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Chuck Norris has some really terrible politics. I’ll get that out of the way first as it’s all I’ve heard about him lately. He endorsed Trump ahead of last year’s elections and wrote an op-ed with some really ridiculous and alarmist claims about a potential Hillary presidency. He wrote that “I truly believe that the people who have a negative view of Trump will be pleasantly surprised when he becomes the leader of our country.” We’re pleasantly surprised that the Democrats swept the elections and that’s about it. We’re not surprised that Trump is an unhinged abusive lunatic who could easily plunge us into nuclear war and take away our meager safety nets as that’s been evident for some time. While I would normally be content to ignore Chuck Norris, I saw this story about his wife’s health issues and wanted to talk about it. Norris has taken a leave from acting to have more time to spend with his ailing wife, Gena, whom he claims was damaged by contrast dye used in an MRI procedure. According to Norris the injection given to his wife caused her current health problems including nerve pain and kidney problems. Here’s what he told Good Health Magazine [via Hello!]:
Chuck Norris has opened up about his wife, Gena Norris’, illness, which they believe was caused by a MRI scan. The 54-year-old has suffered from nerve pain and kidney problems, and the pair have opened up about how they believe she was made ill by an injection she was given before the scan. Speaking about her first reaction after receiving the injection back in 2013, Gena said: “Within hours after the first jab I felt like my whole body was on fire — as if acid had been passed through it. The burning was isolated at first, but it just kept spreading… I just lay in bed on an IV for five months and had to have round-the-clock nursing care. Chuck slept beside me on the couch and never left. I prayed that I would live to raise my children.”
Speaking to Good Health about his wife, Chuck revealed that he has given up everything to care for his wife. “I’ve given up my film career to concentrate on Gena, my whole life right now is about keeping her alive,” he explained. “I believe this issue is so important.” According to the couple, they have spent around $2 million on treating her illness. Gena said: “It’s infuriating and heartbreaking — it’s a vicious, ugly secret that has been kept hidden — something Chuck and I are determined to change.”
Gena, who shares two daughters with Chuck, is now receiving stem cell therapy, and the pair have filed a lawsuit against the drug companies who were responsible for Gena’s reaction to gadolinium, the metal used in the contrast agent in the injection, purporting that she had been poisoned. According to the Daily Mail, gadolinium contrast agents are thought to be used in a third of MRI scans worldwide.
That just sounds awful. I was ready to question whether Gena’s symptoms could all be due to this, but studies have shown that MRI contrast dyes, also called gadolinium-based contrast agents, can accumulate in the brains of patients long term and can also cause renal problems like Gena is experiencing. In fact the FDA is evaluating them for this reason and is asking health care professionals and patients to report side effects. Plus people can have allergic reactions to these injections. (Note that these are not the same contrast agents used for CT scans, those are iodine-based and are different.) I would be interested to learn more about Gena’s condition prior to this. Whatever happened, it’s good of Norris to care for her and to be an advocate for her. He’s still a total piece of sh-t otherwise but he does love his wife.
Photos credit: Getty
My clients son passed away from complications from this dye. When they turned on the mri it microwaved him essentially. They won a lawsuit over it, not big enough in my opinion.
Ok, stop with all of these fear-mongering. Speaking as a professional in this field, MRI contrast is significantly safer for patients than CT contrast dye because it is more inert than the CT contrast dye. This contrast dye has been in use for approximately three decades with very little adverse reactions. Are there patients who have adverse reactions? Of course. Chuck Norris’s wife might very well be one. The symptoms do sounds plausible. The dye is processed out through the urinary system, but that’s why patients are frequently required to have their creatinine levels checked before the decision is made to use the dye during the procedure – to make sure their body is capable of processing the compound. Also, most of the reactions are mild, like itchy skin, and most show up within an hour or so. That’s why you’re required to stay and be monitored after your procedures if you had contrast dye.
As for Melody Calder, your client’s son might very well have passed away from complications. But the MRI did not “microwave” him. Microwave, like x-rays used in CT scans and such, are what’s called ionizing radiation. MRIs do not use ionizing radiation at all at any point in the process, so however the young man died, he was not “microwaved.”
