MRI scan and iodine dye.....is it a problem for Hashi sufferers ?

[GonzalezGirl]

I’m hoping someone on here can advise. I’m booked in for an MRI scan as part of an investigation into a trapped nerve in my neck. It’s all a bit scary but as I live in France it’s also an unfamiliar process (not that I’ve done it before). From what I can see, they inject a dye into intravenously before the scan and the dye in French is called iode, which is iodine. I have Hashimotos and don’t take iodine in any form if I can help it as I understand from this forum it causes problems for an already struggling thyroid. Has anyone on here had an MRI scan and been filled with iodine dye and if so what were the effects? The questionnaire that I have to take with me asks if you are diabetic but doesn’t mention any form of thyroid condition - is this an oversight or is this one off dose of iodine not significant for those with Hashi / hypothyroidism ? I’m looking for any advise or experience of MRI’s as I’m pretty petrified partly because I hate confined spaces but also I don’t want to sort my neck at the expense of thyroid. Many thanks to anyone who replies.

[Simplyred57]

Hi , I have an MRI scan every year for a benign growth in my temple area it’s with contrast which I think is iodine and have never had a problem, but to be honest the last time I had one I wasn’t as clued up on these things so didn’t question it, I’m going to ask when I get my next appointment.

The scan is not too bad , and they do give you lots of advice to keep calm, I just imagine myself in a happy place ie on a tropical beach , and before you know it your all done , good luck I’m sure you will be fine and hopefully your neck will be sorted soon 🤞

[Learner1 in reply to Simplyred57]

MRI contrast is usually GADOLINIUM, which the US FDA has a black box warning on. I believe the European RMA has taken action against certain gadolinium products as well. Particularly with people who have had multiple MRIs with contrast, there have been serious cases of toxicity, which have greatly impacted quality of life.

medtruth.com/articles/news/...

I have had four recent MRIs and was able to ask if the contrast was really necessary, and found that they could get a perfectly good image useful for the needed medical purpose without the contrast, and so was able to skip this risk. So, at least I've skipped that gadolinium, and if it's really needed in the future, I would be able to say yes to it, without having the build up of gadolinium from 5 MRIs.

[wantie002 in reply to Learner1]

Thanks for the extra info. I didn't have a contrast jag in the end and they got the images they wanted. Ive also found out they dont use Gandolinium in France which is something of a relief if I find myself needing another one in the future.

[Learner1]

I have Hashimoto's and my iodine runs really low, so I supplement a little bit.

The biggest issue with being in an MRI machine is the noise. There is banging as the machine does its job. Generally, they offer a headset and music, so choosing a more lively genre of music to drown it out the banging is best. Otherwise, I just close my eyes and try to sleep in the machine. You might consider taking Benadryl to put you to sleep for the 20 minutes or so If you think it's a problem. But, usually you can see out of the machine a little bit.

I'm not sure what dye they would use, But I recently had iodine dye injected into my feet to look at my lymphatic system. The dye was a dark green, and it's taken 3 months to fade. It was pretty ghastly under my skin for the first month. The lymphatic system drains in the neck area, so perhaps it would dissipate faster than having to travel all the way from my feet to my neck, so that is a consideration, but you might ask how long it will stay in you.

Many of the contrast agents have a sweetener in them to make it more palatable to drink. Sometimes an IV can be used for contrast agents, and maybe they might use dextrose IV as a base, and maybe they could choose to use saline and someone who is diabetic or suggest extra insulin, but I'm just guessing.

Anyway, the purpose of an MRI or any other image is to investigate a potentially serious problem. So you have to balance any risks you perceive versus the benefit of finding and treating whatever problem they're looking for. In some cases, there is an alternative to whatever the test is - I had the iodine dye done because the contrast agent they wanted to use in a recent MRI involved injecting me with iron and I have hereditary iron overload, so they finally decided that the risks to me of the excess iron were too great, and they decided to do the iodine dye test with a different imaging technology instead.

However, sometimes the alternative might be a CT scan or a PET scan, both of which involve large amounts of radiation, so on MRI might be preferable. Or you could ask if there's some ultrasound that would help.

Best wishes...

[wantie002 in reply to Learner1]

You were so right ! In the end I just realised how fortunate I was having a non-invasive procedure that miraculously could look inside my body and provide the information necessary to get me on the road to recovery. Once you look at it like that, its a no-brainer and I found it much easier to control my anxieties. In the end it was quick, painless and not in the least frightening. Thanks for the reassurance.