Anyone experienced blood clots?

Question

I have healthy kidneys and only went in for an MRI to rule out a tumor on my pituitary because my testosterone was off. I was injected with Gadolinium dye and immediately had a swollen face around my eyes as well as: nausea, diarrhea, headaches, sweats, extremely exhausted, sensitivity to the touch, rash, shortness of breath, and heaviness in my chest. I called the imaging center and was told to drink water to flush out the Gadolinium. I was also told the only symptoms related to the Gadolinium was the nausea and headache. I was lead to believe it had to be something else so I thought I had caught the flu. This went on for 2 days until I finally blacked out because my system felt like it was shutting down. My wife called the imaging centers direct line that had been given to us if my symptoms became worse. The imaging center never called me back to help but instead called their "risk management" department. My wife took me to the ER and I was told I had multiple blood clots in both lungs. I was told a 30 minute delay to the hospital could have been life or death for me. I was in the hospital for 8 days, 3 of which were in the ICU. The FDA's website states that people do get blood clots from the Gadolinium but everyone has been claiming this is not true. My symptoms began immediately after the Gadolinium injection and have continued on since then. Today, about 5 months out, I continue to have random rashes popping up on my body that itch. I have lost the hair on the lower part of my calves. I have deep joint pain in my hips and rib cage. I am on blood thinner that I never needed before. An MRI now show there is something going on with my lymph nodes and further test need to be done. I think I have covered the majority of the issues I have experienced. I wish there was an easy to find website that people could tell their stories and find out how many more people there are like us. My symptoms were back to back and immediate following the Gadolinium. Since I almost died from blood clots, I began to wonder how many people may have actually died from blood clots and their stories never got out or they were dismissed as not being related to the Gadolinium.

Nickydo · Answer

I am so sorry this has happened to you and I appreciate your post because I am apprehensive myself.  I have a question for you.  Do you have any metal allergies?

KMathurMD · Answer

Hi! 
I am sorry, but yes, blood clot formation is a serious side effect of Gadolinium dye, though not a rare one. The dye can also affect renal and liver function. You can follow this up with your doctor. Take care!

The medical advice given should not be considered a substitute for medical care provided by a doctor who can examine you. The advice may not be completely correct for you as the doctor cannot examine you and does not know your complete medical history. Hence this reply to your post should only be considered as a guiding line and you must consult your doctor at the earliest for your medical problem.