Please don’t stoke hysteria where it’s not due. MRIs are generally speaking a safe and commonly used procedure that provides very necessary and possibly life saving diagnostic information. There are of course risks, as with anything in medicine nowadays. But doctors DO consider the risk/benefit analysis of your situation before prescribing anything. So stop with this fear mongering on the internet with people who don’t have the specific training in the matter and discuss any concerns you might have with your health provider? I assure you, you will get much better information that way.
I don’t think this post is stoking hysteria, nor the comment… its stating the truth of what happened when the dye was used ( a bad reaction).
If someone wants to be worried about it— its their right.
As some people point out, we aren’t usually made all too aware of the risks associated with today’s concoctions.
Nobody needs a special training in this.
have very little faith in medical professionals. my mom was severely allergic to MRI contrast. While she died from something else, she spent years battling a disease that mimicked celiac disease, but doesn’t have a name. Diagnostic Medical professionals tried to help her but couldn’t. Ultimately her body shut down.
point is that people are different, just because you may have not experienced something, doesn’t make it untrue or fear mongering.
that is the mentality of some arrogant doctors and generic medical staff members. Now those detached types make me side eye so them.
@Anne, being familiar with it myself, I second most everything you say; it is statistically extremely safe (unless somebody brings a metal pen into scanner room 🙂 ), but while it can’t “microwave” people the RF can cause heating in a few scenarios: tattoos heavy in black (iron based) ink can cause heating through induced currents. And when the safety protocols are relaxed (in research mode, not clinical mode) it is possible to pump too much RF into the bed and cause heating that way. Nothing deadly mind you.
As a physician who orders MRIs on occasion, I completely agree. I have also had an MRI/MRA with contrast of my brain so I also have personal experience.
Stop with the hysteria.
“As some people point out, we aren’t usually made all too aware of the risks associated with today’s concoctions. Nobody needs a special training in this.”
Except, compared to before, we’re made MUCH more aware of the risks – and there are much stronger protocols and safety testing than there ever used to be. And I mean – to make an INFORMED, educated comment on the subject, you probable should have some training.
To a lot of people I can see why it’s no big deal when people share incorrect health information. And when it’s ‘regular’ people sharing the information (not people profiting from it) I can say that their intentions are most often good. Unfortunately, good intentions can cause problems. I have a sibling with autism. You wouldn’t believe how hurtful the kind of information that gets spread regarding vaccines and diets and everything else related to autism is. You wouldn’t believe the kind of damage this sort of thing can cause in such a short amount of time. Whether it’s emotional damage to those who are dealing with whatever health thing it is, or actual physical damage related to people following bad advice or avoiding treatment out of fear – it’s incredibly damaging to such a wide range of people.
There’s a lot of people out there (and I’m not saying Anne is one of them) who like to think they’re on to something new and they’re the special few who can read between the lines of big pharma, or whatever company. They think that hocking essential oils are going to cure whatever disease someone has – or that avoiding vaccinations of all kinds is the key to a long, healthy life. Unfortunately, more and more diseases are popping up that had been pretty much eradicated in North America all because of the shaming and fear mongering that has happened regarding vaccines. There are so many kids who’s parents refuse to use proper, scientifically proven medication or preventatives who allow their child to suffer until they can’t fight any longer rather than seeking treatment. There are so many people who send money that they don’t have to religious organizations to try and cure their maladies while being given snake oil.
Misinformation – especially regarding peoples’ health – is super problematic. Nobody is saying it’s always a malicious thing – but even good intentions can lead to bad results, and it’s best to try to avoid it in the first place.
John Hopkins researchers published a study in 2016 saying the THIRD leading cause of death in the U.S. is due to medical mistakes, ranging from improper surgical technique to mistakes with administering medicines, which is still frighteningly common despite improved protocols.. Of course this isn’t about MRI dye, but I mention it because you really DO have the right to ask questions, and to be fully informed. Don’t let anyone make you feel you’re being hysterical or naive to question your treatment. The link: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/05/03/476636183/death-certificates-undercount-toll-of-medical-errors
“Fear mongering??” A woman lost her perfectly healthy 17 year old son in a “safe” and “routine” procedure and was able to prove it to the point she won a big lawsuit. Fear mongering is feeding fear with incorrect info, nothing I have said is untrue and projecting your experience on others as being the only possible outcome is dangerous. Nothing is 100% safe. Nothing.
