Gadolinium Toxicity

By Dr Catriona Walsh
Gadolinium is a toxic heavy metal used in MRI contrast tests. Although it has been injected into millions of people, there are as yet no good quality trials to assess for toxicity in people with normal renal function. Concerns about gadolinium toxicity were first raised when a new, often fatal, chronic, untreatable, excruciatingly painful condition with no cure was described in patients in renal failure following the use of gadolinium contrast. Renal patients were identified to be at increased risk of this condition, called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis or NSF, because they were unable to eliminate the gadolinium contrasts in their urine. Gadolinium retention was recognized to result in mitochondrial damage, calcium channel blockade, high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, multi-organ failure, connective tissue destruction, increased risk of heart attack and other problems.

Since then it has been recognized that gadolinium contrast agents are also not completely eliminated in people with normal renal function. It accumulates in all tissues, including brain, liver, kidneys, heart, skin, joints, and especially bone. Many people with normal renal function have noticed a variety of complaints, affecting multiple systems and organs, following gadolinium contrast MRIs, but even more people have experienced these symptoms and more following gadolinium contrast, but have not linked their new symptoms, deterioration in their clinical status or new diagnosis to the toxic heavy metal they had been injected with, even when their symptoms get worse in a stepwise pattern following repeated MRIs. In addition many people have no immediate or acute symptoms, but may have developed common chronic diseases months or even years later. They do not know about how gadolinium is retained in tissues long term (best estimate at present is that a proportion of gadolinium is retained from each injection for the remainder of the patient’s life, although it can also be passed from women during pregnancy to their offspring, in the same way that other heavy metals like lead can). None of these people, where chronic gadolinium toxicity may or may not be a factor in their deteriorating health, report their potential gadolinium toxicity to the FDA, EMA or any other regulatory agency, and nor do their doctors. The thought simply never crosses their minds that something that they might have been exposed to years or even decades earlier could still be in their systems, or that free gadolinium could be released gradually from the contrast in their tissues to cause mischief. The only exceptions to this have been where patients have occasionally developed renal failure years after exposure to gadolinium, and subsequently been diagnosed with NSF. The inevitable result of this is a complete absence of reporting of chronic gadolinium toxicity, and a gross under-reporting of acute gadolinium toxicity. It should be obvious that these factors critically impair the ability of agencies to even identify gadolinium toxicity as a problem.

Problems that patients who develop toxicity symptoms following gadolinium exposure also describe include being dismissed by doctors when they bring up their concerns. So I’d also like to remind doctors that if a patient reports feeling unwell after any drug, including contrast agents, you do have a duty to report the reaction to the appropriate body (currently the EMA in the UK and Europe, and FDA in the USA), whether or not you agree the cause of the deterioration is the drug. It’s up to the reporting authority to determine the likelihood of a negative reaction, you don’t need to screen what you refer. Please also inform your patient that you are reporting the reaction.

Below are a selection of some of the commonest symptoms, but symptoms can be very vague, pervasive and affect all organs and tissues, since gadolinium can be transported to all tissues in both the blood and lymphatics. Chronic fatigue, menstrual problems, pains in other places, including headaches, peripheries, joints and muscles, gut symptoms, neuropsychiatric symptoms, weakness, dysautonomic symptoms, dental decay and tooth sensitivity and much more have been described.

There are now many support groups for people who believe that they are suffering from gadolinium toxicity, or who want to find out more about it. The Lighthouse Project for gadolinium toxicity is also an excellent resource.

For full disclosure I had a gadolinium contrast agent 2 years ago, which changed my life. I have been able to reduce many of my symptoms using supplements, other nutraceuticals, diet and lifestyle, so my quality of life has improved using what I’ve learned through my nutrition and lifestyle coaching training, and my medical background has really helped me with searching the medical literature for appropriate research, and things that can provide neuroprotection, hepatoprotection, mitochondrial support, support of elimination pathways, and are likely to help reduce your overall toxic load. But I cannot say that I am cured of this.

Have you had symptoms following a gadolinium contrast injection? Do you know anyone who has? Are you concerned that you have been told you require a gadolinium contrast agent, but are worried that you haven’t received all the information on it?