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Gadolinium
The pharmaceutical companies knew about the life-threatening side effects as early as April 2006. After accumulating numerous reports of NSF/NFD in patients, the United States Food & Drug Administrations (FDA) issued public health advisories in June and December 2006. In May 2007 the FDA required the manufacturers of the five gadolinium based contrast agents used in MRIs to include a black box warning in May 2007 for the labels of all gadolinium dyes. The following gadolinium-based agents are implicated by the warning:
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) or Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermotherapy (NFD), or if you are experiencing side effects related to Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF) or Nephrogenic Fibrosing Dermotherapy (NFD), and are concerned that it may be related to a gadolinium agent you may contact us for a legal consultation. To submit an inquiry, click here. |
Gadolinium is the active ingredient in several brands of contrast dyes injected into the bloodstream to enhance MRI and MRA images. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is a diagnostic test used to obtain images of internal organs and tissue through the use of powerful magnets and radio waves. An MRA (Magnetic Resonance Angiography) is used to take a detailed picture of a patient's blood vessels. Sometimes in MRIs and always in MRAs, a contrast dye is injected into the body to help detect abnormal tissue. In April of 2006, reports began to surface that certain patients using gadolinium dyes were developing nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), previously known as nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD).Gadolinium can cause nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with kidney problems. NSF is a debilitating, potentially fatal disease for which there is no known cure. NSF/NFD leads to thickened, rough and/or hard skin, which can sometimes lead to limbs becoming difficult or even impossible to move. Other signs of NSF/NFD also include: