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Posted 6/21/2011 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi

Have any of you experienced reactions to the MRI contrast (gadolinium)?

I had an MRI yesterday (cervical spine) and after being given the injection had a full body heat and sweat flushing and tingling like I was going to pass out. (Also the cold in the arm I had been expecting). (this was not like the heat flush from a CT dye).
Before this I had been lying there feeling cold.

After I was out I was totally disoriented, upset and wobbly. Today I have a headache and feel exhausted. Also high pain level in my neck from lying on that flat surface. I have had tons of water to flush it out as I was instructed.

When I told the tech that I react to most things put into me I was told "oh you will be fine"

Bonnie
Posted 6/21/2011 7:09 PM (GMT 0)
I have had a reaction to the dye, flushing and redness on my face and chest, but it seemed to go away within an hour or so. Nothing as intense like you described though. I always have my MRIs done at the hospital just in case of anything worse. I guess just warning the dr ahead of time is all you can do.

Good luck in the future.
Posted 6/21/2011 7:54 PM (GMT 0)
Just as a little FYI the contrast used in MRI's is different than those used in CT scans. The CT scan contrast is iodine based. I am not sure what the MRI stuff is.

I have never had a problem with MRI contrasts before but I do with the CT stuff. I got hot, turn really, really red which doesn't go away for at least 24 hours and between 24 and 48 hours after having it done my skin will start peeling just as if I had a sunburn.

After I started having this reaction to CT contrast and I figured out it was indeed from it I talked it over with my doctor who advised me to start listing it as an allergy to the dye.

I think you should do the same with the MRI contrast. If in the future you would truly need another MRI with contrast and everyone knows you have problems with it they can load you up on benedryl or some other medications to at least minimize the reaction.
Posted 6/21/2011 8:02 PM (GMT 0)
Bonnie

Are you sure it was the contrast that caused you to have that reaction? As I have been having that reaction the last few times I have had MRI's in fact if you look at some of my post back during the first part of this year, I posted about having this type of reaction, and it scared me to death, I thought I was being cooked in the machine. To day I went up north to the Chicago subberbs and had two MRI's done one of my lower back, and then they took me out and injected dye into my right hip joint and then put me back into the MRI machine and done a MRI on my hip. This was a new machine much much more roomy and I thoroughly explained my apprehension about having another MRI and the problems I had previously had. They kept a close watch on me, and I was ready to squeeze the panic bulb just about the time the first MRI was finished. I was extremely hot, they took me out and gave me ice water, they were concerned because I was beet red, and hot as a fire cracker. They wanted me to come back on Friday to have the hip done, but I had to drive a hundred miles to get up there, and I did not want to have to drive that again, and not just that, but also I see the spinal surgeon and hip surgeon on Thursday up there and they needed the results of the MRI! Anyway I made it through the second one, but I was hot. Very Hot! They said that they have had problems with some patients that have a hard time regulating there body temperture, it seems  they also have problems over heating when getting an MRI. I have always had problems with that, and the older I get the worse it has become. Could that be the problem?????? Anyway,  I am just wondering if it is the contrast that did that to you, or the MRI its self? Mind you I have had many MRI's in the past and they never bothered me just in the last year or so I have had problems.  Could it be you are having a similar reaction?

 

I do wish you well!

 

 

White Beard

 

White Beard

Posted 6/21/2011 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
Bonnie,

I've had the exact same experiences that WhiteBeard explained w/ my last two MRI's.... but I also do have extreme body temperature regulation issues because of dysautonomia. 

WhiteBeard,


Glad to hear you made it through the MRI's today!  That's good news! 

--Tina

Posted 6/21/2011 8:32 PM (GMT 0)
That is a very good thought Whitebeard. Lord knows those MRI tubes are not well known for ventilation.

I have been told that some of the MRI machines have an adjustable fan control in which the technician can increase/decrease the air flow as needed. As far as I know they all have an off switch for the fan. Of course this is something that they never seem to bother telling people about and probably they don't think about much themselves since the fan is probably "on" and set at a "standard" speed most of the time.

I found this out the last time I had an MRI and when I was done I was hot and sweaty and the tech says "You should have mentioned you were getting hot in there. I could have turned up the fan".
Posted 6/21/2011 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the responses.
With a CT scan IV dye I had an anaphylactic reaction.

I don't think it was overheating in the MRI tube as I was cold until
the instant they started the injection.

The only other thing I thought it may be is the anxiety from knowing I might react.

How our bodies react to things is very strange!

Bonnie
Posted 6/22/2011 6:03 AM (GMT 0)
When I had mthe MRIs on my thoracic and lumbar spine a couple of months ago, I had the open MRI because I am claustrophobic. I got hot in the MRI machine as well even with it being the open MRI. I barely made it thru each of them. It was quite scary.

I would advise you to put the MRI contrast as an allergy because it could be worse next time if you are indeed allergic to it.

I wish you good luck in the future.

hugs
Loretta
Posted 6/22/2011 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
I used not to have a reaction to the dye, but acquired one after a second test. From my list of medication intolerances:

Gadolinium – throat pain, nausea, tremor, delayed itching; 2nd and 3rd times - Benadryl before → only mild itching

If I take a Benadryl tablet 1/2 hour before the injection and again after it I am OK, just have a little itching. Without it I would go to the ER for some supportive intervention. My reaction comes on just about when the test finishes.

I can't take Benadryl Liquid because of the added color, flavor and preservative, all w/ sulfite. Alavert would probably work well too. I like the melt-on-the-tongue one. It comes in flavors I tolerate.

I have been in several different MRI machines, get claustrophobia, controlled with keeping my eyes strictly shut. They have a fan blowing on me, so I don't FEEL enclosed as long as I don't look.

I ask to not have contrast unless it's really necessary because of the reaction, and usually it isn't!!!!!
Posted 12/24/2014 3:25 AM (GMT 0)
I had a reaction in the mri and had no dye contrast. I noticed when I started hearing the banging noises it makes is when I started feeling very hot inside my body and started getting nauseous. It was horrible feeling. When I got out, my face was flushed and didn't feel well.
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