Oh, that is so terrible. Tragic! I too have suffered convulsions from contrast dye. This story is not a celebrity trying to get attention from the press for a health issue. Medication and procedural dyes used every day in hospitals can and do cause hundreds of unforseen outcomes and deaths every year. This is real.
Wow, marjiscott, so sorry for your experience. Hope you are well now.
I had an allergic reaction to MRI contrast post back surgery
They asked if .I had any known allergies prior to the injection so I thought it was simply a thing that happened
Luckily I simply lost consciousness and had a nights stay in a hospital due to it
That’s not just losing consciousness- it’s most likely anaphylaxis. You need that on your medical records, you need an allergy bracelet- because if you ever have to have a contrast-scan emergently, you will need to be premeditated with IV steroids and benadryl to suppress a reaction. Scary stuff.
I’m extremely sensitive to chemicals (get sick from cleansers, perfumes, etc.) and stories like this are extremely scary and heartbreaking. I feel incredibly sorry for what she’s gone through, and am very glad they are publicizing this. People have the right to know the chances one takes with various procedures, if they happen to be one of the unlucky few to react badly.
People generally do know; that’s informed consent with any procedure.
You’re right, Betsy, but almost every single prescription or procedure I get has a warning in tiny print that there rare cases of bad reactions, so I’ve gotten used to ignoring the warnings, frankly. After reading of these cases of people dying or almost dying, there’s no way I’d try it!
No, not if you have never had the procedure done before… as was in my case. It almost killed me.
I had a friend whose wife spoke with an unusual accent she did not have previously and had seizures after MRI. I worked with the husband and it’s been years and no change. She can’t drive so it was hard while they had younger kids. Scary stuff.
If the friend was in need of an MRI, are they sure it wasn’t the condition they were looking into not the MRI itself that led to this?
@Jay Exactly what I wondered too
I’ve had tons of contrast MRIs, I was grand. While I don’t doubt that some people have reactions, that’s essentially true of *any* medication
But personally I’m not happy with Big Pharma. They can’t be trusted to tell the truth . Individual health professionals, yes of course, I trust. But there’s so much wrong with clinical trials, reportage and how much is hidden
He’s okay with stem cell treatment? Or is only in this case? I don’t know much about him but given his political leanings that jumped out at me.
That jumped out to me as well. Typical conservative I guess-bad for everyone else-good enough for me.
I wonder what his thoughts are now on all those people that don’t have 2 million dollars for treatment. Or pre-exisiting conditions since there’s no way she would be able to get insurance under the old plans.
He endorsed a presidential candidate whose main campaign promise was to take access to healthcare away from tens of millions of people. So, to answer your question, he couldn’t care less about those who don’t have vast fortunes stashed away to cover medical treatment.
He is indeed also a “life begins at conception” forced-birth advocate, whilst being totally cool with gun violence.
I think it is great that he is taking care of his wife, but I am going to be a jerk and ask, what film career did he step away from? I haven’t heard of him being in anything since Walker, Texas Ranger. And I realize that no group is a monolith but I thought that Republicans were against the use of stem cells in treatment and researching?
while he doesn’t do any acting, at least he get those checks in the mail to care for his wife. They play his show a few times a day. my dad still watches reruns…
Cancer patients get MRIs frequently, and many of them are ordered with contrast. How frightening. I hope they get somewhere with this because that is a commonly ordered kind of imaging.
That jumped out at me, too.
I have to have gadolinium enhanced MRIs every two years for breast cancer screening. In July, they found a spot that lit up… have to have repeat scan in February. I knew of the potential renal issues ( most concerning for those with baseline renal insufficiency), but did not know about the CNS effects, so this scares the living shit out of me.
Oh god-I’m so sorry. That is some scary shit.
I’m sorry that happened to you. I think you should give your oncologist a call to ask about this. They may be able to order without going forward. Or maybe change the kind of imaging you receive.
