When is dye used in a MRI and what are the side effects or precautions to take?

Unless the doctor found it necessary to use the dye, avoid it. No need to put anything extra into your system.

I had it once. I understand that it makes the MRI more “3D.” The dye is made from shellfish.

@jca Good to know. I don’t think I’m allergic to any shellfish that I know of.

@Adirondackwannabe: Right. They ask you specifically before you have the MRI with contrast if you are allergic to shellfish.

I recently had one of each. No special precautions, but they already knew I lacked a shellfish allergy.

My father had a really bad reaction to the dye, most likely an allergic reaction. His heart started to race and his throat started to close up. Be aware that this is a possibility. He is not allergic to shellfish.

… No one asked me if I was allergic to shellfish when I had mine. That’s… awesome… :-/

It was explained to me that the dye is typically used when they really need a very precise image. Think of it as acting like a highlighter for whatever potential issues you might be having. In some cases, certain things are more likely to show up if you use the dye.

It’s Gadolinium. Obviously not the pure metal but a basically inert molecule with a Gadolinium atom stuck in it somewhere. It’s possible to have an allergic reaction to it but it’s very rare (less than 1 in 10,000) and generally considered much safer than the contrast medium they use for X-rays and ct scans.

Had the MRI with the dye yesterday. No issues other than the machine was loud. That’s a pain laying still for that long.

I’m glad you made it through okay :)