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Yes, and those MRI follow ups may actually be making things worse...

One of the biggest radiological concerns in recent years is the safety of GBCAs used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As a study showed that gadolinium deposited in the brain and remained there, radiologists began to question the safety of gadolinium 2 . Results showed that the high signal intensity in patients’ brains is correlated with the number of GBCAs administrated. The new findings have sparked a major debate in radiology about the safety of these agents. For all GBCAs of MRI, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates a new class warning and additional safety precautions in terms of gadolinium staying in the patients’ bodies, including the brain, for months to years after taking these medications 3 .

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9574993

But there is growing evidence that tiny particles of gadolinium remain in the body – including the brain – causing serious side effects in some people, says kidney researcher Brent Wagner, MD, an associate professor in The University of New Mexico Department of Internal Medicine.

“We’ve come to the conclusion if a living organism gets this stuff there’s a chance that these weird particles can form, and my suspicion is this is what triggers this reaction,” says Wagner, who also serves as a staff physician at the Raymond G. Murphy Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Albuquerque. “It’s probably distributing everywhere in the body once someone gets it.”

Reports first started emerging about 15 years ago that some patients who had received the gadolinium contrast agent were experiencing a painful, debilitating skin condition called systemic fibrosis, which causes skin thickening and tightening in the joints and extremities, as well as internal organ damage.

At first, it was assumed that the reaction only occurred in patients with pre-existing kidney disease, but it later became clear that it also occurs in people with healthy kidneys, Wagner says.

“The kidneys themselves are not the problem,” he says. “There is long-term retention of gadolinium – a known toxic metal – regardless of the brand and irrespective of kidney function. There are thousands of members of social media groups focused on the chronic adverse effects of gadolinium-based contrast agents.”

Now, Wagner leads a team of researchers exploring how gadolinium triggers the systemic reaction in some patients.

https://hsc.unm.edu/news/2022/02/doctor-researches-toxic-side-effects-rare-earth-metals-mri.html

Gadolinium offers extra insight into our body’s condition. But, is it safe?

Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) were safely delivered to millions of patients throughout the world since 1988, and their usage has definitely benefitted many individuals by allowing doctors to detect neurological disorders earlier and more accurately. GBCAs frequently have minor side effects. Injection-site discomfort, nausea, itching, rash, headaches, and dizziness are the most prevalent adverse effects. Patients with significant renal issues are more likely to experience serious, but uncommon side effects, including gadolinium poisoning and nephrogenic systemic fibrosis 1 .

One of the biggest radiological concerns in recent years is the safety of GBCAs used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). As a study showed that gadolinium deposited in the brain and remained there, radiologists began to question the safety of gadolinium 2 . Results showed that the high signal intensity in patients’ brains is correlated with the number of GBCAs administrated. The new findings have sparked a major debate in radiology about the safety of these agents. For all GBCAs of MRI, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates a new class warning and additional safety precautions in terms of gadolinium staying in the patients’ bodies, including the brain, for months to years after taking these medications 3 .

It is known that patients with renal insufficiency cannot filter the gadolinium from their body, so it is included as a FDA warning label on the contrast packaging. However, there was less evidence showing patient safety issues in those with normal renal function. Boxed warnings are also mentioned for recognized hypersensitivity relationships that can arise in individuals, especially in those with allergic diseases. Using GBCA in MRI has been questioned in recent years as evidence has emerged linking gadolinium to nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) and gadolinium deposition. Although most gadolinium is removed by urine after an MRI scan, a minimal amount stays and can accumulate over time, according to research published in 2017. This is an important concern for people who need to have MRI scans on a frequent basis 1 . Linear and macrocyclic agents are the two types of GBCAs depending on their chemical forms. Several studies indicated that the linear agents remain more in the brain than macrocyclic agents. However, new research has revealed that all treatments, including macrocyclic, leave some gadolinium in the brain. While gadolinium accumulation in the brain has been the focus of attention in recent years, the authors claimed that, in animal tests, 100 times more gadolinium was found to be retained in the skin and bones than in the brain 4 . The patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) should have brain MRIs both during relapse and remission (every few months) to assess disease activity. In the individuals with MS, the dentate nucleus (DN) T1 hyperintensity was detected 5 .

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9574993