Conditions that can be secondary to PTSD
· Claim Situation
The situation
PTSD affects more than mood. Long-term stress, poor sleep and medications can lead to other conditions. If PTSD is already service-connected, those may be claimed as secondary.
Commonly claimed secondaries
- Sleep apnea (often through weight gain or disrupted sleep).
- Hypertension and heart problems.
- Gastrointestinal problems such as GERD or IBS.
- Erectile dysfunction, including from medications.
- Migraines and headaches.
Each one needs medical support; none is automatic.
Medication side effects count
If a drug prescribed for PTSD causes a condition, that condition can be secondary (38 CFR 3.310). Keep the prescription history and the date symptoms began.
Avoid pyramiding
VA won't rate the same symptoms twice (38 CFR 4.14). For example, a separate depression diagnosis is usually rated together with PTSD under one mental health rating.
Build the claim
- Get the secondary condition diagnosed.
- Ask your clinician to note the link in your record.
- Get a medical opinion that cites your history and explains the mechanism.
Read more
Get free help
You never have to pay to file an initial VA claim. Free help: a VSO such as DAV, VFW or the American Legion, or a VA-accredited representative.
Educational only, not legal or medical advice. We are not VA-accredited. No one can promise an outcome; VA decides each claim on its own evidence. Rules and rates change; check the linked VA and eCFR sources.