Zaizhang Shengxue Tablets for Aplastic Anemia or Chemoradiotherapy-Induced Anemia

Zaizhang Shengxue Pian (Aplastic-Anemia Blood-Generating Tablets) is a Chinese patent medicine. Its composition includes dodder seed (tusizi), red ginseng (hongshen), Spatholobus stem (jixueteng), donkey-hide gelatin (ejiao), astragalus root (huangqi), Chinese angelica (danggui), and glossy privet fruit (nüzhenzi). The tablets are sugar-coated; after the coating is removed they appear yellow-brown to brown, with a faint odor and a slightly bitter, astringent taste.

Zaizhang Shengxue Pian supplements the liver and fortifies the spleen, boosts qi and nourishes blood. It is indicated for aplastic anemia due to liver-kidney insufficiency with qi and blood deficiency; it may also be used in cancer patients with reduced white or red blood cells after radiotherapy or chemotherapy.

Zaizhang Shengxue Pian is developed by adding herbs to the classic TCM blood-tonifying formula Huangqi Buxue Tang (consisting of raw astragalus and Chinese angelica). Astragalus is TCM's foremost qi-tonifying herb; modern pharmacology shows it significantly raises hemoglobin and improves the hypoxic symptoms of anemia, which accords well with the TCM concept of "boosting qi." Hemoglobin's main job is carrying oxygen to every cell; when it is low, patients feel weak and listless—the TCM pattern of qi deficiency and lack of strength. Raw astragalus can quickly raise hemoglobin, while Chinese angelica improves red blood cells.

Red ginseng (a processed ginseng) and donkey-hide gelatin in this formula are both highly prized, strongly tonifying herbs; glossy privet fruit nourishes kidney yin, and dodder seed warms kidney yang—both with relatively mild natures. Spatholobus stem invigorates blood and nourishes blood. If the patient's platelets are low, consider taking the tablets with a decoction of 50–100g of Agrimonia (xianhecao) daily.