I am amaze! Hoping for a great outcome!

[Patton]

1 hour ago, doc25 said:

I didn't have Sleep Apnea diagnosed in-service, but I did get SC for PTSD with Depression. I claimed SA as secondary to PTSD medications. I was denied twice, I appealed each time, and the third time was the charm.

You can secondary connect OSA to your Mental health conditions, if you're taking meds. Since you also have insomnia, the sleep medication that I'm sure is prescribed to you, to help you sleep; can cause or make OSA worse(aggravate). 

You can secondary connect OSA also to GERD, but there's not alot of literature that I could find other than the case I believe I provided to you in that earlier post.

The URI claim suggested by BDD has to do more with chronic infections. That's what you will need to highlight in your claim. If you had recurrent and chronic respiratory infections well documented in your STR/SMR, and they still occur, you should have a relatively strong claim. 

[Read through the two articles I am providing at the bottom to give you an idea of which SC condition would make your OSA secondary claim stronger.]

GERD&Sleep Apnea.pdf 365.53 kB · 0 downloads Psychiatric Disorders and Sleep Apnea article.pdf 644.59 kB · 1 download

Thanks for the information Doc25 - I will read the PDF's, it looks like a lot of good information. Max Hirshkowitz, is a VA Doctor who has done a lot of Psychiatric Disorders and Sleep Apnea. I have seen his name on a lot of research on the subject. I have been denied twice also, but I was trying to directly service connect OSA. I truly believe that I had OSA in service but in the 1980's OSA was unheard of. So I am going the Secondary route this time and hopefully I can find a Doctor to back it up. I will bring the documentation with me to the Doctor and maybe he/she will use some of it. 

[Patton]

1 hour ago, Buck52 said:

yes if you get S.C. For them both it could boost you on up. but don't count on those.

The Sleep Apnea Is what I would definitely file on  if you use a C-Pap that the Dr's tell you is necessary to use because of your health,  its usually 50% rating   you  may need to see if your Sleep Apnea can be secondary to one or more of your service connected conditions and file the Sleep Apnea Secondary Claim to one of those.  check with the right Dr's on the Sleep Apnea claim and ask if your sc******    .>can be related to OSA? 

Ask that Dr if he will give his medical opinion that  this  veteran s.c. ***** is likely  as not related to his OSA  as I it understand this Veteran is prescribe a C-PAP BY THE VA Sleep clinic after his prescribe sleep study.ect,,,ect,,,  you will need a Dr's help with this.

Your other two conditions may or may not be enough to boost you up to the 100%  but with them and the OSA  that will definitely put you on up to 100% possibly SMC-S H.B.

Good Luck My Brother

 

Just remember just because you use a C-pap don't nessessarily mean the raters will give you a rating for it...you need the Dr;s help in connecting the two. 

look into our C-FILE and  myhealevet notes. for possible favorable notations when you had your sleep study done.

Thanks Buck52 - The VA said that I require a C-PAP, noting that I had 30.4 Apneas per hour. The VA also stated that my Sleep Apnea is caused by my weigh (190 pounds at 5'10") but I am not buying it. I had issues long before I started gaining weigh, but they won't listen. Hopefully now that I have to use a Private Doctor, I can get down to the route of the problem. 

I have just ordered a new copy of my C-File, I should receive it in a couple of months. I would like to have it along with my VA and Military records to take to the Doctor and hopefully they will give an opinion. I am finding that the German Doctors are more open to give an opinion even when it deals with the VA.

[doc25]

15 minutes ago, Patton said:

Thanks Buck52 - The VA said that I require a C-PAP, noting that I had 30.4 Apneas per hour. The VA also stated that my Sleep Apnea is caused by my weigh (190 pounds at 5'10") but I am not buying it. I had issues long before I started gaining weigh, but they won't listen. Hopefully now that I have to use a Private Doctor, I can get down to the route of the problem. 

I have just ordered a new copy of my C-File, I should receive it in a couple of months. I would like to have it along with my VA and Military records to take to the Doctor and hopefully they will give an opinion. I am finding that the German Doctors are more open to give an opinion even when it deals with the VA.

Weight gain is a misconception by most doctors, unless it's a sleep specialist. It's only one factor. There's plenty of veterans that are not overweight and still have Sleep Apnea. Why is that??

So you're right in not buying what they're selling.

Edited April 18, 2019 by doc25

[Patton]

2 hours ago, Buck52 said:

A good example of a secondary claim for Sleep Apnea

Example Only

Say your S.C. For PTSD

Would be PTSD  you can say or the Dr''s can say that your VA Diagnose of sleep apnea is related to your PTSD.....so you can file a secondary claim due to your PTSD & Medications  if you have a Dr to connect the two.

But it has to be a qualified Dr to give his medical opinion on this.

without the help of the Docs your Sleep Apnea Will be denied.

I do need to look at the Medication that the Military and the VA had / has me on. Thanks Buck!

[Patton]

7 minutes ago, doc25 said:

Weight gain is a misconception by most doctors, unless it's a sleep specialist. It's only one factor. There's plenty of veterans that are not overweight and still have Sleep Apnea. Why is that??

So you're right in not buying what they're selling.

I really don't understand why the VA don't want to understand that my weigh gain is from my lack of sleep and chronic pain. It is hard to be motivated to exercise when you are a walking zombie with chronic pain. The funny part of this is that when they tell me no, it pushes me to prove them wrong. I can see a lot more sleepless nights in my future, until I do so.

[Buck52]

I recently read some where maybe a press release email from the VA I get??

I'm not sure where I read about obesity  can cause/ related to another  medical condition.

it mention that  the VA is seeking to do away with obesity or over weight veterans that being over weight  will cause other conditions   ect,,,ect,,,  & is not going to be service connected or can be a secondary condition that veterans use as a way to get service connected for a certain conditions.

not sure yet or not  that law has passed?

Edited April 18, 2019 by Buck52