Claiming sleep apnea as a secondary to restrictive lung disease

[navyguy357]

I have a service connected disability with zero rating for restrictive lung disease. How can I claim my recent VA diagnosis for sleep apnea as a secondary? How can I find a doctor who will write me a nexus letter? How can I request an increase for restrictive lung disease? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[navyguy357]

18 minutes ago, broncovet said:

Dx = Diagnosis (medical)

Rx = Prescription.  You have to have a docs prescription for a CPAP machine.  

LFT = is probably a "liver Function Test".  

Its possible Gastone was referring to a "sleep test" or maybe PFT

"Pulmonary Function Test".  

see attachment. DX and RX given. This is the sleep study done in 2012, i have a current one from VA also.

Edited January 15, 2018 by pshaw

[Gastone]

I apologize folks, should have been PFT had Lung Function on my mind.

With that said, when was your last VMC PFT? Would be very interesting to compare the results. Just about all of the Restrictive Lung SC Ratings rely on the PFT results to determine Severity for Rating purposes.

[Gastone]

Just eyeballed the above SA Dr's DX (what's the Date?),  your P02's were great but the opinion regarding relatively minor Sleep Disturbances and lild limited episodes of OSA possibly requiring an "Oral Appliance" as opposed to CPAP isn't quite what you were looking for.

No discussion of a possible Nexus and suggesting the need for weight loss if clinically permissible doesn't help.

The overshadowing DX appears to now be Mild Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome with occasional rare but somewhat mild OSA events.

[broncovet]

I agree with Gastone.  Based purely on what you posted, you have "not" been prescibed a CPAP YET.  

Its possible, at a later time, you are prescribed a CPAP, particularly after you have tried an oral appliance like the doc suggested.  

The schedule of rating disabilities shows a rating of 50 percent for sleep apnea WHEN A CPAP IS REQUIRED BY DOCTORS PRESCRIPTION.  

Since you have not been prescribed a CPAP (or BIPAP), the max rating you could get for OSA is probably 0 percent UNLESS you have persistant hypersolmence:

https://www.veteranslawblog.org/sleep-apnea/

[navyguy357]

The sleep study you see is from 2012 refered by a Navy doctor. last year the VA doctor referred me to another sleep test and I was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and prescribed a CPAP. I have been using it since October 2016. 

I have not physically seen the results from the last sleep study. I will be trying to get those this week.

 

Edited January 15, 2018 by pshaw

[Gastone]

If the Sleep Study was done at your VMC, you should be able to get the Results and Clinician Treatment Notes off you MHV (My Healthy Vet) site.

When was your last PFT? Depending on the results, the DX for CPAP could result in a 60% SC for the Restrictive Lung. 60's better than a 50.