Upcoming Migraine C&P exam

[AllTheWay 19]

Greetings Hadit  family,

I am not sure as if my question had been ask before but I can not find it anywhere in the forum. I do apologize in advance if it has been answered.  

I had in the past had applied for migraines secondary to tinnitus and of course was denied. The examiner ( Neuro) did diagnosed and wrote up a good report until the opine and rationale portion of the dbq.

I have went another route trying to get my diagnosed migraines service connected. I have did a new FDC claim for migraines and also stated migraines secondary to other serviced connected disabilities such as PTSD.

I do have an event or injury that happened while in service. I do have a diagnosis. I am missing number 3. I have received a phone call from LHI for a C&P exam. I am being seen by a Nurse Practitioner. Shouldn't this exam be conducted by a Neuro?

[awgv001 97]

1 hour ago, AllTheWay said:

Greetings Hadit  family,

I am not sure as if my question had been ask before but I can not find it anywhere in the forum. I do apologize in advance if it has been answered.  

I had in the past had applied for migraines secondary to tinnitus and of course was denied. The examiner ( Neuro) did diagnosed and wrote up a good report until the opine and rationale portion of the dbq.

I have went another route trying to get my diagnosed migraines service connected. I have did a new FDC claim for migraines and also stated migraines secondary to other serviced connected disabilities such as PTSD.

I do have an event or injury that happened while in service. I do have a diagnosis. I am missing number 3. I have received a phone call from LHI for a C&P exam. I am being seen by a Nurse Practitioner. Shouldn't this exam be conducted by a Neuro?

You have to have all 3 of the Caluza elements to establish direct service connection.

Why limit Migraines as secondary to tinnitus? If you have a chronic diagnosis, Nexus, and (complaints - treatment - witnesses), then use that evidence from those documents and then the VA will have to figure out how to connect them, and whether it's secondary or not to anything.

Redact  your information from the Neuro's report, and the decision letter, and the report of event/injury, and post it up here for us. Then we may be able to better assist you without speculating as much.

Without the Nexus, your claim doesn't have enough ground to stand on yet. Your PCP or a Neuro could do the Nexus part if they agree to. (This would be supplemental with the new evidence)

A neurologist doing the C&P carries more weight than an NP, however, an NP can do your C&P.

I am not an Attorney or VSO, any advice I provide is not to be construed as legal advice.

Edited March 9, 2020 by awgv001

[shrekthetank1 720]

so the NP doing your C&P exam is not saying they know Neuro or anything like that, so IMO you should have your information for Neuro for them to base their OPINION on.  The C&P person will look up information, but if you give them a road map from my experience they will tend to follow it.  This is not always the case and you should come at it from all angles, but this has worked for me!

[vetquest 1,032]

I had a NP do a peripheral neuropathy exam once.  Do like awgv001 advises.  You will probably get low balled on your migraine issue.  You need to appeal for a higher rating normally.  I would also start a headache diary.  These are very important in showing how severe your migraines are.  It is good that you have the first two pillars of a successful VA case.  Hopefully the C&P will show the nexus, that is what they are supposed to be for, if not then you need it from a civilian doctor with the statement that they read your STR's and that your condition is more likely than not the result of your military duties.

[AllTheWay 19]

I really thank you all that had replied to my post and sharing your knowledge and experiences with LHI and migraines exam.  I will try to upload my last DBQ and decision letter at a later time once I blacken out my PII info.

 

 

[Guest]

VA normally use Nurse Practitioners for their C & P exams.   You can try to get your own DBQ form your VAMC or Private Neurologist.

[AllTheWay 19]

Thank you.. I am trying to redact my DBQ from my first migraine C&P exam but I am having problems removing my PII info.  The Neuro did identify that I do have migraines. She also recognizes that I am being treated. She also check yes to all of other symptoms such as lights, vomiting, and all of the things thats required for a 50% rating. But when it came to the opinion, she stated that tinnitus is less than likely than not headaches are related to tinnitus.. I knew from jump street a denial. Rationale is that tinnitus is due to sensory neural hearing loss. Headaches are not due to sensory hearing loss. The sensory neural hearing is due to damage to the 8th cranial nerve i.e. auditory nerve. Headaches are not due to the 8th cranial nerve.

When I opened up that claim, I did it for migraines secondary to tinnitus as well as other serviced connected disabilities, which my others are PTSD, shoulder, feet. After receiving decision letter and studying it, the va did not consider my other service connected disabilities so therefore Reason for denial: Basically what the C&P examiner stated. Favorable findings. You have been diagnosed with migraines. Also it was identified that I was involved in a vehicle rollover while in service. 

The VA failed to consider other service connected disabilities so thats why I am thinking that another C&P exam was ordered. The Migraine C&P was done in October 2019.

I had just move to Missouri from Michigan so hopefully the examiners in Missouri is better. I am planning to bring in all of my documents to include buddy statements and the medications that my VA PCP have me on for migraines.

Thanks for the reading eyes and listening ears.

 

82nd All the way and no walking on Ardennes.