How To Treat Diamond-Blackfan Anemia

Treatment Of Side Effects

All treatments used on Diamond-Blackfan anemia patients carry potential adverse side effects, and based on these side effects, additional treatments may be necessary. Corticosteroid medication is often the first line of treatment for Diamond-Blackfan anemia, but a good portion of patients find they are unable to tolerate this type of medication. Corticosteroids can produce side effects such as weight gain, mood swings, blurry vision, increased body hair growth, easy bruising, puffy face, acne, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, stomach irritation, worsening of diabetes, water retention, cataracts, glaucoma, sleep difficulties, restlessness, nervousness, low infection resistance, and muscle weakness. Blood transfusions can cause iron overload. When too much iron builds up in the body, it becomes toxic to vital organs like the liver and heart. Iron toxicity in these tissues can cause extensive damage and permanently compromise the function of the affected organs. Stem cell transplants for Diamond-Blackfan anemia can also produce adverse effects like graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease, where an individual experiences skin inflammation, liver disease, and or diarrhea as a reaction to the transplanted stem cells.