ptsd Can Insomnia Be Considered Secondary To Ptsd

[mcarter985]

I have a C&P for PTSD this week and not too worried about it but do have a question. If I do get a rating can I also claim Insomnia as Secondary to PTSD? I'm currently involved with a sleep study with the VA...both the doctor and myself don't think I have OSD but a result of PTSD. Unsure if this would be considered another mental disorder (remembering you can only claim one) or if it can be considered another type. Any thoughts?

[Philip Rogers]

Insomnia can be caused by PTSD but so can OSA be caused by PTSD. I'd file. jmo

pr

[brokensoldier244th]

IT may be lumped in under Mental, though, too. Ive seen some citations worded that way. Per 'Cruiser', a former VA rater specialist and later manager (from another site I frequent)

Primary insomnia is insomnia for which no cause can be found. Service connection can be granted for this and it would normally be evaluated under the most appropriate code, most likely sleep apnea, with a 0, 10, or 30 percent evaluation. During my career at VA I can only remember seeing a couple of cases of primary insomnia.

Secondary insomnia is insomnia that is due to some other condition such as depression or pain. Secondary insomnia does not warrant a separate evaluation apart from the primary condition. Some level of insomnia is present in just about every known condition that produces pain, which is most of them. For example I have a service connected cervical spine condition that keeps me awake many nights because I can't find a comfortable position that doesn't hurt. This just comes with the territory and isn't a separate disability.

Edited April 5, 2015 by brokensoldier244th

[Philip Rogers]

IT may be lumped in under Mental, though, too. Ive seen some citations worded that way. Per 'Cruiser', a former VA rater specialist and later manager (from another site I frequent)

Primary insomnia is insomnia for which no cause can be found. Service connection can be granted for this and it would normally be evaluated under the most appropriate code, most likely sleep apnea, with a 0, 10, or 30 percent evaluation. During my career at VA I can only remember seeing a couple of cases of primary insomnia.

Secondary insomnia is insomnia that is due to some other condition such as depression or pain. Secondary insomnia does not warrant a separate evaluation apart from the primary condition. Some level of insomnia is present in just about every known condition that produces pain, which is most of them. For example I have a service connected cervical spine condition that keeps me awake many nights because I can't find a comfortable position that doesn't hurt. This just comes with the territory and isn't a separate disability.

BS244 - I believe you should be rated 50%, just for OSA, if you use CPAP or BPAP.

pr

[brokensoldier244th]

You can be but it is not a given. I, for example, have OSA , and also suffer from depression and chronic pain. They could not separate out how much insomnia was mental, pain related, or OSA, so I have a CPAP and only 20% for Apnea, after a 4 yr appeal. *shrug* It is not a 'given', though I see it discussed a lot on this forum and others as "get a CPAP, get 50%" WOOT!

Doesnt always work out to be a slap shot.

Edited April 5, 2015 by brokensoldier244th

[Philip Rogers]

I would appeal that 20% rating! jmo

pr

[brokensoldier244th]

*shrug* Why? Im satisfied with it. How can someone quantify if pain woke me up, or OSA? I have 15-20 episodes a minute without Cpap, and maybe a few an hour with it. Meaning that something else is waking me up and its not OSA. Why appeal and gum up the works for everyone else when its pretty obvious that I don't need to?

:-)

CAS