Sleep Apnea
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  1. #1

    Sleep Apnea

    So the VA has diagnosed me with sleep apnea and will be paying for the CPAP treatment but I don't know if I can claim it as service related yet.

    I did a 9 month stint with a repair shop where I was constantly exposed to freon, spray paint, gases for welding, etc etc. I did list this all my yearly medical hazard sheet, but my apnea didn't start till shortly after I was out. I did have a bit of insomnia but never got treated for that either while in because I didn't think it was a big deal (my mistake).

    What are my chances of getting approved for service-related? I do have an appointment with my doctor in like 6-8 weeks (so I was told on the phone) and will ask the doctor then.


  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by giveen View Post
    So the VA has diagnosed me with sleep apnea and will be paying for the CPAP treatment but I don't know if I can claim it as service related yet.

    I did a 9 month stint with a repair shop where I was constantly exposed to freon, spray paint, gases for welding, etc etc. I did list this all my yearly medical hazard sheet, but my apnea didn't start till shortly after I was out. I did have a bit of insomnia but never got treated for that either while in because I didn't think it was a big deal (my mistake).

    What are my chances of getting approved for service-related? I do have an appointment with my doctor in like 6-8 weeks (so I was told on the phone) and will ask the doctor then.

    I think that's going to be a tough one, I don't think I've ever heard of sleep apnea being work related because it affects people who are not exposed to those things and most folks who have it are not work-related, it's just another regular medical issue. Meaning, even if you did not work there you likely would have gotten the apnea anyway. Those chemicals may cause other lung problems, but I just don't think sleep apnea is one of them.

    I too got diagnosed with sleep apnea through the VA and got the machine through them, they've been great. Do you have obstructive, complex, or central sleep apnea?

    You can get more info and ask some questions here: www.cpaptalk.com . I belong to that forum (same username) and while they may not know the answer as it specifically relates to the VA, you might be able to find out more about cases being related to work.

    Plus, when you start CPAP, you're going to need some support and I highly suggest joining a good forum. CPAP takes work and commitment and I think about half the folks who start it, end up quitting simply because they get frustrated with it. They're a good forum for asking questions and getting help to sort through the issues you'll face when you start therapy.

    Good luck!


  3. #3
    Thanks, ameriken They didn't tell me if it was obstructive/complex/central. I am assuming at my next doctor visit it will be explained more to me. Right now it was just the VA calling me to let me know I was diagnosed with it and will be sending the stuff for treatment.
    I do know that when I last talked to my doctor that we had talked that my weight might have affected it BUT I also showed her that my skin inside my throat was very relaxed and lose and this happened BEFORE I started gaining weight.

    I'll have to take a look at that forum


  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by giveen View Post
    Thanks, ameriken They didn't tell me if it was obstructive/complex/central. I am assuming at my next doctor visit it will be explained more to me. Right now it was just the VA calling me to let me know I was diagnosed with it and will be sending the stuff for treatment.
    I do know that when I last talked to my doctor that we had talked that my weight might have affected it BUT I also showed her that my skin inside my throat was very relaxed and lose and this happened BEFORE I started gaining weight.

    I'll have to take a look at that forum
    Good luck. Like I said, I think it's rare that sleep apnea is related to work. Regardless, it's good that you caught it. Sleep apnea is a death of a thousand knives. It slowly kills you. However work related or not, the VA should take care of everything. I was quite surprised at how well they've done for me. Sleep studies at hospitals usually run anywhere from $2000 to $4000, masks from $100 to $200, and machines from a few hundred to a few thousand. I got an "ASV" machine which is a more complex machine for complex breathing issues and the machine cost was $3000. My 2 sleeps studies, machines, masks, et al were all paid by the VA and I am estimating the bill to be somewhere around $8000. Very impressive and I am eternally grateful. Sleep apnea will eventually kill a person if they don't have CPAP, so I credit the VA for saving my life. That's also why you don't want to give up CPAP and why you should get hooked into a support group or forum.

    If you have any questions, let me know. Good luck!


  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by giveen View Post
    So the VA has diagnosed me with sleep apnea and will be paying for the CPAP treatment but I don't know if I can claim it as service related yet.

    I did a 9 month stint with a repair shop where I was constantly exposed to freon, spray paint, gases for welding, etc etc. I did list this all my yearly medical hazard sheet, but my apnea didn't start till shortly after I was out. I did have a bit of insomnia but never got treated for that either while in because I didn't think it was a big deal (my mistake).

