ptsd Received Call From Va Regional Office!

[bm6546]

I received a phone call today from a lady at the VA Regional office in Oakland. She told me they were going to set up an appointment at the VA hospital in Reno for an exam for my claim for ED.

After hearing nothing from the VA for over a year on my claim for PTSD, anxiety, depression and ED from my heart attack, they are now going to address my claim for ED. My claim for ED was sort of tacked on at the end of my main claim for the other things. I am not sure what this means. Is it a C&P exam? I am not sure if ED is even a compensated % or is it a special compensation or what? Have they skipped the rest of my claims? The VA doc prescribed the medication for the ED and said it was caused by my depression which is a direct result from my heart attack due to my SC heart condition, which they have continually denied compensation. My heart claim is currently under review with DRO.

Sorry for rambling on. Not sure what to expect with this appointment with the Reno hospital. Any answers would really be appreciated. Thank you.

Brian

[Berta]

I am not sure what a C & P for ED is all about-

but it sounds like you should get it SCed wth no problem-in the long run------but

I am very concerned by this-

"The VA doc prescribed the medication for the ED and said it was caused by my depression which is a direct result from my heart attack due to my SC heart condition, which they have continually denied compensation. My heart claim is currently under review with DRO."

Did the doctor or any doctor formally state that your heart disease is linked to your service yet?

Did you claim depression as related directly do to your heart disease?

If they deny on PTSD -with SC CAD and depression due to that they should rate you for the depression if secondary to the CAD-if that is SCed.

Sounds like they are diverting the issues here-and looking at it all backwards.

If you have strong medical evidence of SC for heart disease you should NOT drop any of these claims at all.

All of these claims could be directly related to the heart disease and your PTSD when SCed could be aggravating it, if they deny on the depression as related to it.

Do you have a service officer or vet rep?

"am a little nervous (that is an understatement), of going for the C&P exam for my ED. The last C&P (for my SC heart condition) I had 2 years ago was done by a nurse practioner. (Should have been done by a Cardiologist). She asked me 3 or 4 questions about my heart condition and asked me if I was having any problems with my heart. I told her I was not because the medication was helping. The VARO denied my claim for a heart condition and said the NP reported that I was now fine and my heart condition was no longer a problem"

I hope you nodded that -I think you should check via Iris on all of these claims as to their status -something seems very odd here to me-

With a statement like that from your C & P I guess the VA can tell any vet they are cured of their disability-and say it is no longer a problem.

A VA cardiologist told me in 1992 that my husband had no heart problems either-he dropped dead 2 years later from heart attack and when I looked into his med recs- they had already misdiagnosed a prior heart attack he had while working at the VA.

I just found out that this doctor and the other doctors who misdiagnosed my husband were never reported to the NPDB so it makes me wonder how many other vets they messed up too-

I am sure you are fne and this is not the case with you still-

you do have heart disease and the VA must rate it properly

and determine if it is service connected.

What was the % they gave you in the rating of your heart disease in the last denial letter (your rep would have the blue rating sheet if you didnt get it.)

Did you fully comply for each of these claims with everything that each VCAA asked you to send them?

[SeattleShay]

They will most likely diagnois your erectile dysfunction as a side effect of your cardiac meds, since almost all cardiac and blood pressure meds cause ed. I know this is what they are starting to do in a lot of cases to keep from paying the smc and service connecting a condition that can be caused my meds taken for a non s/c.

[john999]

I think the actual C&P exam for ED is based on self-report. What can they do ....show you Playboy magazine and then see if your respond? I don't think they are that far along. The meds for depression can cause ED and lack of libido. Paxil and that family of drugs is famous for that problem. If you are suffering from high anxiety that can cause ED.

[bm6546]

I am not sure what a C & P for ED is all about-

but it sounds like you should get it SCed wth no problem-in the long run------but

I am very concerned by this-

"The VA doc prescribed the medication for the ED and said it was caused by my depression which is a direct result from my heart attack due to my SC heart condition, which they have continually denied compensation. My heart claim is currently under review with DRO."

Did the doctor or any doctor formally state that your heart disease is linked to your service yet?

Did you claim depression as related directly do to your heart disease?

If they deny on PTSD -with SC CAD and depression due to that they should rate you for the depression if secondary to the CAD-if that is SCed.

Sounds like they are diverting the issues here-and looking at it all backwards.

If you have strong medical evidence of SC for heart disease you should NOT drop any of these claims at all.

All of these claims could be directly related to the heart disease and your PTSD when SCed could be aggravating it, if they deny on the depression as related to it.

Do you have a service officer or vet rep?

"am a little nervous (that is an understatement), of going for the C&P exam for my ED. The last C&P (for my SC heart condition) I had 2 years ago was done by a nurse practioner. (Should have been done by a Cardiologist). She asked me 3 or 4 questions about my heart condition and asked me if I was having any problems with my heart. I told her I was not because the medication was helping. The VARO denied my claim for a heart condition and said the NP reported that I was now fine and my heart condition was no longer a problem"

I hope you nodded that -I think you should check via Iris on all of these claims as to their status -something seems very odd here to me-

With a statement like that from your C & P I guess the VA can tell any vet they are cured of their disability-and say it is no longer a problem.

A VA cardiologist told me in 1992 that my husband had no heart problems either-he dropped dead 2 years later from heart attack and when I looked into his med recs- they had already misdiagnosed a prior heart attack he had while working at the VA.

I just found out that this doctor and the other doctors who misdiagnosed my husband were never reported to the NPDB so it makes me wonder how many other vets they messed up too-

I am sure you are fne and this is not the case with you still-

you do have heart disease and the VA must rate it properly

and determine if it is service connected.

What was the % they gave you in the rating of your heart disease in the last denial letter (your rep would have the blue rating sheet if you didnt get it.)

Did you fully comply for each of these claims with everything that each VCAA asked you to send them?

[bm6546]

Berta,

No doctor as of yet has come out and said that my heart disease is linked to my time in the service. I was discharged from the Navy with a SC heart condition.

My VA Psychiatrist and VA Psychologist as well as my private doctors have all agreed that my depression and anxiety developed after my heart attack over 2 years ago. No doctor has said or will actually say that it is directly related to my heart attack and heart disease. It just seems kind of strange to me that before I had my heart attack and diagnosed with heart disease, I felt OK and did not have any of these symptoms. Then after my heart attack all of these symptoms occured.

Yes I do have a service officer and she appears to be pretty knowledgeable. She filed a claim over a year ago for PTSD, anxiety, depression and ED caused as a direct result from my heart attack and my SC heart condition.

The VA denied my claim for heart condition and continued at 0 SC. We filed a NOD on this claim and it is currently with the DRO.

My claim for PTSD, depression, anxiety and ED were filed as secondary to my heart condition. After 1 year I received a phone call from the RO that they were sending me to the VA hospital in Reno for an examination for my ED.

Even the SSDI, which i am collecting, determined as Primary Diagnosis-Anxiety Disorder and Secondary Diagnosis-Chronic Ischemic Heart Disease with or w/o Angina.

Berta, thank you for your help, it is very much appreciated. Brian