hypertension C & P

[mssoup1]

I have a couple of questions concerning 2 c & P my husband had.

The first was for erectile dysfunction. While I am trying to explain that he did not have this problem until he started taking medication for his PTSD, the examiner jumped down my throat and told me that he really didn't care what he had taken in the past. Any medication which would have caused this that he had previously taken would have corrected the ED problem shortly after being taken off that medication. He told me he only wanted to talk about what he was taking now. I told him that I should know better than anyone else when and why this problem occured since I am married to him. For some, maybe the ED problem does clear up after being taken off the medication, but his did not. I told him that medical record after medical record showed that he was constantly being warned of the side affect of ED with the medication that they would try him on. Before he took my husband back to examine him, he hugged and apoligized to me for screaming at me. I teared up and told him he didn't understand how this problem has affected us. I guess this is a quick denial for us, and I sure did not appreciate the way I was treated by him.

The next C & P was for hypertension. When I told the examiner that his blood pressure was normal on entering the military and was 130/90 at separation, she told me that the diastolic number 90 was not considered abnormal during the year of 1969. I also told her that the doctor that he stopped seeing the doctor he had been seeing since he left the military and started seeing another doctor. He had his records transferred to this doctor. We could not get the records from the first doctor because they stated they had been purged, but the doctor he transferred to wrote in his record that "his BP was elevated - has been up x yrs for diastolic - seen by Dr. .... years ago for this." This note was written in 1990. He also has been on blood pressure medication for years. We also have a record from 1977 from the VAMC that showed his blood pressure was 150/100 and diagnosed with hypertension. I also thought that the examiner was to give the veteran 3 separate blood pressure readings. She gave him one sitting and one lying down. When we inquired about the third reading, she said that she was going to use 2 from previous visits to the doctor. So, I guess this is another denial.

Anyone have any input on these issues which may help.

Thanks

[Jay Johnson]

Every psychiatric drug I've ever seen has some warning of loss of libido, which could lead to ED. My guess is that your C&P doctor is as equally unqualified as he is unintelligent.

[jimlane1949]

I have a couple of questions concerning 2 c & P my husband had.

The first was for erectile dysfunction. While I am trying to explain that he did not have this problem until he started taking medication for his PTSD, the examiner jumped down my throat and told me that he really didn't care what he had taken in the past. Any medication which would have caused this that he had previously taken would have corrected the ED problem shortly after being taken off that medication. He told me he only wanted to talk about what he was taking now. I told him that I should know better than anyone else when and why this problem occured since I am married to him. For some, maybe the ED problem does clear up after being taken off the medication, but his did not. I told him that medical record after medical record showed that he was constantly being warned of the side affect of ED with the medication that they would try him on. Before he took my husband back to examine him, he hugged and apoligized to me for screaming at me. I teared up and told him he didn't understand how this problem has affected us. I guess this is a quick denial for us, and I sure did not appreciate the way I was treated by him.

The next C & P was for hypertension. When I told the examiner that his blood pressure was normal on entering the military and was 130/90 at separation, she told me that the diastolic number 90 was not considered abnormal during the year of 1969. I also told her that the doctor that he stopped seeing the doctor he had been seeing since he left the military and started seeing another doctor. He had his records transferred to this doctor. We could not get the records from the first doctor because they stated they had been purged, but the doctor he transferred to wrote in his record that "his BP was elevated - has been up x yrs for diastolic - seen by Dr. .... years ago for this." This note was written in 1990. He also has been on blood pressure medication for years. We also have a record from 1977 from the VAMC that showed his blood pressure was 150/100 and diagnosed with hypertension. I also thought that the examiner was to give the veteran 3 separate blood pressure readings. She gave him one sitting and one lying down. When we inquired about the third reading, she said that she was going to use 2 from previous visits to the doctor. So, I guess this is another denial.

Anyone have any input on these issues which may help.

Thanks

I was dced in November 1967 after returning from Vietnam. My claim for hypertension was denied because they had lost my medical records. In 1965 I had applied for jump school and was denied due to high blood pressure. Instead of being dced I was sent to another post. One year later, I was ordered to Vietnam and when I told the Army about my bp problem they said they couldn't find my records and sent me anyway. After I got out, I filed a claim and fought the VA for 4 years. My claim was sent to the Board Of Veterans Appeals and I won my case. Keep appealing and fighting it is worth it. Hypertension can cause other medical problems as I had a heart attack in 97, and open heart surgeries in 98 and 99. The VA granted IU T&P because the heart problems were related back to essential hypertension. Good luck.

PS: I had an excellent Service Officer who made my case. If you don't have representation, check around and find a solid Service Officer or someone who knows the system and closley follow the progress of your claim.

Jim Lane

[wallyg]

For a male VA doctor to hug you, is inappropiate behavior. You may want to consider using that fact, in addressing a complaint. ;)

[Pete53]

You might consider taking the warnings the VA gives you and highlighting the warnings for sexual problems. Almost every med the VA gives you has these warnings.

[john999]

So true Peter. Almost all the antidepressants have sexual side effects as do blood pressure meds and pain meds. Unless the vet brings up the fact that they are suffering these side effects the VA just glosses over them. I am sure anti anxiety drugs tend to relax everything that resembles a muscle.

[mssoup1]

Thanks to all responded. I sent the VARO copies of all of his medical records which stated the side effects of PTSD meds, which included ED. I highlighted each of these areas so they would not have to read the entire record. When I told the examiner of this, that is when he jumped on me and told me that he was only concerned about his current meds and could care less about what he has taken in the past. He claimed that once you were taken off of one med which could cause this, that the ED went away. I even sent the VARO medical articles which states that while ED may reverse itself once you are taken off of the med that is causing it,that this doesn't always happen for everyone. He didn't want to listen to anything I had to say. Again, he upset me so bad that he had me crying. You could tell that he was ready to deny the claim before we even entered his office. His other theory to the ED was his hypertension meds. I told him that my husband had been on these meds for years and that the problem did not occur until he had starting being prescribed meds for PTSD. Didn't matter. I may as well have been talking to the wall. Another issue is that I thought that a urologist would have to perform the C & P exam for ED, instead of a primary care examiner.

We do have a SO, but is no help to us. We cannot change at this point because of where his claims stand. I have and will continue to handle my husbands claims myself. His SO puts forth no effort at all in his claim. I write his letters, handle his denials, do his research and go to all of his doctors visits with him. But, if C & P exams are going to be handled in this manner, the VARO will use this information and forget anything that you have presented on his behalf. This ends up being a no win situation for the veteran. You can argue your point all you want, but most of the decision is based on the results of the C & P exam.

Basically, the same scenario happened with the C & P exam for his hypertension. Didn't want to hear anything I had to say and I got the feeling that his claim has been decided before we even walked into the office. They come up with all kinds of other reasons for the condition to keep from giving you a positive decision.

The bad thing about these C & P exams is a lot depends on the examiner and department the exam is being given in. He had an audio exam for tinnitus and the examiner was great. You could not have asked for anyone nicer in dealing with the veteran. I think this claim may get approved, but even if it doesn't, she listened to us, read his records and gave him the examination that was required with a lot of professionalism.

I am waiting for the results of the exams to be completed and I will then read them and go from there on what my response will be to each one. We're not asking for anything that he is not eligible for, but at least give us a fair chance and listen to the evidence we have before they make their decision.

Thanks for listening. Any further input would be appreciated.