ptsd Sleep apnea opinion

[armyvet89]

I have been diagnosed with OSA with a civilian sleep doctor. I plain on claiming it secondary to PTSD that has been diagnosed. I did not have a diagnosis in service but I did have a orthopedic surgeon diagnose presumptive OSA based on my habits during a knee surgery and I have that documentation. While going thru my screening and treatment for ptsd (5 months after discharge) I had several complaints of sleep issues but no specific symptoms were mentioned. 

So now that I have the DX of OSA I asked the doc to fill out the DBQ and he did. I told him I would need a nexus between ptsd and my OSA and thanks to the new sleep apnea standards a letter describing why a CPAP is medically necessary. He was all about helping me. He wrote on the DBQ that "PTSD is very aggravated by untreated OSA and makes a significant upset in his day to day life". In the remarks section he said that "patient will experience excessive day sleepiness making it extremely dangerous to operate Henry machinery or motor vehicles putting patient at risk for serious injury or death". The doctor also gave me a news study showing a like between ptsd and osa as well as an article showing a connection between the two based off of the medicine I am on.

I also have a letter from my wife stating that I did not snore at all before service but saying I started after my deployment to Iraq. So my question is this, is what the doctor said enough to get service connection?

[Buck52]

I'll say your wife statement will be favorable  her being in the medical field helps , but the one thing the VA will look at or take into consideration is  that   she knows you better than anyone.

In my award letter  ''What we Decided''  they tell the reason and bases & list the evidence  and my wife lay statement was added.

jmo

............Buck

[Andyman73]

19 hours ago, armyvet89 said:

Thanks Andyman. Would it be acceptable for her to say that she feels it is at as likely than not that my OSA started in service and is aggravating my PTSD?

Because she is a nurse, it won't hurt for her to say that, especially if she was able to observe you(sleeping next to you) during your AD years.  That's for the OSA, as for the PTSD, that would be a stretch, however, she can certainly say that she noticed your personality began to be effected by the change in your sleep pattern, which she would have seen by being around you during that same time frame.

[Joe Hillbilly]

I'm also curious how these family lay statements work.  My brother, a physician's assistant certified and "subject matter expert", heard that I was in the claims process and sent a letter to the evidence intake center.  I don't know what it said because he didn't let me read it but I'm a pretty messed up individual and am certain he put something in there that he thought might set me off.  I don't know.  He is also a combat veteran and has experienced first hand the issues I deal with.  I'm 70% now and can't work due to my issues.  I haven't worked since 2009.  My work history looks worse than a crack addicts and I have a college degree and have held professional positions.  You can't perform the duties required with the stuff we have.  I couldn't door greet at Walmart because they would never know when I was going to show or take a bath. Bad thing is, neither would I.

This is rough stuff and it makes me numb every damn time I think about how south my life has turned.

[Gastone]

PTSD & SA DX timelines could be problematic.There's a possible Nexus of PTSD causing SA, can't say I've seen any Medical Literature indicating SA causing PTSD. Which did you get DX'd with 1st?

There are  about 8-12 generally accepted Medical causes of OSA, how do you stack up? Family history, Male, Obese, 17+ in neck, just to name a few.

Until you have an actual VA Forensic PTSD C & P Exam, you don't have a SC PTSD DX. The only DBQ that counts for Rating purposes, is the C & P DBQ.

I may have missed it, have you filed a PTSD FDC with all your Medical and Lay  Evidence attached, yet? If not, why not? Your "Burning Daylight!"

Semper Fi

[Andyman73]

Can't burn too much of that daylight stuff!

 

[Fat]

Good luck.........