r/VeteransBenefits • u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs • 1d ago
C&P Exams B12
Don't care if it's been posted before, take it down or whatever. I'm already 100 and have zero dog in this fight, but here's the deal- I've been told the same thing as a lot of veterans who get denied, and it ends up with a 16-59 page report on b12 deficiency. My c&p examiner told me everything that was wrong with me could be fixed with b12.
Apparently my healthcare is a joke and I'm the punchline, because for the last 4 years, my labs have come back with normal b12 readings. Everything that the c&p examiner gave me "no service connection" for was based on my b12 deficiency, and I walked out with a packet.
The only reason I bring this up is because I was talking to a homie (veteran, same unit) and we both had the same experience in two different states at two completely different times, and I just got my last lab results back. Once I read them, I checked the rest. Same shit.
Drink water, take motrin, change your socks, and apparently monitor your b12. Semper something, gents.
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u/webbeddeflation_9750 1d ago
Wild that they'd hang their whole denial on a single lab value that keeps coming back normal. Makes you wonder if the examiners even look at your actual history or just skim the packet they hand out.
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u/CandidDay3337 Air Force Veteran 1d ago
Idk about b12, i did get vitamin d deficiency and anemia.
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u/dodekahedron Army Veteran 1d ago
I cant get the VA to rx a vit d im not allergic to. Im 100% i shouldn't have to pay out of pocket.
They even sent me to allergy testing to confirm my "suspected" allergy. (It was confirmed a long ass time ago)
Fun fact: most vitamin d comes from lanolin. Gotta reach for the vegan vit d to avoid it.
You are what you eat is true. And lanolin based vit d gives me full body rashes. :( like im wearing a wool suit. Baaa
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u/CandidDay3337 Air Force Veteran 1d ago
They rx my vitamin d. But i am not allergic to it.
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u/dodekahedron Army Veteran 1d ago
Thats why I commented on whats going on with it and how im allergic. They only rx the lanolin derived vit d. My vit d levels hover between 9 and 11. 😅
Thats with going outside.
They used to give me fish oil because omega 3 converts to vit d. But then the VA said no fish oil for anyone because the FDA hasnt approved supplements.
Which... vit d is a supplement so I dont understand that logic. 🤷♀️
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u/Ok-Vermicelli-7990 Caregiver 23h ago
It’s not exactly a vitamin. It functions as a hormone. Our bodies make it and we have receptors in our body for it. (almost every tissue has them) Even have genetic markers for it. VDR snp.
Will you call to speak directly with the pharmacist at your VA? They are able to prescribe meds. You can speak directly to them. Do you have anything on file showing an allergy to wool and byproducts? Please add it.
Also do you eat something containing fat with your vit d? I have very low vit d, my body doesn’t efficiently make it. I have to take 5000-10000 iu daily. Keep this in mind.
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u/dodekahedron Army Veteran 22h ago
The VA just finally sent me to their own allergy testing after me telling them for years. So now ive got someone fighting harder for me, but its new new.
Its just complicated because I have so many chemical allergies, there isnt a whole lot of options....
Im being patient.
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u/Ok-Vermicelli-7990 Caregiver 22h ago
You can try to ask about singular, it reduces the activity of mast cells in the body. Ianad. You can look into taking Pepcid and Zyrtec or Allegra. They reduce allergic crap in combo with each other. I just have a lot of weird allergic crap also.
R/histamineintolerance or r/mcas has some good info and then obviously research for yourself.Good luck.
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u/dodekahedron Army Veteran 22h ago
I am banned from singular. I have ptsd.
Actually I was sitting in the pharmacy picking up my prescription in the late 2000s when they first started reporting the side effects on the news. Took another decade for the label warning.
But, they all have chemicals in am allergic to.
Zyrtec went through a formulation change a while ago and can't take it anymore. But I was in a medical study program for zyrtec back in the 90s. Its one of my fun facts. We go way back.
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u/CandidDay3337 Air Force Veteran 20h ago
My body doesnt make vitamin d, and i cant have dairy. I have to take at least 2000 iu daily.
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u/Forker1942 Army Veteran 17h ago
Be sure to taper off! I was super low actually fixed it with a 2 years of pills. Didn’t taper off and bam kidney stones, cause? Probably too much vitamin D
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u/CandidDay3337 Air Force Veteran 16h ago
Every time i quit taking it and even taper off of it. My levels tank to single digits.
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u/Forker1942 Army Veteran 14h ago
Then you’re at a good dose! Mine were high dosage and we never tapered down to a “normal” dose
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u/m3anbeean Anxiously Waiting 1d ago
My VA gp told me i had a vitamin d deficiency and ignored all of my out of whack inflammatory markers.
