Conditions and symptoms
What Is Aplastic Anemia? Bone Marrow Failure Explained
Aplastic Anemia · say it: ay-PLAS-tik uh-NEE-mee-uhAlso written: aplastic anaemia, bone marrow failure
Short answer
Aplastic anemia is a rare, serious condition in which the bone marrow stops making enough of all types of blood cells.
What it means
Aplastic anemia is a rare condition in which the bone marrow fails to make enough red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This can cause tiredness and breathlessness (from low red cells), frequent or severe infections (from low white cells) and easy bruising or bleeding (from low platelets). It is serious and needs specialist care.
It appears on some medicine labels, including a boxed warning for carbamazepine and warnings for some other medicines, because rarely they have been linked to it. The warning explains why blood counts may be checked before and during treatment, and why you should report fever, sore throat, mouth ulcers, unusual bruising, tiny red spots on the skin or bleeding promptly.
Despite the name, aplastic anemia is different from common anemia due to low iron. It affects all blood cell types, not just red cells. Agranulocytosis, by contrast, mainly affects one type of white cell.
Where you may see it
- Boxed warnings on carbamazepine labels
- Medicine leaflets under 'Blood disorders'
- Hematology reports and bone marrow biopsy results
📄 How it looks on a report
Aplastic anemia and agranulocytosis have been reported in association with the use of this drug.
🙅 What it does not mean
- A boxed warning does not mean it is likely; it is rare.
- It is not the same as iron-deficiency anemia.
- A slightly low blood count does not mean aplastic anemia; the doctor looks at the whole pattern.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Aplastic Anemia”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Albendazole
an anthelmintic drug, a medicine used to treat infections caused by parasitic worms
- Carbamazepine
a mood stabilizer, and an anticonvulsant (seizure) medicine, according to the label
- Furosemide
A loop diuretic, a type of medicine that helps the body get rid of extra fluid through urine
- Hydrochlorothiazide
A thiazide diuretic, a type of medicine often called a 'water pill'
- Methotrexate
A dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor, a type of medicine that works against folate (a vitamin-like substance cells use to grow and divide). The FDA pharmacologic class is not listed on the label.
- Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim
An antibacterial combination of two medicines: a sulfonamide antimicrobial and a dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor antibacterial.
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Aplastic Anemia” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “aplastic anemia”
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