Migraines

[Wise Guy]

Can migraines be secondary to the pills for PTSD? The VA gave me these pills for anxiety to treat the PTSD. Now I’m awaiting my rating for PTSD.

[AllTheWay]

Great advice. Also like someone had stated to me from hadit in the past. Don't just look as secondary to PTDS. Are your service connected for TBI?

 

[Vync]

On 4/4/2020 at 8:31 AM, AllTheWay said:

Just make sure that you do some research. Have evidence to back up your claim. I have recently submitted a claim for migraines secondary to PTSD and other serviced connected disabilities and from side effects from medications for serviced connected disabilities. Had a C&P exam with LHI, of course a nurse practitioner, he stated that PTSD does not cause migraines. DENIED.

As long as you have an IMO/IME stating that migraines are caused by your SC PTSD and medications for PTSD, you should be good to go.

If not, you will be fighting a battle as to what I am doing as of today.

In most cases, this should be sufficient. However, in doing research veterans need to pay attention to the statistics.

Many drug fact sheets will break down side effects as common, uncommon/less common, rare, and even contraindicated.

 

For rare side or contraindicated effects, be prepared for the VA to challenge the non-VA IMO/IME. The VA likes to use the statistics against the veteran.

In my case, the VA gave me migraine meds for years and I had a heart attack shortly after taking the medication. The drug insert contained some strikingly scary language, but the VA C&P doc said it was statistically rare and felt other risk factors were the cause.

My non-VA neuro doc examined the C&P results, my VA medical records, and came to a different conclusion. Some medications require the doctor to state in writing that they have discussed risk factors with the patient, but the VA never did this. The doctor felt the the statistically small risk of occurrence failed to account for the known presence of other risk factors, which when combined together amplified the risk significantly. 

[Kuwaitin08]

Keep in mind the following: If a medication is claimed as causing a secondary condition, you must remember that a simple change in medication can end your benefits (with the exceptions being severe harm via heart attack or stroke or such). Remember how the VA works...

I agree with the other folks on here who say to pile on the evidence proving your claim being medication, PTSD or whatever... 

Just my opinion...