Three C&p's Scheduled, Two Ortho, One Psych.

[LarryJ]

I mean, the VA Medical Center has been taking care of me since the first of the year, and they have diagnosed Major Depression Disorder (that's the psych claim, secondary to pain resulting from my SC'd condition). So, they have been prescribing medication for my MDD, and it makes me better, as long as I take it regulary.

Should I take it, and show up at my psych C&P appearing relatively "normal"?

Then, the Ortho C&P's, same thing....the VAMC has been providing me with codiene and some other stuff (makes me better, takes away most of my pain, I can sleep 2 - 3 hours a night now).

Same question, should I take my pain meds and show up at my Ortho C&P's "numb"? Or show up like I would be IF I didn't have the VA's meds "on board"?

I mean, I can really see them saying "claimant did NOT appear to be in any pain......yada, yada", and do NOT think for a second that they wouldn't do just exactly THAT.

Which, of course, brings up ANOTHER silly question:

Why can't they just accept THEIR OWN DOCTOR'S previous dianosis? Why even HAVE a C&P?

[luvHIM]

I mean, the VA Medical Center has been taking care of me since the first of the year, and they have diagnosed Major Depression Disorder (that's the psych claim, secondary to pain resulting from my SC'd condition). So, they have been prescribing medication for my MDD, and it makes me better, as long as I take it regulary.

Should I take it, and show up at my psych C&P appearing relatively "normal"?

Then, the Ortho C&P's, same thing....the VAMC has been providing me with codiene and some other stuff (makes me better, takes away most of my pain, I can sleep 2 - 3 hours a night now).

Same question, should I take my pain meds and show up at my Ortho C&P's "numb"? Or show up like I would be IF I didn't have the VA's meds "on board"?

I mean, I can really see them saying "claimant did NOT appear to be in any pain......yada, yada", and do NOT think for a second that they wouldn't do just exactly THAT.

Which, of course, brings up ANOTHER silly question:

Why can't they just accept THEIR OWN DOCTOR'S previous dianosis? Why even HAVE a C&P?

The VAMC I go to takes care of me pretty decently also. However, I just had an Ortho C&P on 9/27/07. I stopped taking all of my meds two weeks (the day I found out I was going to have one) and I can tell you that I was real "raw" and the pain was legitimate because I could barely walk. I don't know how others feel. I don't know about meds for your other issue. It is not always a "wise" thing to do, I know. But you are right about the RO's not taking the VAMR at its value. I'm pretty new to the forum, myself. So, I know others will be along shortly to give their comments.

[Ricky]

Hmmm... not taking meds....... I don't know if I would do that. Especially with any type of anti-depressants. By doin this you are endangering yourself and others around you. when they say stopping anti-depressants without assistance of you doc could result in....... believe me they know what they are talking about.

What if you stopped 2 weeks prior to the exam. One night you woke up so depressed you did not know or care what happened and you harmed your family or yourself - would a small increase in compensation be worth it then? you decide but I would hope your decision would include a discussion with a doctor.

Pain meds........hmmmmmmm...... if you wanna hurt I guess its up to you. Just remember in orthro problems pain is but only one consideration. The overall disability is based upon limitation of motion.

With my Dejerine - Roussy Syndrome I take 4000 mg of neurontin, 2000 mg (just increased) Trileptal, 180 mg of Cymbalta along with some narcotics. When they did my exam for PN the doc opined that the exteremly large doses of the neurontin, trileptal and Cymbalta would mask PN on a dead guy...... Claim was approved without EMG. Just my experience.

[Pete53]

I take my meds as prescribed when I remember. I forget neurontin and I can barely walk.

[Testvet]

I suggest you take your meds and explain what days are like for you normally they know they gave you the meds they know what effects they are supposed to have, they also know if you stop the meds the symptoms will return bottom line the medical condition is still there and that is what they are supposed to be rating stopping mental health meds abruptly can be disasterous I ran out of one of my meds I think it was effexor about three years ago it got me into the lockdown ward that was NOT fun....

