Can weight loss lead to sleep apnea rating decrease?

[mb76]

If weight loss leads to OSA going away then wouldn't the rating go away as well? I am 50% and use my CPAP.

[GBArmy]

I have OSA, but not (yet) s-c for it. Like Brokernsoldier, I also have GERD. Same situation, I try not to take any naps, although it is very hard to do. I won't let myself fall asleep without being hooked up to the CPAP. Just don't need to have that acid reflux acting up and it will if I don't hook up. But to answer the question, I asked for more masks  and the shipped them. But they also said that was it until I get my regular follow-up eval. My guess is a regular "re-exam" is o  a 3 year cycle.

[GBArmy]

Buck You are 100% so it's kinda on you whether or not to file. Symptoms for OSA with use of CPAP is a 50% rating, so for future SMC's? It's never too late to file.

[GBArmy]

Buck If you decide to file, you're going to have to get an IMO from a doc linking it as secondary. That might not mean you have to take another sleep study, especially if you have been using the CPAP all along. It is a high value disability rating though, so the IMO is going to have evidence that your specific meds for MH has been shown to be a direct cause. I'd do it if I had a good IMO.

[Buck52]

Roger that GB

i think my VA MH Dr would say the medications I take for PTSD would be the cause or related to my recent  5 year OSA   NO PROBLEM THERE  BUT THE SLEEP DR'S MAY NOT? I ask my VA SLEEP DR ONE TIME ABOUT IT  SHE SAID SHE DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO GET INVOLVED WITH CLAIMS.

Beings I never had it while in the military  even if I snored  back then a lot of us snored and never mention it to the Doc's. WE JUST NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT CAUSING US ANY SLEEP PROBLEMS  ECT,,ECT,,,BACK THEN

 OSA was not all that common 48/49 years ago or so. but I am sure people did have OSA

[deedub75]

13 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

Roger that GB

i think my VA MH Dr would say the medications I take for PTSD would be the cause or related to my recent  5 year OSA   NO PROBLEM THERE  BUT THE SLEEP DR'S MAY NOT? I ask my VA SLEEP DR ONE TIME ABOUT IT  SHE SAID SHE DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO GET INVOLVED WITH CLAIMS.

Beings I never had it while in the military  even if I snored  back then a lot of us snored and never mention it to the Doc's. WE JUST NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT CAUSING US ANY SLEEP PROBLEMS  ECT,,ECT,,,BACK THEN

 OSA was not all that common 48/49 years ago or so. but I am sure people did have OSA

My primary care doctor at the VAMC sent me for a sleep study at my request because I told him my wife complained about me snoring and my breathing would stop. When it came back that I had mild sleep apnea and my oxygen levels were dropping, I asked him if my allergies and chronic sinusitis was causing sleep apnea and he agreed that those were more than likely the reasons for my sleep apnea. He wrote that in my medical records and that’s all it took for me to get my sleep apnea claim granted. 

[Vync]

23 hours ago, brokensoldier244th said:

Id love to have one of those, but my Resemed won't die. Ive had it almost 10 yrs. Pretty good for a durable medical device. Ive only had to replace the humidifier pan once. 

I had an older Philips model (provided from a non-VA hospital) and there was nothing wrong with it. The VA made me replace it with the new one on me because it had the cellular modem.