Gadolinium Contrast Agent

[Out-Of-Phase]

I have to have an MRI scan for the prostrate gland next week. My prostate is enlarged.

I have been reading horror stories from people who have been injected with Gadolinium contrast dye and still have symptoms years later.

Has anyone ever been injected with this stuff for an MRI scan? If you have, what are your experiences with it.

 

[Swerd]

Yes, I’ve had it every time I’ve had an. MRI. My first was in 2019 also to look for prostate cancer. It identified my case and in about a year I had it removed. Five years later, and still no more prostate cancer .

Nearly a year ago I was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. A head MRI in Nov 2023 found 4 spots of metastatic lung cancer in my brain . I had more MRIs as follow up, in Feb, July and another in a few weeks. Those 4 spots have vanished . The drug I take works!

All those MRIs used that same contrast agent you will get. I never had problems with it. So don’t believe everything you read on the internet. They may be true, but they are not common.

Some people are allergic to the contrast dye, so radiologists do have experience when it’s not used. From my own experience, I think you should get it. Ask about that. You probably don’t know if you are allergic to it, but ask anyway.

MRI scanners are SLOW and VERY LOUD. My brain scans take about 45 minutes! Definitely wear good ear plugs. Look on Amazon for Mack’s brand. I have the basic compressible foam kind. You will thank me later.

The scanner’s tunnel is close to you. I can’t remember during my prostate scan if my face was inside that tunnel, but it was inside it for brain scans. If you get antsy in close spaces, bring a sleep mask and wear it. Look on Amazon. I find I stay relaxed during those long & loud MRIs if wear ear plugs & a sleep mask. Again, you can thank me later.

Good luck! And let us know the results. Both I and others like TLS Guy have gone through prostate cancer, with success. I had surgery, he had proton radiation, and we’re both still here.

 

[Swerd]

I just thought of another good reason to get the contrast agent. It generates better diagnostic images.

In my case the radiologist was sure I had prostate cancer. But biopsy samples were needed to correctly stage the tumor … was it slow or was it aggressive? Need to know that to chose a suitable treatment.

Those biopsies are guided as they’re done by ultrasound imaging. The MRI image data can be overlaid on the ultrasound screen, showing the urologist exactly where to go. It’s worth it to have the best possible MRI image to work with.

 

[TLS Guy]

I have to have an MRI scan for the prostrate gland next week. My prostate is enlarged.

I have been reading horror stories from people who have been injected with Gadolinium contrast dye and still have symptoms years later.

Has anyone ever been injected with this stuff for an MRI scan? If you have, what are your experiences with it.

An MRI scan with gadolinium contrast found my prostate cancer.

MRIs use an intense magnetic field to produce those images. A toxic metal gadolinium is used to enhance the images. Gadolinium is a toxic metal. It is very slowly eliminated from the body. So the gadolinium is bound to a chelating agent, which causes the metal with its chelating agent to be eliminated from the body via the kidneys.
I think there is consensus to avoid gadolinium in patients with impaired renal function, because of impaired elimination of the chelated gadolinium.

It has been observed that not all gadolinium is excreted and MRI exams on patients who have had multiple MRI with magnetic contrast have shown persistence of some gadolinium in the brain.

This is an evolving story, but I think consensus is developing that the contrast be used when necessary, but to try and avoid receiving more than five exposures to the contrast.

However many patients needing MRI have, and are being followed for lethal diseases, especially cancer. In that case optimal treatment of the disease outweighs the risk of contrast toxicity.

There really are only tow ways of imaging the prostate, ultrasound and MRI with contrast. MRI is the better imaging modality.

The bottom line is that if you have a PSA above normal with a rising trend then you need an MRI with contrast.