@CynicalAnne- thanks, your sympathy is appreciated.
@Ann- With family history ( no BRCA, thank goodness ), dense breast tissue makes mammograms unreliable. Too much risk for false negative. I will ask about the feasibility of U/S if this next MRI is stable- if it isn’t, moving forward is all that can be done.
There is currently an iron based contrast in trial. It is being tested on paitents that have brian cancer ( glioblastomas). The iron contrast actually shows much more so doctor’s can make better informed decisions about paitents care.
This is really interesting Mimi. Would it be rude if I ask if you are a health care worker, or a patient?
My Father is currently in the trial. It has been a fascinating thing to learn about from the doctor’s running it.
Mimi, is this contrast for MRI or CT? Do you know its name?
It is for Mri’s. At the moment I can’t remember the name. But I do know it has been around for a long time. The trial started in Oregon and now has branched out to Ohio State University. The iron contrast illuminates much more. Allowing doctors to see blood vessels and the disease progression much easier. This helps give a better map for going in to surgery or treatment. I did not realize how many people have an allegic reaction to gadolinium. I should mention the iron contrast also has a posibility of an allergic reaction. But it was quite fascinating to watch the difference in my father’s scans. He has had no such issue with either contrast. He is solely participating for the future of these scans helping others as it will not do anything for his diagnosis/prognosis.
Mimi thank you for the information! I hope your father is doing well.
Stories like these (both the post and comments) reinforce my personal choice to limit meds, tests, etc. I watched loved ones experience as many problems from various treatment as the diseases they battled.
My grandmother considered a hospital to be a death house. Her shrewd wisdom told her that when old people go to hospital they die there. So she refused to go to hospital as long as she could.
Goddamit. I just had one of these.
I hear you. I’m scheduled for number five since 2011.
That sucks, even without the contrast problem!
Glad he has the money to pay for her health care.
It really takes a special kind of lack of self-awareness to be this hypocritical. Both on the stem cell issue *and* the health insurance one. What mental gymnastics does this guy have to do?!
I had a CT scan about 4 years ago where they used dye to try to show up my ovarian tumour etc. and I had an immediate incredibly painful burning sensation in my chest and now have to take medication for reflux and avoid certain foods (a lot of very basic things). It’s obviously very minor compared to what other people suffer but I will never forget that terrible pain and thinking I was going to die in that machine.
Even as I type this my chest is burning. Can’t imagine how much worse some people have it.
That is horrible!
When you have a ct scan, the iodine based dye that is used causes a “hot-flush” sensation immediately after injection. This dissipates after less than a minute. This will have been describes to you prior to administration of the drug.
It sucks you have reflux, but it is nothing to do with the contrast.
what are your credentials out of curiosity?
Well that’s not what happened. It lasted for over a week and there was no discussion prior. Perhaps your crystal ball needs a clean?
Wait, WHAT?! I had TWO MRI’s done last year with this dye and no one told me ANYTHING about side effects or possible complications. They didn’t even make it sound like I had a choice in the matter. WTF.
That’s the problem, isn’t it? I had an MRI where they used contrast dyes and I thought I was being set on fire when I was in the machine. No one told me a damn thing. I thought I was going insane.
Informed consent is something patients have to seek out on their own, unfortunately.
That mind boggling. Have had several and have always been warned of the reactions/risks!
It’s in the fine print. Really. You probably had so sign a bunch of stuff before you did it. It’s ridiculous that this is a fine print kind of thing. It’s intentionally hiding important information and it is not good for patients.
I work in healthcare so I have a lot of opinions on stuff like this. Patients are mistreated often at the sake of legality. It’s an extremely complex problem though and not one that can be easily fixed. One MRI employees a lot of people. American healthcare is way too industrial.
THAT is NOT informed consent.
The proper protocol for informed consent is not to just hand something over for the patient to read. A designated medical person is supposed to go over it with the patient and make sure any of their questions are answered. That medical person signs the informed consent along with the patient.
