How to Detox After MRI Scans
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How to Detox After MRI Scans
In the US alone, doctors prescribe MRI scans for 30 million people annually. There can be a problem with this though when a contrast dye to improve the visibility of those structures inside you is used. Gadolinium is the contrast agent that is generally used and it is toxic to the human body. In this article I will share with you why gadolinium is used, the problems that can be associated with it, and the how to detox after MRI scans.
Why MRI Scans Are Utilized
MRI scans take detailed images of the soft tissue composition of a patient’s body – like the liver, kidneys, heart, muscles, tendons, blood vessels and brain – structures that cannot be clearly seen with an x-ray. MRIs are quite useful to the doctor to help determine a number of issues in the human body.
Breast cancer patients are often referred for an MRI to help an oncologist see whether there has been any spread of the disease from the breast to the rest of the body.
MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. MRIs work by using a large magnet, radio waves and a computer to cause hydrogen atoms inside the body to emit radio signals that are then used to create fairly detailed whole-body images of the structures inside you.
X-rays employ high-energy ionizing radiation to create the images you see on x-ray films (termed radiographs).
Gadolinium as a Contrast Agent
Doctors often order, in about one third of cases, an MRI with contrast, and the contrast normally used is gadolinium. Gadolinium is a rare earth heavy metal, one of 15 metallic chemical elements at the bottom of the periodic table.
When injected into the body, either intravenously or into the spinal column, gadolinium enhances the signal emitted by the body’s hydrogen atoms during the MRI scan. This allows doctors to see much better what they are trying to see inside the body.
Gadolinium Toxicity
As I mentioned, gadolinium is toxic to the body, pure and simple. Although gadolinium is combined with other substances that strongly bind with the metal to prevent it from staying in the body and to reduce its toxicity, and despite our kidneys doing their very best to flush it out of the system, a growing number of MRI patients have reported problems. Not everyone, certainly, but the number who have reported health issues is worrisome.
Europe is ahead of the USA with regard to gadolinium. In July 2017 the European Medicines Agency recommended discontinuation of the use of over half of the gadolinium-based contrast agents that were then currently approved for clinical applications.[1]
Emerging research has shown that gadolinium can persist in the body for years, especially in those people who have impaired detox pathways, high oxalate levels, impaired kidney or liver function.
Symptoms of Gadolinium Toxicity
Some patients have reported feeling – within days and sometimes even hours after an MRI -unusual body aches, joint pain or contracture, skin problems (sometimes severe), cognitive impairment, loss of memory, rib pain, skin pain, pins and needles in the fingers, headaches, and chronic fatigue, among many other symptoms.
Some patients have also reported long-term chronic side effects such as kidney damage – so much so that they were on dialysis for kidney failure. Some studies have reported finding gadolinium deposits in the brains of MRI patients.
Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is the most widely known and severe manifestation of gadolinium toxicity. It causes fibrosis in skin, joints and internal organs, primarily affecting those patients who have severe kidney problems. A 2024 multi-departmental study done at the School of Medicine, University of New Mexico [2] stated categorically “Systemic fibrosis is strongly associated with magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents.” They went on to name names of particular contrast agent brands, which you can read in the study at [2].
In the past, gadolinium toxicity was not an established or accepted medical condition, so there was no established, accepted medical treatment for it.
That is changing, but not fast enough. A 2024 article [3] from the Office of Research and Development in the US Department of Veteran Affairs titled “Metal in MRI contrast agents may cause serious health problems” raised the awareness of problems arising after gadolinium exposure.
A 2025 study [4] referred to Gadolinium Deposition Disease (GDD), the first time I’ve seen that term being used. So there is increased awareness around this problem and hopefully better and safer contrast agents will be identified.
I do know of and have clients who have undergone MRIs with the gadolinium contrast who have sustained injuries from it.
I went into research mode to see what I could find about good ways to detox from gadolinium and, indeed, whether it is even possible. It appears that it is, but it will not be easy or cheap.
Treatments Proposed for Gadolinium Toxicity (GdT)
There are no government approved treatments for GdT. The treatments you will find will be administered by naturopaths, holistic doctors, chiropractors and integrative doctors. These are the treatments I found that had the best results from these types of doctors.
Prior to Having an MRI
There are things you can do PRIOR to hav the MRI with contrast that will help to reduce the chances of GdT:
1. 2025 research [5] found that elevated oxalate levels before exposure to gadolinium may increase its toxicity. Oxalic acid, a common molecule in the body and in certain foods, binds with gadolinium to create tiny highly reactive nanoparticles. These reactive nanoparticles can then easily infiltrate human cells and organs and can contribute to tissue retention of gadolinium and inflammation. So avoiding foods high in oxalates for at least a week prior and subsequent to having an MRI with contrast makes good sense. This includes spinach, beets, almonds, soy foods, rhubarb, buckwheat, potatoes, raspberries, dates and (alas) dark chocolate.
