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Need MRI for diagnosis but allergic to gadolinium

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LakeErie:
There are pre-procedure steps you can take. I have an allergy to the dye used for some CT scans I need regularly and the ordering doctor's staff sends Rx to my pharmacy for prednisone and benadryl to be taken hours apart starting the night before the scans. I have never had another allergic reaction to the dye since taking the precaution.
Hope same is true for you.

farmgirl:
Hi,

Arizonajack thanks for the info. You too ppear214! 

I want to talk about these details before going in for the MRI but I can't get my doctor on the phone.  How do you folks manage the gatekeepers?  Should I just schedule another appointment to talk about the gad issue with my otologist?  or Once I have insurance approval for the MRI should I show up at the hospital and ask to talk to the radiologist?

best,
farmgirl

farmgirl:
Hi LakeErie,

This was very helpful.  I just left a message on otologist's scheduler's voice mail basically repeating what you wrote.  I'm feeling like an empowered patient already!

Thanks,
farmgirl

PaulW:
Newer MRI machines can clearly see the tumour without gadolinium dyes. However they will not be able to determine what sort of tumour it is with out the dye. Quite a few people get the rash, and sometimes they get the dye again. So talk to the diagnostic centre and doctors.
They do not need images with the dye to perform radiation. They can do the planning with out it.
Without the dye the images will not be as accurate, but by adding a safety margin in the radiation planning they can get around this problem very easily. You should get scanned in a 3 Tesla machine or above, to get the best images, and to reduce the need for the dye. Most larger cities would have a 3T MRI machine

farmgirl:
Hi PaulW!

Thanks for this information!  Did you come by your knowledge of this topic from personal experience or are you just medically astute?

I'm not sure but I think I may be going into a 3T machine...I told the scheduler of the importance of accuracy since I'm not getting gad.  I also told her I'm claustrophobic and need to be sedated.  So she scheduled me for a machine with the more powerful magnet and said it is slightly less confining than their other machine.  Could this be a 3T?
I really hope they get a good reading.  The loud low hum of the tinnitus and the asymmetrical hearing loss is driving me nuts.  I can't wait to know what's going on - even if it is hard news.

Again, thanks for your thoughtful and informative answer,

farmgirl

ps:  could I read about your AN story here on the site?  I'd like to know where you were treated 

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