I have had several MRIs with contrast over the past 3 years, since this started my kidney function has decreased, my blood pressure had gone up. At first they thought I had IGA nephropathy . I still have occult blood in the UA tests with a GRF that runs in the 50 s and my Creatinine is around 1.11. A recent Ua test now is showing 4-10 RBCs. My question is this, could the dye from the MRIs be causing some of these problems? If not, any suggestions of what i should be doing or seeing at this time? thank you
Hi, GFR of 50 to 60 is safe enough for MRI contrast exposure. As it is, the contrast used in MRI only rarely causes kidney damage. What it more commonly does is, damage the skeletal muscles, that too, when GFR is below 30. Yes, IGA Nephropathy is a possibility. Only Kidney Biopsy can conclusively prove it. Ask your Nephrologist if he/she feels whether the biopsy is required. You should be aiming at strict BP control, avoidance of painkillers and avoidance of alternative meds. Increase in proteins in urine and increase in serum creatinine are markers of a worsening disease and in some cases, need for change in treatment approach. Regards