[LarryJ]

Okay, you guys/gals are right about the psych meds......I'll keep taking them.

When I mentioned to my wife that I was thinking about stopping them prior to my psych C&P, she said, "There is NO way that I'm gonna let you do that. What's up with you, are you crazy?"

Well, ahh, DUH?

But, with the Ortho C&P's, and I realize that pain is only ONE of the factors that they are going to look for during the exams. BUT, pain is ONE of the factors that they are going to look for.....you know, facial expressions, wincing, visible signs of pain..........

You know, it gets back to the common denominator........never tell them you feel fine when, in truth, you feel terrible.

Like, you know:

Patient showed no signs of discomfort, no signs of fatigue upon repetitive motion, etc....

Range of Motion, without pain, was within normal limits..............

Heck yeah.....knock me on my butt with codiene and you can "have your way with me"!

B)

[luvHIM]

Stopping your meds for a C&P seems like fraud to me. What are you going to say when the doc ask you if you are taking meds? No, not right now, because of this examination? You see my point. If your meds are working or as you put it "make me fell better if taken regulary" then that's the truth.

The examiner is still going to ask you all the same questions, and if you tell the truth, you should be rated for your truthfull symptoms. You should explain to the doctor what you are like on you meds and off your meds.

Also, don't you go to therapy? These notes will help validate your symptoms. Trying to minipulate the system is why people think PTSDers are scammers. Be honest.

I totally agree with your reasoning, except that it is fraud. Before the medications I filed a claim which depicted my true disability picture. It is not a true disability picture when the medications mask or suppress what is actually the case.

However, I also contend, that just like every RO is different, so is every rating examiner. I have had three C&P exams, prior to 09/27 (despite the x-ray evidence and the fact that VARO considers my condition to be severe) all for a rate increase. I'm already service connected. I have never been asked anything about my pain except to rate it on a scale of 1-10, which I can not do even with the meds because I deal with pain on a daily basis.

I got a copy of my C-File about 8 days prior to my exam which had enclosed the examination request to the rating examiner for the 09/27 C&P exam. The NUMBER ONE request of the examiner was to determine my PAIN on motion at THREE points. As already stated, the x-ray evidence supports my loss of motion without an exam because my lumbosacral spine is fused and my thoracic spine shows a deformity of moderate scoliosis due to a compression fracture, among other x-ray, mri, bone scan, etc. type evidence.

What x-ray evidence doesn't show is PAIN ON Motion. So, if I have over a four year history at a VAMC and it is noted throughout that I continue with pain, why the need for C&P exam at all? If the meds are noted, but the doctors I still experience pain with these meds, what is the point of an exam? The point is that the VARO rating specialist needs to justify his/her decision with objective findings from a rating examiner to determine the level of disability for rating purposes. The medications do not present that the true picture. If the VAMC were to stop all of my meds tomorrow, it would not change the TRUE disability picture and reason I filed a claim in the first place.

But I did a search on Hadit.com regarding this same issue before my exam last week. I didn't ask the question on here again because it has actually been asked before. Yes, there are mixed views because we are not all dealing with the same medical conditions/issues. I am not seeking service connection, I already am. I do not have a claim for anything relating to depression or PTSD. My claims are strictly physical. So, I guess dealing with the pain for a few days to give the accurate picture of my condition was worth the pain because I have one claim that has been pending an appeal for the past 2 plus years for a rate increase, at which time I did take my meds for the exam. The rating examiner did not ask my one single question about my pain without them. I have all of my C&P exams and there has not been that question addressed at all. They have all been about the OBJECTIVE findings.

I take offense to calling something "fraud" when the reality is that the medications are what present a "fraudulent" diability picture of someone who is truly disabled but the rating specialist determines that the person "is not" because the so called meds are working.