diabetes Depression And Other Issues

[jdman]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this site. I recently received a 30% rating for Depression and Anxiety. I have experienced other issues since getting out of the service. I have been diagnosed with Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Sleep Apnea. I filed a claim for Sleep apnea but was denied due to not having it while in the military. Should I file for these other secondary issues?

[SP4RVN1971]

Jdman, welcome Aboard. It took for some of my conditions 30-40 years to come out. You hang in there, Never Give UP!!

Thank You for your service, and God Bless

[john999]

If you have some medical proof that those other conditions were caused by depression or if you had them in service then Yes.

[dee7038]

Hello to you all,

I am also 30% SC for depression/anxiety and panic attacks. I understand that insomnia and all the MH issues are pyramided in the same category. My question is concerning sleep apnea also. I just had a sleep study done through the VA and I was diagnosed with one of the sleep disorders (waking up at night) not sure which one. Can I connect the dots by filing a claim stating that the depression aggravated/or caused the sleep apnea? I know that I may not be wording this correctly..........Respectfully.....

[Pete53]

Welcome to Hadit. The VA usually lowballs Veterans on first rating. I started with 30% for panic disorder. Are you able to work?

You can connect sleep apnea if you can find a Doctor to make an opinion that it started in service. Its even possible but much harder if you can find buddies that will say that you showed they symptoms in service mainly loud snoring, stop breathing while sleeping and falling asleep in day time.

If you can link sleep apnea to service and use a CPAP you can get a pretty good rating out of it.

If you think that you should get a higher rating go after it the longer you wait the harder it is.

Good Luck

[dee7038]

Thank you Pete53,

Right now I am working (full-time) in a dusty warehouse. The position I hold is distributing material worldwide for all types of missions and I am required to operate heavy equipment, forklifts, stock selectors and other material handling equipment. Some of the material that we pick in the warehouse has been sitting on the shelves since 1952. The medications that I am taking now are Cymbalta, Seroquel, and anxiety/panic attacks medications (cant't remember the names). Sometimes while working I feel like I am in a zombie state and if I am idle at work I will fall asleep. Now, at night I don't have this problem because I am up all night (I may sleep 4 hours). I know that this is not good, but I have a family to take care of. I have used all my sick leave and I am currently negative 158 hours in the hole because of excessive amount of time taken off from work.

I just recently went to the emergency room with an asthma attack. I haven't had an asthma attack since 2006. I also take albuterol as needed. My anxiety/panic increased due to the combivent and predisone that the hospital administered, and caused my heart to palputate on the EKG machine so the hospital kept me overnight. Finally, after numerous test the doctors stated that now I have a thyroid nodule 3 cmm, bronchitis, and heart palputation.

After leaving the hospital, I scheduled an appointment with the VA for a follow up. The VA doctor tells me that I am either going to have to find another job or stop working, because the environment I am in is not healthy for a person with asthma. He explained to me that because of all of the machinery, and trucks backing into the loading docks the fumes are triggers and if I am having to use my albuterol more than twice a week then I need to consider finding another job or etc. ...My thing is that I don't really have a choice of where I am employed right now. I don't know how to handle this, because this is all I have right now. Am I able to file for TDIU or is it to early for me to do that?.......Or do I have to be unemployed the file for TDIU?..........Respectfully,

[broncovet]

Nobody knows your history like you do. If you think these are related to service, (or secondary), by all means file. When in doubt, file. Many have waited and wished they would have filed earlier, myself included.