Can Chinese medicine treat blood diseases?

Author: Wang Dongping, Gansu Provincial People's Hospital

Reviewer: Zhang Hui, deputy chief physician of Aviation General Hospital

Traditional Chinese medicine is the quintessence of the Chinese nation. It has made great contributions to people's health for thousands of years and has a high status in people's hearts. Therefore, when diagnosing blood diseases, there are always patients who ask: "Can I take traditional Chinese medicine?"

The answer is not no, but taking Chinese medicine is not blindly or casually. Why?

First of all, Chinese medicine and Western medicine complement each other, and Chinese medicine has the advantages of wide sources and multiple targets, playing an irreplaceable role in the treatment of blood diseases. At present, the treatment of blood diseases is mainly based on the combination of Chinese and Western medicine. Western medicine conducts relevant examinations to clarify the diagnosis and staging of the disease. Western medicine is the main treatment, supplemented by Chinese medicine to enhance the efficacy, reduce adverse drug reactions, improve the quality of life of patients, and prolong the survival of patients.

Chinese medicine is guided by the basic theories of traditional Chinese medicine. It is used to diagnose and treat diseases on the basis of syndrome differentiation. It is also about compatibility and cannot be taken casually. In addition, Chinese medicine is not non-toxic. In recent years, there are many cases of liver damage, decreased red blood cells, coagulation dysfunction and other conditions caused by taking Chinese medicine casually. Therefore, patients cannot choose Chinese medicine blindly. They must choose under the guidance of Chinese medicine practitioners. Moreover, even for the same disease, different syndromes are different in different periods and different medications are used. For example, the progression, relapse or acute phase of chronic leukemia is mainly characterized by toxic heat. For treatment, it is advisable to add forsythia, scutellaria, and raw rehmannia with the effects of detoxification, clearing heat, cooling blood and stopping bleeding. During chemotherapy, patients should choose Chinese medicine that can enhance chemotherapy sensitivity. If patients have both qi and blood deficiency after chemotherapy, adding astragalus and Pseudostellariae pseudoginseng with the effects of invigorating qi and strengthening the body can enhance the patient's immune function and increase the number of red blood cells.

Here are some Chinese herbal medicines or Chinese patent medicines from plants and Chinese herbal medicines that have been used in clinical practice. For example, Compound Huangdai Tablets for treating leukemia, Aminopeptide, Xuemei'an, and Yizhong Shengxue Tablets for increasing blood cells.

1. Compound Huangdai Tablets : The main ingredients are Indigo, Realgar (water-fed), Radix Pseudostellariae, and Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae. It has the effects of clearing away heat and detoxifying, invigorating Qi and promoting blood production. It is mainly used for the initial treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia.

2. Aminopeptide : extracted from pig hoof nails, it promotes the proliferation, differentiation, maturation and release of red blood cells, and has an effect on increasing white blood cells and platelets. It is mainly used for primary thrombocytopenic purpura, allergic purpura, leukocytopenia, aplastic anemia and psoriasis.

3. Xuemei'an : The main ingredients are pig's hoof nail, rehmannia root, red peony root, and peony bark, which have the effects of clearing heat and nourishing yin, cooling blood and activating blood circulation. It is mainly used for primary thrombocytopenic purpura, blood heat damage to yin and blood stasis syndrome caused by skin purpura, bleeding from the teeth, bleeding from the nose, excessive menstrual flow in women, thirst, irritability and night sweats, etc.

4. Yizhong Shengxue Tablets : The main ingredients are Codonopsis pilosula, Chinese yam, Coix seeds (fried), dried orange peel, jujube, and green vitriol, which have the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, replenishing qi and generating blood. It is mainly used for sallow complexion, dizziness, poor appetite, palpitations, shortness of breath, abdominal distension after eating, fatigue, insomnia and forgetfulness caused by spleen and stomach weakness and qi and blood deficiency, as well as iron deficiency anemia with the above symptoms.

There are many traditional Chinese medicines that have the effects of strengthening the spleen and stomach, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and nourishing the liver and kidneys for the treatment of blood diseases. In recent years, many Chinese medicine experts have summarized their years of clinical experience and carried out syndrome differentiation and treatment based on the characteristics of blood diseases, especially leukemia. Many Chinese medicine single or compound preparations have been widely used in clinical practice and have achieved good results. Therefore, do not blindly choose Chinese medicine on your own, but choose appropriate Chinese medicine for the auxiliary treatment of blood diseases under the guidance of regular Chinese medicine practitioners.

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