2. Support your detoxification pathways by using antioxidants like glutathione. Glutathione is readily available from most health food shops, iHerb, Amazon, and even via stick-on patches that you place on your body which promote your body’s own glutathione production (let me know if you want more information on the glutathione patches, this is one of my product lines).
3. For one week prior to the MRI with contrast, avoid vitamin C supplements. While vitamin C is a superb antioxidant, it is known to increase oxalate production in the body, which may worsen the retention of gadolinium.
4. Use zeolite clay. Zeolite is a natural mineral that has a negatively-charged structure which acts like a trap for heavy metals including gadolinium. One doctor recommends taking zeolite consistently around the time of exposure to help trap and safely eliminate the gadolinium through the gut. I recommend a product called ZeoCharge from zeolitelabs.com. You just mix one scoop in a glass of water and drink it down.
Chelation Therapy for Gadolinium Toxicity
Chelation therapy (chelate means to “latch onto”) is a process that involves intravenous administration of particular agents that bind to heavy metals in the body to form a more chemically stable compound that can then be safely excreted from the body. Most chelation is undertaken by holistic doctors, although some specialized MDs also offer it. Treatments are usually done between one and three times per week for a total of more than 20 sessions and it is not normally covered by insurance.
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is often utilized and specifically Calcium EDTA is the agent most often mentioned for chelation therapy for heavy metals.
I also read that dietheylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) has been used successfully.
Researchers at the University of California Berkeley reported in 2018 [1] that chelation therapy with an “orally available metal decorporation agent” known as 3,4,3-LI(1,2-HOPO) demonstrated “superior efficacy at chelating and removing Gd from the body”. This agent is not what is commonly used by naturopaths and other wellness doctors to chelate and remove Gd from the body, so this one may require some investigation to see who is using it.
It is important to know that chelating agents can also have adverse effects and cause deficiencies in essential minerals, so always work with a qualified doctor who is experienced with knowing which minerals may go out of balance and require supplementation.
Extracorporeal Blood Oxygenation and Ozonation, EBOO
Judy Seeger, a gifted naturopath with whom I often collaborate for my detox course, told me about EBOO recently when I asked her about gadolinium detoxing. In my investigation, I discovered that EBOO ozone therapy is one of the most advanced detoxification therapies available. Although it may not be for the faint-hearted.
It is a form of ozone therapy that treats large volumes of blood in a continuous loop outside the body, using two IV lines. One line takes the blood from the body and the other returns it and it’s connected to a closed-circuit system that infuses the blood with medical-grade ozone and oxygen. At the same time it is filtering out toxins and inflammation-causing substances.
I can imagine that a person would feel pretty fantastic after all of that.
EBOO is different from conventional IV ozone therapy, which only treats a small sample of blood at a time. EBOO processes several liters during a session which takes between 45 to 60 minutes. This allows for more comprehensive exposure to the ozone and oxygen and a deeper systemic effect.
Proponents of EBOO [6] tout it for its ability to act as a biological signaling molecule that can support detoxification (it actively removes heavy metals and mold biotoxins), improve mitochondrial function and energy production, modulate immune response by calming an overactive immune system or promoting an underactive immune system, enhance pathogen defense pathways, reduce systemic inflammation, activate antioxidant pathways to neutralize oxidative stress, and support better oxygen delivery to tissues and organs.
It sounds like it could be an amazing therapy for cancer as well with all of those benefits.
I hope you have found this article useful and interesting, and if you would like information on detoxing from other types of medical imaging, see my article: Radiation Protection For Medical Imaging Tests
References:
[1] Evaluating the potential of chelation therapy to prevent and treat gadolinium deposition from MRI contrast agents – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5849765/
[2] The safety of magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents – https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/toxicology/articles/10.3389/ftox.2024.1376587/full
[3] Article: https://www.research.va.gov/currents/1024-Metal-in-MRI-contrast-agents-may-cause-serious-health-problems.cfm
[4] Gadolinium toxicity: mechanisms, clinical manifestations, and nanoparticle role – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00204-025-04124-x#:~:text=Intriguingly%2C%20emerging%20data%20indicate%20that,2024).
[5] Precipitation of gadolinium from magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents may be the Brass tacks of toxicity – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40064247/
[6] Article: EBOO Ozone Therapy: What It Is, Who It’s For, and Why It Matters – https://extension.health/eboo-ozone-therapy/
About Marnie Clark
Hi I’m Marnie Clark, breast cancer survivor turned coach. I have 20 years of experience in natural medicine. In 2004/05 I battled breast cancer myself. You can see more about my journey on my page Breast Cancer Diary.
I’ve been healthy and recurrence-free since 2004 and in 2012 I became a Breast Cancer Coach because I became aware of the fact that whilst there is now a wealth of information on the Internet, much of it is confusing, conflicting, and sometimes just wrong!
So it is my duty to help you unconfuse and untangle all that information, and find what works for YOU.
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