Hello,

For those of you who are veterans and have cluster headaches - I'm curious what rating they gave you.  I got a measly 10%, which is astounding considering that normal migraines can be rated as high as 50%.  I've tried to appeal and they keep telling me the max for CH is 10%.  I have a feeling that whoever came up with this number does not have any clue what CH's are.  If anyone can provide me with additional information, I would really appreciate it. 

Thanks!

I know for sure that they can go up to 100%, my mom works for the VA. We've discussed how frequently she sees CH diagnosis, especially since this most recent thing- she doesn't know if it's just that they are getting to the right age or if all of the head injuries are increasing the number. It can even be rated as service connected if you never had CH before getting in.

The number depends a lot on how disabled you are, and you have to be incredibly thorough and include as much evidence as possible that you have a problem. Chances are if you are disabled from CH you have other diagnoses that you need to include in your application too- things like severe depression, and EVERY other health complaint you have. If you are tired all of the time because of constant CH, then chronic fatigue, insomnia, etc. My guess is that either you are not being thorough in explaining your symptoms at the VA hospital so they don't understand how your quality of life has been affected, or don't understand how bad CH is. This is not the time to be stoic or a tough guy. Educate both of you, and find another person to be an advocate for you. Perhaps a doctor at the VA or I'm less familiar with Amvets, but they may help.

Years ago I posted a bunch of info on how to determine how disabled you are. I'm sorry, at the moment I don't have enough time to look for that info. It seems to me that I got a lot of it from about.com on headache disability and another group that helps migraine sufferers prove they are disabled. Find that info and thoroughly cover EVERY aspect of your daily life that is adversely affected by CH. If you have one headache every night for four weeks one or two times a year and that's your only problem, you are not disabled. You simply need to adjust your lifestyle to work it around your CH. If like the chronics here you have 8+ attacks a day, at varying unpredictable times, you can't sleep more than 45 minutes, you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you've lost interest in everything because it's very hard to survive, you can no longer support yourself, you are disabled.  The good thing about the VA is that as an organization they are set up to TRY and give you as many benefits as possible, but they can only do so if you prove to them that you need it. It sounds like you haven't. Try again, it's worth it.

*edited for typos and to add that I posted the links to disability rights info from About and MIDAS on my squidoo page, which I haven't updated in years: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or .

The VA will go higher than 10%-up to 100% if you are not employable.  And yes, if the CH started in the service one can get service connected.  I am appealing to have my rating increased from 50% to 100% because of unemployability.  Takes meticulous paper work-descriction of how CH afects each aspect of your life and constant attempts.  Good luck-pm me if you'd like to... I am
a fellow veteran who has service-connected disability due to chronic cluser headaches.

kathy

All great info.  I am currently serving at 19+.  I was diagnosed by a doc in Hawaii back in 04.  Really glad you brought this up.  

Good luck

Mike

How have they determined that CH or migraines are service related?

I struggled to stay active and with almost 21 years now, I am retiring...just went through the VA process, so we will see what happens.

Probably would not have made it in service without the insight of some of the people on site!! So a big TY!!

Mike

i realize i am late on this, but i got 50 then 100 permemanant,
find  a  good good service officer at the american legion and get all your ducks in a row

or you could just deal with your clusters, get on with life, and not worry about bliking the VA out of money for a condition that has nothing to do with your service.

Bob P,
No worries about your post. I did exactly as you suggested. 18 years active duty in the US Navy, disability reduced from 30% to 10%, (so I didn't qualify for retirement pay), I got severence pay and a boot in the ass. Lost all military benifits. I was a very bitter guy for a while.
After I got over myself, I started life again. Went minimialist about the Clusters, stopped all medications and made sure I had O2 available always. I went as far as taking a job as a network engineer in a hospital so that O2 was available anytime I was at work. I was at that job 4 years and no one ever knew I suffered clusters!
I refuse to let them be a large part of my life. It is a minor inconvience that I deal with.
Can't say this approach is the answer for everyone, but for me it was the right path. Life is GOOD!

Bob p ,pay attention to your monkey . Novellred hope I grow up to be just like you .

Hughie wrote on Apr 8^th, 2010 at 8:54pm:


This creates a curiosity, I don't think there is any other particular contingent of common experience or locality with documented affliction resulting.  A contained "large group of people" with CH would be of the rarest find from "same things and places" and should be examined for closer common factors, open also to a variety of things and places that may also confound to consider an incidence service related.

Hughie wrote on Apr 9^th, 2010 at 7:29pm:


Have you any sites to recommend that mention clusters documented? 

Go to your local Vet Center (part of the VA) and they can do an initial assesment and then refer you to a local Veterans' group (DAV, etc.) and both will work to get your disability increased.  It may take a long time, but they are usually very successful.