I’ve never seen anything in fine print in any informed consent form that I’ve translated. If anything, they are provided in bigger fonts than normal. These would have been European or Russian documents, but since many clinical trials are international, I suspect the US has similar protocols. At least I get that impression when I scurry around the web looking for English samples of such forms to use as cheat sheets.
But since I have allergies and sensitivities to many common consumer chemicals, I have definitely seen warnings about contrast agents for people like me. We aren’t at the point where we can accurately predict who will have no problems and who is likely to get a bad reaction. And some reactions do have long-term consequences. The same is true for vaccinations and anesthetics used in surgery. Most people manage with minimum side effects, but some have bad reactions and some will even die. Deaths due to anesthesia began to come down when they started improved ways to actually monitor the reactions continuously during the surgery, in various creative ways. But still some people simply will have bad reactions with unhappy consequences, despite the best efforts by the medical staff (who typically really don’t want to harm or kill their patients….).
I do think people need to be more cautious about medical tests. In some other conditions also, the test itself can trigger problems. You have to weigh the pros and cons and decide how important a particular test is to you and your treatment. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean it is necessary or wise. Medical understanding of risks changes slowly. When I was a kid, x-rays were taken with wild abandon, but they became more cautious over time as they saw negative impacts. Patients drive this overtesting habit also, because they want certainty about their own condition. But there is no such certainty. You can have an all-clear one day and a cancer can start growing the next day. Many tests can only get limited views of at-risk areas also.
One thing many such problems have in common is a much more direct exposure route than for ordinary food and drink. This can cause more extreme reactions. But the real problem is simply that we don’t know enough yet to reliably predict and avoid problems in individuals. Family and personal history can help, but that’s not the complete story.
What jwoolman said.
Also those who hesitate re: medical tests and hospitals, I think that’s a small part why there’s screaming etc from healthcare professionals whenever a layperson says anything out loud in public.
One day, people are going to choose far less medical intervention and that’s going to hurt the medical industry and all those who profit from it. Discrediting experiences is happening far too frequently and aggressively. It’s the aggression and outright dismissal with condescension which makes me immediately stop listening and choose a better professional. Someone who knows how to communicate with respect.
Informed consent is a must. Stand your ground people.
In Germany recently hospitals were obliged to make profits. So they do more unnecessary treatments.
France (67 mio people) has just half the amount of knee operations compared to Germany (80 mio people).
Some institutions just shouldn’t be run for profit. It is fine if a hospital can cover its costs but they shouldn’t have to make unnecessary treatments.
When you do these MRI tests they give you extensive information on the possible side effects of the dye. One of the effects I felt was the same burning sensation and then was OK afterwards. Would imagine the burning sensation is a very common side effect? Still….celebs spread fake pseudo information all the time and correlation isn’t causation. She was getting a test, its very possible she has other underlying issues and its not just the dye. This is how anti-vax movements get started.
This news is hitting the MS community hard- most of us (myself included) regularly get MRIs with constrast to track our disease. It i am relapsing and I don’t know it, i will have permanent damage in my brain. It’s so scary to think that the dye could do damage too. Between a rock and a hard place. I will say that the dye always hits me- feel sick for a couple days with headaches afterwards.
As someone who has a lot of allergies, I can attest to the fact that people can be allergic to ANYTHING to varying degrees. That said, this story reeks of b.s. This is right up there with the anti vax garbage. I can buy into an unusual allergy, but this dye is NOT harmful to the vast majority of people.
And the “microwaved” story is not even scientifically feasible. Stop it with the internet rumors and the celebrity “wellness” stuff. Listen to your doctor and other REAL medical professionals! Not Jenny McCarthy and Mrs. Chuck Norris.
And do try to get your hands on ACADEMIC medical articles. Reading them is a pain in the xxxx due to the academic language but nevertheless they usually have a summary in the beginning which gives you some clues at least.
I think many people feel like they have no choice in the matter with contrast dyes, but you can say no if it makes you really, really uncomfortable. I’ve had tons of MRIs in my lifetime because of a neurological illness I was born with. It’s inoperable but my surgeons love to keep looking at it to try and figure it out. I get one every year or so. Early on in my diagnosis, we realized I was allergic to the contrast dye when I immediately got hives everywhere. Now, I never use it for my imaging. My neurosurgeons may not get as clear of an image, but they can work with what they’ve got. Even they feel uncomfortable with the idea I may go into anaphylactic shock in the MRI machine.
