General Information on Omniscan
Omniscan is given before an MRI scan in order to diagnose problems in the patient’s brain, chest, spine, hip area or others body parts. Its generic name is Gadodiamide, and it belongs to the class of magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. It is a GBCA or gadolinium based contract agent.
The medicine is given to the patient in the form of an intravenous injection. It works by facilitating visualization of lesions having abnormal vascularity with the patient’s abdominal, thoracic, retroperitoneal space or pelvic cavities.
Side effects of Omniscan
Your doctor will not recommend you to buy Omniscan if you have a severe current infection, asthma, kidney problem, diabetes, high blood pressure or a history of seizures.
Using tobacco or alcohol with Omniscan may cause serious interactions to occur. Some types of food should also be avoided before and after receiving Omniscan injection. Discuss with your doctor about what foods you should eat and what to avoid.
In some cases, this medicine may lead to a serious condition known as NSF or nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. Symptoms of such condition include the following:
- itching or burning in skin
- dark or red patches on skin
- skin hardening, swelling or tightening
- joint stiffness
- deep pain in ribs or hip bone
- limited movements in legs and arms
- muscle weakness
Omniscan may also lead to a serious kind of allergic reaction termed as anaphylaxis. Symptoms of such an allergy include:
- dizziness
- lightheadedness
- cold and clammy skin
- skin rash
- itching and sweating
- swelling on face, throat and tongue
- difficulty breathing
- chest pain
Somer serious side effects associated with the drug include:
- stomach or abdominal pain
- unpleasant, unusual or bad taste in mouth
- belching
- full feeling or bloating
- changes in taste and vision
- buzzing or ringing in ears or hearing loss
- difficulty moving
- dry mouth and diarrhea, excessive gas or air in stomach
- difficulty moving
- muscle stiffness or pain, joint pain or swollen joints
- runy nose, stuffy nose, sneezing
Inform your doctor immediately if you develop any of the above mentioned symptoms. These may be signs of some serious underlying condition, and needs to be treated as soon as possible.
Dosage of Omniscan
Omniscan 0.2ml per kg of body weight is given to the patient, administered as bolus injection into the veins. The dosage of the medicine given to you also depends on the area to be scanned, size of the area and other medical conditions you are suffering from.
Only single injection is given before the MRI scan. It is not meant to be taken on a regular basis.
Drug Interactions of Omniscan
Before you buy Omniscan, inform your doctor about all the medicines you are taking at present, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, herbal preparations and nutritional supplements. Based on these, your doctor will be able to decide whether Omniscan is the right medicine for you or not, and what dosage should be given to you.
