Severe asthma

[madonbrew]

Well, my asthma has been crazy for a few years now, and last hospital stay it was referred to as Brittle asthma. Now I just have bloods form from consultants to check eosinophils etc and in the clinical details is ‘severe asthma’ ?? To be honest either way, it’s crazy, but sometimes it’s helpful to know your actual diagnosis isn’t it! Hmmm..???

[twinkly29]

Brittle used to have 2 types -

1) the "generally ok but then sudden life threatening drops" type;

2) the "not well controlled and still causing severe issues despite high levels of medication" type.

Now, I think actual brittle asthma is the first type - the second comes under severe and/or difficult asthma. However a lot of people (including medical people) still use "brittle" when they mean "severe/difficult". From what you've said on here, I suspect that's the case with your asthma - it does sound severe/a complete pain but you don't go from being ok to being ventilated at the drop of a hat (for example!)

[madonbrew in reply to twinkly29]

Thank you! Yes that’s seems to make sense.

I think I almost come between the two...I’ve never been ventilated, but have been blue lighted& sirens from surgery a few times after they’ve given me nebs and they’ve made no difference. And have needed 2 hourly nebs, then oxygen in hospital constantly for 10 days. And 2 times magnesium each time. I’ve been on the cuff!

But then I’m on lots of meds, high doses but not continual pred...can’t take it long term, but still have symptoms often.

It’s a strange thing hey. Will be interesting to see what my IgE / eosinophil is like. I found some medical reports from a few years back and my eosinophil was 1.0...would have been renal clinic checking though, so it possibly got missed in regards to my asthma.

Thank you for your feedback though!

Dee

[EmmaF91 Community Ambassador]

Severe asthma is the new term for brittle asthma diagnosis. It gets a little complicated as brittle can be used to describe how attacks present (the 0-100 style of attack, with no build up or warning etc), and severe can also be used to describe attack level in a&e (ie moderate/severe/life threatening etc). But the diagnosis of severe asthma is the same as the diagnosis of brittle asthma (I think it swapped about 5-7 years ago officially), it’s just some people still use the old term. Like where I live I have to use both cause a couple times people didn’t realise severe asthma = brittle asthma and so happily took me in ambo car etc rather than waiting for the truck and then freaked half way to hosp when they realised it was the same thing ‘please don’t crash, let’s get you on that neb now cause I don’t trust you to keep where you’re at’ 😅

You may also find they throw in difficult asthma as well. That’s just a term o describe that you’re on max therapy and still struggle and they aren’t sure why (it’s usually a tertiary hosp that works out the official diagnosis)

Hope this helps

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to EmmaF91]

Just to add that officially guidelines consider 'severe asthma' retrospective and difficult is while you're waiting, as it were. So difficult is when you're on max meds and still poorly controlled but they still need to confirm that asthma is causing it and not something else (other conditions either instead of or as well as asthma, environmental triggers that can be removed eg if you live with chain smokers, non-adherence to treatment, poor inhaler technique).

If all those have been accounted for (adherent, can take inhalers, no obvious triggers that can be removed, other conditions not there or treated) - then you're considered to have severe asthma.

However, drs may not always use it that way -you may often see them just use 'difficult asthma' for everything at the tricky end, even if confirmed as severe.

Hope that helps.

[madonbrew in reply to Lysistrata]

Thank you Lysistrata!

That totally makes sense...about the waiting until you have the correct diagnosis!

Lots of terminology! It does get confusing when they charge it and the criteria!

Thank you for your thoughts and support!

Dee

[madonbrew in reply to EmmaF91]

Thank you Emma! It's always good to have more knowledge! Just helps to understand more doesn’t it!