Side Effects of Gadolinium

    /24-7PressRelease/ - June 01, 2007 - Gadolinium is a contrast agent used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other magnetic resonance tests. A contrast agent is a dye, which is injected into your body to enhance the images from the test. Gadolinium's worst side effect is the development of a debilitating, and sometimes deadly, disease called NSF/NFD (nephrogenic systemic fibrosis or nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy).

Potential side effects of NSF/NFD for all patients
Gadolinium poses grave danger for people with kidney disease, but it can also cause side effects ranging from minor to severe in patients with optimum renal function. Side effects that anyone using gadolinium may experience include:
· Mild headache
· Low blood pressure
· Lightheadedness
· Nausea
· Pain or burning at injection site

Gadolinium injection can cause irritation to vein resulting in:
· Skin problems
· Blood clots

An allergic reaction to gadolinium can cause minor to dangerous symptoms including:
· Skin conditions
· Hives
· Rashes
· Itching
· Sweating
· Swelling of the face
· Itching eyes
· Shortness of breath

Pregnant and nursing mothers
Women who are pregnant should avoid the use of gadolinium when at all possible. Gadolinium is passed along by breast milk for about 33 hours after injection. Women who are breastfeeding should express their breasts and refrain from breastfeeding for at least 36 to 48 hours after receiving gadolinium.

Kidney disease
Gadolinium's worst "side effect" is NSF/NFD. So far it has only been confirmed to cause NSF/NFD in people with impaired renal function, but there have been anecdotal reports of people with no known kidney problems developing NSF/NFD after gadolinium use. Patient with any level of kidney disease or impaired renal function should avoid the contrast agent when at all possible.

NSF/NFD is a progressive disease that has no cure and no consistently effective treatment. It is painful, extremely debilitating, and sometimes deadly. Symptoms can develop within days of using gadolinium, but can take up to 18 months to appear.

If you experience the symptoms of NSF/NFD within two years after using gadolinium, you should get tested immediately. The best hope for people with NSF/NFD is early detection and attempting to halt or slow the progress of the disease. Symptoms include:
· Tightening and swelling of the skin, usually in the extremities, sometimes in the trunk of the body
· Thickening of the skin around the joints, restricting movement
· Red patches on the skin
· Skin which feels "woody" with texture similar to that of an orange peel
· Burning, itching, and/or sharp pains in affected areas
· Calcification of soft tissues
· Symmetrical skin lesions, commonly on the ankles and thighs and between the wrists and upper arms
· Muscle weakness
· Deep bone pain in the hips and ribs
· Yellow plaques near the eyes
· Fluctuating hypertension preceding the appearance of skin legions

If you believe you have developed NSF, we strongly advise you to contact your physician for an examination that may involve a skin biopsy. If you are, in fact, diagnosed with NSF then you may want to talk with an NSF attorney in order to protect your legal rights.

The attorneys at Burg Simpson Eldredge Hersh and Jardine, P.C. have extensive experience with pharmaceutical injury litigation including Vioxx, Ortho Evra, ReNu and many others. Burg Simpson represents a number of NSF victims have already retained national experts in assist with the NSF litigation. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with NSF, please contact us now to schedule your free confidential consultation with Burg Simpson's experienced defective product attorneys.

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