Insomnia

[Marcelino.Rodriguez]

Is Insomnia rated together with PTSD or is it separate from PTSD or separate from Mental Health

[brokensoldier244th]

Insomnia is rated as a MH condition, unless it is specifically physical like OSA.

 

[broncovet]

Are you using a cpap?  

   I went to see my wife's (private) cpap doc.  I asked him if depression/mental health disorders were related to OSA.  He responded that sleep apnea and mental health disorders have many of the same symptoms.  

If you have insominia, consider getting a sleep study..you would need to ask your prime care doc.  I use a cpap.  It helps a bunch.  

[FloridaNative]

I agree with getting a sleep study. I have complex sleep apnea going back to my time in the Navy. It wasn't diagnosed until I developed A-fib. My A-fib wasn't diagnosed for a couple of years after I reported symptoms. I had another nurse check me and write a letter. My primary had me monitored and each time nothing happened. I can usually tell when I am in A-fib. One day I was getting my vitals checked before an appointment and the nurse told me I was in A-fib. I had a sleep study. It turned out I was having apneic periods over 40 times an hour. I ended up with a bipap. Sleep apnea is a serious condition despite what some in the medical community claim. In time it will cause A-fib which in turn increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke. When a patient goes into a-fib heart rate rises to dangerous levels along with blood pressure. The the upper chamber of the heart beats so fast that blood get pumped properly and may coagulate. This in turn risks having a clot go to the brain or heart's blood vessels. Additionally the lack of sleep increases the risk of having an accident. 

[broncovet]

You do NOT have to have a diagnosis of sleep apnea in service to get service connection for sleep apnea from service.  

Instead, there are at least 2 ways to get service connected for sleep apnea.  

1.  (Secondary Service connection) Be service connected for "something else" (often a mental health disorder such as PTSD or MDD)  HAVE A DIAGNOSIS OF OSA, and be using a cpap AND:

Have a nexus letter from a doctor that states your current diagnosis of sleep apnea is at least as likely as not related to your PTSD (service connected).  (And explain why the doc thinks so). 

OR 

2. (Direct or primary service connection)  Have the 3 Caluza elements of:

    A.  CURRENT diagnosis (not necessarily an in service diagnosis)

    B.  HAVE A DOCUMENTED "EVENT IN SERVICE" 

     C.  HAVE A DOCTORS NEXUS, WHERE HE SAYS YOUR CURRENT DIAGNOSIS IS AT LEAST AS LIKELY AS NOT RELATED TO YOUR "EVENT IN SERVICE".  

WITH SLEEP APNEA, IT COULD BE A FACE INJURY, SUCH AS BEING PUNCHED, OR DIVING INJURY, SUCH AS HITTING YOUR NOSE HARD DIVING INTO A POOL., OR OTHER injuries which may have fractured your nose/face.  It could be related to a mental health disorder, or obesity, or, as a doctor so decides.  

     None of the above requires an "iN service" diagnosis".  Altho an in service diagnosis of OSA would be helpful, it is not necessarily required.  Many people have OSA and dont know it. 

You could even have a clean exit physical and still have OSA because, they may not know it UNLESS they gave you a sleep study, and they rarely do that unless they have a reason to think you may have OSA.     

    

 

Edited April 21 by broncovet

[Rattler]

I ask my cpap doc about the connection to sleep apnea. And he said he did not believe it was connected.  I ask him if he read the studys and he said yes. I guess I am going to need an IMO for that.