ptsd Sleep Apena Connection To Ptsd Rating?

[RichL]

Does anyone know if sleep apena is or can be connected to a PTSD disibility rating?

Thanks,

[Vike17]

This question was just asked not too long ago in another thread. The short answer is to ask your doctor if this is possible in your case.

Vike 17

[olenavygoat]

Good advice by Vike.

Although trauma may contribute to sleep disturbance, so can pain. I would say your best bet is to keep up with dreams/nightmares and/or pain that is disturbing your sleep. If it's neither, it could be a prostate or obstructive based issue.

[Tower_Rat]

Yeah i agree with the others you have to flat out ask your doctor if its connected and get him to write a statement as such. I claimed sleep apnea secondary to PTSD and im awaiting the verdict from the RO. At the time I didnt even know I had sleep apnea and the psychiatrist is the one who suggested it to me that it was a secondary condition in my case but, that he couldnt put in for the sleep study that I would have to do that myself through my primary at the VA. The psychiatrist related the sleep apnea diagnosis after the sleep study to my sleep problems including PTSD, and if you have to use a CPAP like I do then maybe it will be favorable but, you got to ask the doctors for the link or im thinking they will not want to do anything about it. Good luck!!!!

[Guest rickb54]

Richl,

I agree with vike you are going to need to talk to your primary care doctor about this.

Now if I were to take an educated guess I would say no PTSD does not actually cause sleep apena, sleep apena is a breathing disorder I do not see how a breathing disorder and PTSD would have a connection. However this is just my humble opinion based on 37 years of breathing problems.

I did a google search and this is what I found:

Following is a list of underlying conditions that could possibly cause Sleep apnea includes:

Obesity

Common cold

Sinusitis

Enlarged tonsils

Enlarged adenoids

Airway abnormality

Nose abnormality

Throat abnormality

This was taken from: http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/s/sleep_apnea/causes.htm

but I recommend you do a google search yourself, search conditon: causes of sleep apena

hope this helps....

[tdak]

Rickb,

Stress can cause many many things. I suggest you have a sleep lab done by your doctor to get to the root of the problem. It can be one of many things. I myself have to have one done next month. I do know I feel more stressed not getting a good night's sleep.

[Guest rickb54]

Tdak,

I think you ment to address your comments to Richl.

[Tower_Rat]

Yeah there are many causes of sleep apnea or OSA. My psychiatrist wrote in my record that my sleep disturbances (night mares and night terrors) were connected to the PTSD and that as a result of many years of such that I had developed sleep apnea. I guess the indirect cause is also high blood pressure if you have that also. They are all related to stress and traumatic things that happen to the person. PTSD, Depression, General anxiety disorder, panic attacks, Sleep Apnea, and High blood pressure; or at least thats what my VA docs say. Some intresting reading I found buy just googling (is sleep apena related to PTSD?)

http://psy.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/39/2/168.pdf

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000401/2037.html

http://psy.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/39/2/168

These were just some of the ones I found but, you should ask your doctor too so they can write it in your notes.