An Editorial – On April 8, 2015, I received the results from testing of my thyroid tissue for gadolinium.  As I expected, gadolinium (Gd) was found.  I do not know if the results will ever be published anywhere, but I felt that it was important that I share this information with other affected patients, as well as with any physicians and researchers who might visit our website.

Due to personal concerns, I won’t share the amount of gadolinium found in my tissue here.  However, the published researcher who did the testing said, “The concentration of Gd in the tissue is significantly elevated relative to normal ‘background’ tissues”.  “Based on the simultaneous analysis of other rare earth elements, it is clear that this does reflect Gd from a unique Gd-rich source consistent with Gd-based contrast agents.”  Part of my thyroid gland was removed in June of 2014 – 51 months after my 5^th dose of a gadolinium-based contrast agent.

At the time of all my MRIs, I had what many refer to as “normal” renal function, meaning an eGFR greater than 60.  I have had 5 MRIs with one of the linear gadolinium-based contrast agents or GBCAs.  I have never been diagnosed with cancer, a brain tumor, or brain lesion.  Based on what patients like me have been told, I should not have retained gadolinium from the contrast agent, but I did.

In retrospect, I now believe many of the symptoms I was experiencing prior to my last dose of contrast were caused by retained gadolinium from my previous MRIs.  Because I have had three cervical spine surgeries, I assumed my unexplained symptoms were being caused by problems with my spine.  That was not the case.

I won’t go into all of my current symptoms now; however, I believe the odds are very high that they are being caused by the toxic effects of retained gadolinium.  I know for a fact that I am not the only patient with normal kidney function that has retained gadolinium and been adversely affected by it, and unless something is done, I will not be the last.

Gadolinium ions are toxic and no one would allow them to be injected directly into the human body.  That is why the gadolinium ion must first be chelated or bound to a ligand before it can be used as a contrast agent.  It is fairly obvious from the recently published literature that at least some of the gadolinium-based contrast agents do not work exactly as many thought they did.  However, for some reason, those agents are still being injected into unsuspecting patients on a daily basis around the world – that has to stop.  Patients should not be put at unnecessary risk while researchers are trying to figure out what went wrong with one group of gadolinium-based contrast agents.  Whether or not all GBCAs are unsafe remains to be seen.

I do not know what the future holds for me or the other patients like me, but as long as I am able, I plan to keep doing all that I can to get the problem of gadolinium retention and the ensuing symptoms of Gadolinium Toxicity resolved.  That includes seeing that affected patients are properly diagnosed and treated.

For more information about Gadolinium and Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents see Background on Gadolinium and Background on GBCAs in the Background section of our website.

I can be contacted via email at Sharon@GadoliniumToxicity.com

Sharon Williams