. The problem is simple. While gadolinium is useful in diagnosing problems and diseases within the body, but, it also causes dangerous health problems, some of which are fatal.
Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis or NSF is a disease known whose symptoms are hardened skin, unexplained skin lesions, dark patches on the skin, fibrosis of thigh muscles or abdomen, fibrosis of lungs, fibrosis of the diaphragm and fibrous nodes and plaques on the skin.
Over time, those symptoms continually worsen, affecting the performance of the individuals. Hardened skin and muscles necessitates limited movement. One case was of a woman, after contracting NSF, was confined to a wheelchair, since she was unable to walk.
Fibrosis in the lungs and diaphragm will lead to death, if left untreated. As the fibers accumulate in the lungs, the individual's capacity to breathe diminishes.
Even when the lungs are healthy, it can make breathing impossible as the diaphragm becomes hard and immobile from fibers. To date, there is no cure for this devastating malady. Victims can fall seriously ill after receiving one injection of MRI contrast dye.In contrast, many patients did not yield to fibrosis unless they were previously diagnosed with kidney disorders. This disorder prevented normal kidney function, which diminished the body's immune system to fight off the effects of gadolinium.
Because there is no cure, a person who suffers from gadolinium side effects should submit himself to regular dialysis to remove the accumulation of toxic substances from the blood.
Patients who have chosen to stop dialysis and who are vulnerable to the malady are very quick in developing MRI contrast side effects in some parts of the lungs, kidneys and muscles.
It is important to remind people, however, that NSF does not cause death. However, NSF does weaken the body making the person susceptible to falls and suffocation.
If you have experienced any of the above symptoms, have kidney problems, had recently radiography work done or had gadolinium MRI, it is recommended that you inform your physician about it. Failure to do so may lead to pain, disabilities and even death.
Gadolinium can be commonly found in chemicals such as Bracco's MultiHance and ProHance, Bayer Healthcare's Magnevist, Mallinckrodt's OptiMARK and GE Healthcare's Omniscan.
After an NSF diagnosis from your physician, you may be eligible to file your own gadolinium lawsuit against the maker of the drug that made you ill. You can also join a pending and progressing lawsuit.