How Much Weight Does Medication Play In Decision

[Rockhound]

Question: How much weight in the claims decision process does medication for a specific disease and/or disorder play?

I was given both Serentil and then Mellaril for an acute schizophrenic episode during a three month hospital stay on a psychiatric ward in the Navy, in 1973. Both are use to treat specifically for schizophrenia, but now are only recommended when at least two other types of medication are tried, because of bad side effects on the heart beat.

I am now taking Quetiapine Fumarate, which is also used to treat schizophrenia. Basically it is to keep the bezare thoughts and ideals that I get from time to time.

None of these meds are exactly a drug that you give someone to treat him for a personality disorder, inadequate type. HuH!

Rockhound

[olenavygoat]

It's been my experience that if they are providing you medication and/or therapy and it helps to any degree that they have the condition "under control". So in the raters eyes the condition would rate one of the lower ratings found in Title 38, secret decoder ring section. What the rater will also use along with the psych's notes is the Global Assessment Functionability (GAF) score that points toward your interaction in real life situations. Typically the lower the score the higher the disability rating. So it's important that you reveal just how bad things are in person with the psych as you do when filling out a GAF test. There again, you typically take the test once, then the psych notes during therapy where your score is.

So in short to answer your question, it depends on the severity of your condition with their meds and therapy notes as to where your rating will fall.

I also take quetiapine but for nightmares associated with ptsd. I believe it's the VA's med of choice for medium mental disorders!

[Josephine]

I was given both Serentil and then Mellaril for an acute schizophrenic episode during a three month hospital stay on a psychiatric ward in the Navy, in 1973. Both are use to treat specifically for schizophrenia, but now are only recommended when at least two other types of medication are tried, because of bad side effects on the heart beat.

I am now taking Quetiapine Fumarate, which is also used to treat schizophrenia. Basically it is to keep the bezare thoughts and ideals that I get from time to time.

None of these meds are exactly a drug that you give someone to treat him for a personality disorder, inadequate type. HuH!

Rockhound,

The Mellaril caught my eye, for I was given the same drug to rid my

brain of the thoughts of that darn swimming pool. (I was given

Erafon , Mellaril, and Stelazine after service - all antipsychotic

medication )

Yours is even better, as your's was given to you in service.

Mellaril (generic thioridazine) is an antipsychotic medication. Like

others of its class, it is prescribed to ease the psychotic features

of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder.

SerentilDescriptionfont sizeAAANote: Removed from US market - 2004

Serentil® (mesoridazine besylate), the besylate salt of a metabolite

of thioridazine, is a phenothiazine tranquilizer which is effective

in the treatment of schizophrenia, organic brain disorders,

alcoholism and psychoneuroses. Serentil® (mesoridazine besylate) is

10 [2(1-methyl 2-piperidyl) ethyl]-2-(methyl-sulfinyl)-phenothiazine

[as the besylate].

Bipolar Disorder

SEROQUEL is indicated for the treatment of both:

depressive episodes associated with bipolar disorder

acute manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder as either

monotherapy or adjunct therapy to lithium or divalproex.

Depression

The efficacy of SEROQUEL was established in two identical 8-week

randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind clinical studies that

included either bipolar I or II patients (See CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY).

Effectiveness has not been systematically evaluated in clinical

trials for more than 8 weeks.

Mania

The efficacy of SEROQUEL in acute bipolar mania was established in

two 12-week monotherapy trials and one 3-week adjunct therapy trial

of bipolar I patients initially hospitalized for up to 7 days for acute mania (See CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY). Effectiveness has not been

systematically evaluated in clinical trials for more than 12 weeks in

monotherapy and 3 weeks in adjunct therapy.

Schizophrenia

SEROQUEL is indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia.

The efficacy of SEROQUEL in schizophrenia was established in short-

term (6-week) controlled trials of schizophrenic inpatients

(See CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY

You hit the nail on the head, definitely not to treat a

personality Disorder.

You do not receive benfits due to the PD. Am I

right? You need to rid yourself of the PD diagnosis.

Have you had continuous symptomatic treatment since service with the

same class of antipsychotic medications?

Bi- Polar and Schizophrenia are both to my knowledge, payable by the

VA.

We are both fighting the good old Personality Disorder.

I can give you the name of an excellent Forensic Psychiatrist.

I just happen to locate the top 20 Forensic Psychiatrist in the

United States.

From looking at the list there seems to be one covering the states.

Just let me know.

I am fighting my Personalty thing right now.

Please remember, this is just my opinion, as I am not a Service

Officer.

Always,

Betty

Edited January 7, 2008 by Josephine

[betrayed]

Question: How much weight in the claims decision process does medication for a specific disease and/or disorder play?

Rockhound

NONE IMO, in all my SOCS & SSOCS there has never been any mention of my medications, write now I have 12 RX's, I had nearly 20 at one time. The only mention of meds was by me, and it was ignored.

[luvHIM]

I know your question is more specific to "mental disorders." But I have a condition that is treated by a very expensive medication, along with five other meds. For the past several years, it has been argued that being on this medication would constitute awarding at the highest possible rating because physicians will not prescribed it unless the condition is "severe."

However, like Betrayed indicated, it really doesn't matter with VA what you are taking. That is not how they assess your rating. It may be considered in some off chance. But the regs are not written to give credence to us being prescribed a particular medication or medications.

Someone else's personal experience may be different with regard to their meds being considered in the rater's decision.

[Josephine]

I know your question is more specific to "mental disorders." But I have a condition that is treated by a very expensive medication, along with five other meds. For the past several years, it has been argued that being on this medication would constitute awarding at the highest possible rating because physicians will not prescribed it unless the condition is "severe."

However, like Betrayed indicated, it really doesn't matter with VA what you are taking. That is not how they assess your rating. It may be considered in some off chance. But the regs are not written to give credence to us being prescribed a particular medication or medications.

Someone else's personal experience may be different with regard to their meds being considered in the rater's decision.

I certainly agree with both of you, the VA does not care what meds you take.

I believe his hospitalization during service and the meds taken at

that time, as listed in his SMR's, of the hospitalization and

continued treatment for same, may help him with an IME to eliminate

the Personality Disorder.

As I said, this is only my opinion, as I certainly am not any Service Officer.

Always,

Betty

Edited January 7, 2008 by Josephine

[Pete53]

Use the internet and copy and paste what the meds are used for in your NOD.