Conditions and symptoms
What Is Myelosuppression? Low Blood Counts Explained
Myelosuppression · say it: my-uh-loh-suh-PRESH-unAlso written: bone marrow suppression, marrow suppression, myelotoxicity, Bone Marrow Suppression, myelosuppression, bone marrow depression
Short answer
Myelosuppression means the bone marrow is making fewer blood cells than usual, often as a side effect of some medicines.
What it means
The bone marrow, the soft tissue inside bones, makes red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Myelosuppression means it is making fewer of them than usual. This can lead to anemia (tiredness, breathlessness), neutropenia (higher risk of infection) and low platelets (easy bruising or bleeding). Fever, chills or signs of infection while on a medicine that suppresses the marrow need urgent medical help.
Labels for chemotherapy and some other medicines, including some immune-suppressing, antiviral and antibiotic medicines, warn about myelosuppression. That is why regular full blood count tests are done during treatment, and why doses may be delayed or reduced if counts fall. The warning is telling you to keep blood test appointments and report fever, sore throat, unusual bruising or bleeding.
Myelosuppression and 'bone marrow suppression' mean the same thing. Neutropenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia describe which type of blood cell is low.
Where you may see it
- Chemotherapy and immune-suppressing medicine labels
- Full blood count reports
- Oncology clinic letters
📄 How it looks on a report
Myelosuppression: Monitor complete blood counts prior to each dose. Delay or reduce dose for severe neutropenia or thrombocytopenia.
🙅 What it does not mean
- It does not mean the marrow is permanently damaged; counts often recover.
- A low count does not always mean you will get an infection, but you should know the warning signs.
- It does not mean treatment has failed.
🎯 Check yourself
Which of these is the right meaning of “Myelosuppression”?
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Myelosuppression”
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
- Allopurinol
a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, a prescription medicine that acts on uric acid
- Carbamazepine
a mood stabilizer, and an anticonvulsant (seizure) medicine, according to the label
- Colchicine
an alkaloid medicine, a compound obtained from the autumn crocus plant (colchicum autumnale)
- 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
- “Myelosuppression” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “myelosuppression”
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