Treatment of Aplastic Anemia—April 12, 1979

Treatment of Aplastic Anemia—April 12, 1979

Recent literature indicates that there are about 80 drugs capable of treating aplastic anemia, among which 17 are frequently used: tonifying qi with Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, Astragalus membranaceus, Poria cocos, and Glycyrrhiza; tonifying kidney with Rehmannia glutinosa, Shu Di, Vitex negundo, Goji berries, Cuscuta chinensis, Psoralea corylifolia, Cinnamon, and Turtle shell; tonifying blood with Angelica sinensis, White peony root, He Shou Wu, and Donkey-hide gelatin. Drugs with strong erythropoietic effects include Angelica sinensis, White peony root, Chicken blood vine, Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Red ginseng, Donkey-hide gelatin, Soapstone, and Magnetite; drugs with strong leukopoietic effects include Chicken blood vine, Psoralea corylifolia, Tiger stick, Astragalus membranaceus, Peanut skin, Deer antler glue, and Pangolin scales; drugs with strong thrombopoietic effects include Panax notoginseng, Persimmon leaves, Fairy grass, Peanut skin, Forsythia suspensa, and Fish bladder glue. Mnemonic for erythropoietic drugs: Codonopsis, Astragalus, Angelica, White peony, Deer antler, Chicken blood vine, Cuscuta, Donkey-hide gelatin, Soapstone, and Magnetite. Domestic treatment trends: Before the 1960s, most treatments focused on tonifying qi and blood; after the 1960s, emphasis gradually shifted to regulating kidney yin and yang; after the 1970s, activating blood and removing stasis began to be applied to this disease, marking an important turning point. Xu Yuming, an elderly TCM doctor at Guiyang College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, classifies this disease into two types: liver-kidney yin deficiency and spleen-kidney yang deficiency. He recommends using Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, and Schisandra chinensis to tonify qi; Rehmannia glutinosa, Angelica sinensis, Longan meat, and Cornus officinalis to tonify blood; Psoralea corylifolia, Cinnamon, Dendrobium nobile, Deer antler glue, Eucommia ulmoides, Small fennel, and Date palm peel to tonify kidney; Yam, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Sandalwood to tonify spleen; and Cistanche deserticola, Pig spinal cord powder, Turtle shell glue, Astragalus membranaceus, and other ingredients to nourish the essence. In addition, tonifying qi also requires regulating qi flow, adding Bupleurum and Radish seed.