Americans fear of medicine, vaccines and their distrust of media and their government. Sheesh!
Seriously! It is so embarrassing to be an American right now.
She might have a case.
The German wikipedia page about Gadolinium says that the German Federal Society of Nuclear Doctors (sorry for the rought translation of this name “BDN”) recommends that Gadolinium should only be used if there is no alternative.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is considering a ban of Gadolinium in contrast medium medication. Apparently this stuff is somewhat more dangerous to people with kidney problems – well, perhaps she shouldn’t have received this particular contrast medium as she had kidney problems. And perhaps the doctors should have known that.
http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/news_and_events/news/2017/03/news_detail_002708.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058004d5c1
German Article, “Ärzteblatt” (= doctor’s newspaper) is not an academic journal but they do sum up academic stuff and they do link to the corresponding academic journals.
https://www.aerzteblatt.de/nachrichten/73573/EMA-erwaegt-Verbot-von-vier-MRT-Kontrastmitteln
I’m allergic to iodine contrast dye. It only gave me hives. But it’s in my medical records and profile. I make sure the doctors always know that I’m allergic.
After Chuck Norris was born, he drove his mother home from the hospital.😝
I do feel bad for his wife. Some people react to the contrast medium. She is one of the few unlucky one apparently. Hope she gets well. They are very fortunate to have the means to be able to deal with her health.
The MRI contrast dye hasn’t been an issue, but I am allergic to the iodine used in CT scans and we knew that before my first scan. It didn’t go great… sometimes the technicians want to include all reactions in the “normal range”–but that is a problem with specific techs.
Fortunately it is in my files now (though I also remind them) and I have a premedication regime before every CT scan that makes my body much more able to tolerate them.
The key is good communication and standing up for yourself.
I strongly suggest everyone on here to speak with their doctor before boycotting MRI. Number one- if you don’t read before you sign paperwork, then possible allergic reactions and the least of your problems. Number two – docotrs may be arrogant pricks but they don’t want you to be harmed; they really do care for their patients. (They also don’t want to be sued either.) Number three- it’s fine to educate yourself and ask questions, but don’t use a celebrity blog or Wikipedia as your reference. I mean come on people! Be accountable for your actions and use common sense. Boycott MRIs because of chuck Norris? Boycott MRI because someone knows someone who died from it? Seriously this is the internet and how do you know this person is even being honest? I work in the medical field and schedule high-risk patients (breadt cancer) and the comments on here are making me incredibly sad.
Mimi thank you for the information! I hope your father is doing well.
Usually when medical imaging is brought up, other tests have been inconclusive. There is a panic with it. Most people at this point just say okay. Because a mass, or something as equally scary has been found. Asking about possible side effects really gets bumped down the list. A person often feels very vulnerable at this point
And real research doesn’t come into play until AFTER a diagnosis has been found. Not when a million things are racing around in your mind.
And sometimes you stumble onto a bit of information that really helps you out.
Now I am only speaking from my point of view, and my life experiences.
I am a kidney cancer survivor. 3 months after the removal of my right kidney, I started experiencing right shoulder pain. Shoulders are a common place for it to popback up at. My urologist sent a script for an MRI for me. My husband happen to read about Omniscan (a GE product) being “black boxed”
I researched as much as I could, called my doctor to discuss, and to inform him I did not want this particular contrast and my reasons why. (One of the many possible side effects..possibly harming my healthy kidney) he did some research as well and agreed. GE makes great imaging machines, not so much with the contrast dye (imo)
I don’t think anyone is advocating boycotting imaging, or playing the politics game because of what Chuck Norris said (shame on those who played that card!)
Now the information is out there. Now many people can do their research, form their own opinions, ask their doctor as many questions as they need. Weigh the pros and cons, and choose what is best for them.
X-rays, Ct’s, IVP’s, MRI’s Pet’s are fantastic imaging tools, made even better when you know the risks.
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