ptsd Any Hope?

[jhilly]

My doctor referred me to a sleep specialist concerning OSA. This specialist threats VA patients part time. He scheduled me a sleep study thru a private hospital.

My PTSD doctor was able to get me a sleep study thru the VA. That sleep study came back positive for severe OSA. I filed a claim for service connection.

I was hoping to get a IMO from ]the sleep specialist that my doctor referred me too, but he is now saying that I had to have OSA prior to my deployment to Iraq. I asked him "is there anyway that this could NOT have been caused by my deployment; and he told me "it's hard to prove your deployment caused this".

I have nothing in SMR's only a redeployment check-out where I told them that I started having headaches when I woke up halfway thru my deployment and I got to the point where I was tired all the time. Also, people in my platoon started telling me that I started snoring very loud and was waking them after awhile.

I had a TBI test done recently and I thought my examiner said TBI, PTSD and OSA were related.

My question is, is there any chance in anyone's opinion that I may be able to get this OSA service connected. If so, what advice can anyone give me.

[Pete53]

Get a medical opinion that links to your service connected PTSD and it should be possible. Probably not easy cause the VA hates to open doors for other Veterans

Good Luck

[jhilly]

thx Pete...

[Notorious Kelly]

Did you experience any weight gain? That's often associated with OSA.

Like Pete said, key is getting a doc to tie it in somehow, if that's the case.

Best to research other cases where it's been awarded.

Here's a vet who got 50%

[Berta]

"I filed a claim for service connection. "

For TBI, PTSD and OSA?

"I had a TBI test done recently and I thought my examiner said TBI, PTSD and OSA were related."

Was this test part of any C & P exams?

"Also, people in my platoon started telling me that I started snoring very loud and was waking them after awhile."

Have you attempted to try to get any buddy statements?

"My PTSD doctor was able to get me a sleep study thru the VA" Has this doctor documented anything that would support a relationship between your PTSD and the OSA?

"I was hoping to get a IMO from ]the sleep specialist that my doctor referred me too, but he is now saying that I had to have OSA prior to my deployment to Iraq. I asked him "is there anyway that this could NOT have been caused by my deployment; and he told me "it's hard to prove your deployment caused this".

I dont know how he could determine that. Did he state this in the sleep study report?

[Guest]

Found this:

I think the key to this rating is: When a veteran is currently being treated for a disability by a VA doctor and the VA doctor gives a diagnosis and a nexus, it will be hard for VA to deny the claim. In some cases the VARO may deny the claim but I think that BVA will grant it based on all the evidence.

VA medical records confirm that the veteran underwent sleep studies in February and October 1998 from which he was diagnosed with sleep apnea. A VA psychiatric progress note from February 1999 briefly reviewed the studies' findings and applicable research and concluded that PTSD and its treatment "in all probability has aggravated the obstructive sleep apnea."

http://www4.va.gov/v...s01/0102100.txt

[jhilly]

"I filed a claim for service connection. "

For TBI, PTSD and OSA?

"I had a TBI test done recently and I thought my examiner said TBI, PTSD and OSA were related."

Was this test part of any C & P exams?

"Also, people in my platoon started telling me that I started snoring very loud and was waking them after awhile."

Have you attempted to try to get any buddy statements?

"My PTSD doctor was able to get me a sleep study thru the VA" Has this doctor documented anything that would support a relationship between your PTSD and the OSA?

"I was hoping to get a IMO from ]the sleep specialist that my doctor referred me too, but he is now saying that I had to have OSA prior to my deployment to Iraq. I asked him "is there anyway that this could NOT have been caused by my deployment; and he told me "it's hard to prove your deployment caused this".

I dont know how he could determine that. Did he state this in the sleep study report?