    What are my chances of getting approved for service-related? I do have an appointment with my doctor in like 6-8 weeks (so I was told on the phone) and will ask the doctor then.

    No you can't clam it as a service related act it's hereditary handed down by your gens someone in your family has is also. so stop trying to clam it and deal with it. get your treatment and live with it. oh by the way I have it also my mother had it to..


  6. #6
    I havent seen a claim for it being granted as Service Connected. It doesnt hurt to try and have the claim approved though.


  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Marine1955 View Post
    No you can't clam it as a service related act it's hereditary handed down by your gens someone in your family has is also. so stop trying to clam it and deal with it. get your treatment and live with it. oh by the way I have it also my mother had it to..
    While it's true that family history can be a risk factor for sleep apnea, it is not a blanket rule. In my own case, no one else in my family has it and I've met many whom are the only ones in their family who have it. Brain/brainstem injuries can cause it, obesity, stroke, some neurological diseases, small throat structure, and medications can also cause sleep apnea in someone whose family does not have it. So yes, it can 'run in the family', but it can also 'not run in the family'.

    Hopefully, as time goes by we'll learn a lot more about it because I don't think there have been enough studies over a long enough period of time to really determine how hereditary it is. It's pretty sad that even now, many doctors are not aware of it's symptoms and treatments and if someone has depression/lethargy/fatigue caused by poor sleep, there are doctors who are more likely to give that person happy pills when what they really need is a cpap machine. Been there done that, unfortunately.

    As for work however, the only way I can see it being work/service related would be in injury that occurred on the job that affected the brain/brainstem/central nervous system.


  8. #8
    It really depends on what your doctor said on the C&P exam, what veteran services rep you have at the VA working your claim and the Rater and Authorizer that work your claim.


  9. #9
    I already talked to my father (who had talked to his doctor) and he does not have it, nor does anyone else in my family. The VA rep I talked to said to set up an appointment and get the paperwork rolling. I have another doctors visit on the 18th Jan to see if the doctor believes it is service-related.


  10. #10
    Phantom Blooper
    Guest Free Member
    I didn't go through your previous posts...some I replied too....but don't you have a TBI?

    You may want to search that and apnea about what Ken said earlier....

    And if so use it as a claim for a residual effect of the TBI.

    Good luck!


  11. #11
    Still working on this, the VA rep from American Legion helped me file the paperwork and the VA sent me back a letter asking for anymore medical evidence and if I wanted to submit a statement.
    My wife and I each submitted a statement and I asked a buddy of mine to submit a statement but he said he doesn't know about sleep apnea so couldn't make a statement about it, understandable.


  12. #12
    I'm glad this thread got started, and now re-addressed: it got me thinking so today I made an appointment to follow up on the sleep study I did a few years ago but blew it off because I'm a dumb Italian male.

    With a newborn at home my sleep is worse ever, and I need to quit talking and get to walking into the DR's office to get my apnea fixed.

    Messy CPAP or not, I have to get some better sleep.

    And thanks for the info, Ameriken


  13. #13
    I have apnea, but at present it is not very bad. Did sleep study and quit breathing 200 plus time in a 8 hour study. Doctor has me on oxygen consentrator at night and seems to be working. Last test I took I did not stop breathing, of coarse I was on consentrator. Wife is on Bi-Pap hooked to consentrator and seems to be working well for her.


  14. #14
    Marine Free Member FistFu68's Avatar
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    Never Had too Sleep with A GasMask on until My Plt.Sgt.in Tha Nam on a so called 1/2 hour catch sum Zee's outta a 3 day run of Aderaline or those Little Green Pills they gave Us (GREEN HORNETS) Aka.Govt.Speed!!!F**k it Marine,if You did not have this SLEEP Prob...till you were in tha Crotch go for tha Jugler WTF? I never heard such Loud Chit till I went too tha Rearwith tha Beer...Those REMFERS would not lasted a Nite on a Killer Team as Loud as Thier JIBS Were Flapping.GoodLuck I ain't got a good Nites Rest since BOOTCAMP,Maybe I'll get some Sleep when I'm DEAD!!!Semper Fi


  15. #15
    Things are moving along, did my C&P examine, mainly just talked with the doctor about how it impacts my life and how my tired feeling is a constant strain on my life even on the CPAP machine.
    Don't think I will appeal if I get turned down. I just want it to be on record just in case something happens furthur down the road. I have a feeling I will get turned down, and I'm okay with that if it happens.


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