My first exposure to a Gadolinium-based Contrast Agent or GBCA took place in mid-2000.  Of course, at that time I had no idea what they were injecting into me.  All I knew was my doctor wanted me to have a brain MRI with contrast.  Thankfully nothing abnormal was found, but in retrospect, I believe some of my symptoms that I thought were related to spine problems may have been caused by retained Gadolinium.  From 2000 on, I began to experience periodic intense pain on the left-side of my head.  In 2001, I developed a small section of hyperpigmented skin on the front of my neck that ran from just below the incision line for my first two anterior cervical fusions down to the base of my neck – it was centered directly over my thyroid gland.

It would be 8 more years before I had another MRI with contrast.  In 2008, I had my 2nd and 3rd dose of a GBCA.  My head pain intensified and started to happen more frequently after my second brain MRI with contrast.

By October of 2009, the pain on the left-side of my head, especially toward the top, became extremely intense and it lasted longer.  My doctor ordered a brain MRA without contrast.  Soon after the MRA unexplained things began to happen.  (more…)