What's wild is, I never realized (literally) until earlier this week when a coworker said "shellfish has iodine" why I broke out in hives and vomited after eating it.

Thankfully, the CTs I had did not contain contrast. I may never have made it to the MRI stage otherwise.

I agree Laura,
I would never have had a *good* MRI, if I couldn't have the GAD dye used for MRI's. It is different, shows more clearer images and if a lesion is active it will glow. As in a bright spot.
In case you wanted to know, just some odd facts FWIW.
The reason it glows is because when a lesion is active it is surrounded by fluid. The fluids rush to try to protect the nerve, as a blister protects a burned finger. This fluid is now inflammatory. Like the harmful, yet protective, fluid in an Arthritis knee.

Steroids reduce the fluid around the lesion, it can be seen on MRI after steroids, that the lesion is smaller. This may help it heal faster. Some think the fluid should not be reduced too quickly, as it protects and aids in healing. Others think it is injuring the nerve more when left alone. The jury is still out on that one.

It works just like a Steroid shot, Epidural, Caudal or Steroid Cocktail shot, to the neck, back, buttocks, shoulder or arm might do. It reduces fluid and inflammation to give the body part a chance to heal.

That's why I am glad MRI's use GAD dye and not shellfish Iodine, like CT scans do. You can have MRI's and CT's without dyes. A real good radioligist can read it the same.

Myelogram uses an okay dye too, which you can go right in to a CT Scan machine after it, and it works the same as CT dye or better.
Lady (rambling on again)

Hmmm...how long after beginning steroids does the inflammation get reduced at an active lesion site?
I began IVSM on 11/19, oral pred on 11/22, and had my new MRI on 11/26. Would my lesions have "dimmed" from the steroids by then? There were a couple of new lesions, but "very subtle" changes, according to the neuro. There was a questionable area in the cervical area of the spine that the radiologist felt was a new lesion, but the neuro felt that since I have a bulging disc in the area that the area wasn't a lesion but aggravation from the disc. The spine looked weird-like it had a knick in it; and somewhat cloudy. Hmmm....
Thanks for the added info...

Lady, good stuff. I'll have to ask my GP what they use in the MRIs here. She'd know. I am willing to bet it's the GAD contrast you mentioned. Definitely not iodine, or I think I would have reacted violently!

Hi Debbie,
Sorry I don't know the answer to that. I think it is very individual how steroids work. I have used oral ones, high and low dosages. I have used them for a longer amount of days at times also.

I have had IVSM for 10 days at 1000 mg a day with no oral taper, or 5 days of 1000 mg alternating the dose up and down for a few days to knock the crapola out of a bad relapse.

Sometimes I found the steroids helped right away, other times it took months. Sometimes they take their good old time and I see improvement 6 months down the road. At what point it takes away the inflammation, and how long it takes to help heal the lesion, is different from person to person and flare to flare.

I have been told that my MRI looked good at one point. I said great! The MS Specialist had said that was because you just had steroids within the last 6 months. What he meant I don't really know. If I asked him every question I wanted to ask Him I would be in the office a week. Maybe ask you doctor or radiologist when you see him/her.
Maybe someone else has that information.
Lady

Hi Laura,
I am pretty sure GAG (Gadolinium) is the only contrast media they use with MRI's. It is injected into the arm, after they take a few sequence pictures first, without the dye.

They really should wait at least 10 minutes before starting any more sequences to give the GAD a chance to get where it should be. Some don't do that. There is an MRI Protocol they should follow, some radiologists/doctors don't use the new protocol. It is specific for MS scanning.
Lady

Oh then GAG (odd name!). They did 45 min approx before sliding me out, injected the GAG, waited a bit and then imaged for another 20 min approx.