Brittle asthma

Hey guys, hope everyone is as well as can be and enjoying the Spring sunshine. Got back from doctors this afternoon and have been my asthma is brittle. I've heard it being used about asthma before but I'm not completely sure what it means. Can anyone help?

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most people here could probably explain it better than me, but just to start you off: brittle means severe and difficult to predict or control asthma. hope this helps...

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As Hannahrose says, severe unpredictable or unstable asthma. Have you had A&E visits or admissions?

I don't have brittle asthma myself but there is many on here. It should be said only after all treatment options have been tried and come from a specialist difficult asthma centre i.e. not your local G.P. or local general hospital.

Do I remember you saying before you lived in Bristol now? Went to uni in Bristol and only moved away last July.

TJ

P.S. Have a look at these info leaflets from Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation

asthma.org.uk/document.rm?i...

lunguk.org/you-and-your-lun...

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i have brittle asthma and i am under a specialist respiratory consultant.

for me personally it is unpredictable, very difficult to manage.

i have to take multiple medications everyday - 4 inhalers + 21 tablets as well as home nebulisers and as soon as an attack starts can go downhill VERY quickly.

need also to take daily dose of prednisolone steroids

i have needed multiple admissios to costa - ITU, HDU and ward admissions.

most of the time i know my triggers, but frustating as it is, on the odd occasion i dont :S grrr!!!

hope this answers a little of tour questions ?

feel free to PM me

x x x

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if you search brittle asthma you will find a whole load of information on the boards about it. but the real thing is that did you gp say your asthma was brittle because if so they may be incorrect...to be diagnosed with brittle asthma you need to go through a variety of tests and all sorts at a tertiary unit such as heartlands or birmingham or RBH who can officially diagnose brittle asthma and specify what type you are.

alot of gp's can cause confusion and worry in patiens by telling them they suffer from brittle asthma when it is not. it may be severe and unconrtolled but a gp is not able to say if you have brittle asthma or not.

I hope you get the information you looking for.

Olive

[Mijmijkey74 in reply to Hidden]

I was diagnosed with brittle asthma by a respiratory team in my local smallish hospital after a life threatening asthma attack which left me to critical to be moved unless intubated and in induced coma. Wasn't expected to survive. Died for under a minute or so as heart stopped but restarted itself and almost died a further two times in my coma which lasted 8/9 days. Haven't seen anybody away from my home town to diagnose differently. Am being seen by a specialist respiratory team through referral from my cardiologist and own gp. See them at my doctor's surgery. They are looking to try get my asthma under better control as inhalers are of little help. I'm a smoker but not heavy, stopped during my hospital stay, started up again once left due to amounts of stress in my life at home and with family. It is my stress relief, and smoke just 1 a day. I don't drink alcohol or take drugs, and do cycle everywhere. Dear without that one cigarette a day, I could turn to something else far worse to ebb away and calm my stress. Though do want to stop completely but clearly not ready to yet if ever. Have tried a vape e cig thingy but it does nothing for me, and leaves me feeling very nauseous.

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I would say that the key issue here is not whether or not you have brittle asthma but more the fact that it sounds as though your asthma is not good and probably not controlled. A GP bracketing your asthma probably isn't massively helpful or useful at this moment in time.

Either way hopefully your asthma can be controlled and you health be kept in reasonable condition.

Good luck.

Mark