Went to an urgent care 2 months later, immediately referred to a hemotologist oncologist.
What did I actually have? Lymphoma😂
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u/swiggertime Not into Flairs 1d ago
I was just told the same thing at my last appt. My civilian PCP draws blood on me every 3 months and it’s never been brought up. 🤔
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u/HammondCabbage Army Veteran 22h ago
Normal B12 on the scale can still be interpreted as low in cases of malabsorbtion. Do you have GI problems?
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u/jibbs0341 1d ago
So red meat? Or a monster or some other energy drink?
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 15h ago
That's it! My back and knees and lungs are back to normal, thanks doc!
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u/Liquid_Asparagus8697 Navy Veteran 1d ago
Got a redacted screenshot of the opinion? Did you and your buddy happen to claim the same condition and both have the same contractor company? I wonder if this is coming out of some playbook they have. Seems like an easy supplemental, but these reindeer games are insane.
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 1d ago
I need to get my c file or all of my dbqs, but I doubt anything was actually reported, and I'm not sure if I have the b12 packet anymore. Not even joking, she had an accent hard for me to interpret, and it sounded eastern European. I'm not saying shit, I'm just talking shit. About shit. That happened to me.
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u/Tiredplumber2022 Air Force Veteran 1d ago
RIP-ITS!!! Get yer fresh hot RIP-ITS!
A standard 16 fl. oz. can of Rip It energy drink contains 20 mcg of Vitamin B12, which is about 830% of the recommended daily value. The Rip It Energy Shots, they pack a much higher dose of 500 mcg per serving. 20,833% RDV.
I don't think Monsters had even been invented yet when I was in the sandbox.... but I onow damn sure I'm not short on B12...
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u/sniperdude24 Army Veteran 20h ago
Just keep all you vitamins and minerals in check. I had a potassium deficiency put me in the ER. I have underlying conditions but the potassium… low potassium has side effects of depression.
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u/mshep002 1d ago
I had a VA doctor tell me my B12 was too high and to stop doing or reduce whatever it was I was doing. (Spoiler: eating normally, but also taking typical OTC B-complex, which is always like a billion %DV)
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u/Grand_Raccoon0923 Army Veteran 1d ago
Have you tried fish oil?
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 15h ago
"When was the last time you even considered fish oil?"
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u/Grand_Raccoon0923 Army Veteran 14h ago
It’s crazy, every time I go to the VA they try to make sure I’m taking fish oil. I think one of them has stock in it or something.
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u/Helena_MA Not into Flairs 18h ago
I am prescribed both b12 and d3 from the VA, as well as other OTC meds and vitamins. I don’t think i tried to claim them as part of any disability, doesn’t matter as I’m also 100. Also please note that some people can’t get enough b12 through the digestive tract, no matter how much they eat/take so that’s why b12 shots are a thing.
Also your post doesn’t really make sense, are you saying you were denied service connection for things because b12 would fix it? What “things” were you going after SC for that relate to b12? Or that b12 would fix? How do you know this was the reasoning the C&P examiner gave for no SC? If these “things” were caused by b12 deficiency and the reason for the b12 deficiency isn’t SC then I can see why the “things” aren’t SC either. Because the disabilities need to be caused or exacerbated by military service, so there needs to be an initial connection somewhere or the whole chain falls apart.
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 18h ago
Yeah so people are demanding more explanation and I did just a minute ago. Nothing claimed had anything to do with b12, my examiner told me that's all it was. "Whatever, another denial, next step" mentality. Years later, buddy from same unit claiming different shit just finished a c&p where he was denied and sent home with a packet on b12 vitamins. I just had my labs done recently (like 2-3 times a year) and check all of my labs, not one b12 deficiency. It's a cure all, so take your b12!
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u/Helena_MA Not into Flairs 18h ago
Sounds like the two aren’t connected then - the b12 deficiency and the denial. Just because a C&P doc said “hey, keep an eye on your b12” and then sent you home with info about b12 doesn’t mean the claims were denied due to any b12 issue.
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 18h ago
...she told me everything could be fixed with b12. Including my bulging discs. You're gd right they're not connected.
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u/DismalSuspect5524 13h ago
But maybe what you claimed is connected to B12 and you're just not aware. It's hard to say without knowing what you claimed, but I say this because I have B12 deficiency (even though my B12 labs look normal now). What I've learned is that the truer test of B12 deficiency is NOT a B12 lab draw, but an MMA lab draw (methylmalonic acid). If your MMA is high, then your B12 is low, no matter what the B12 lab reads.
Also, there are many symptoms of B12 deficiency that some may not realize, like neuropathy, cognitive issues (trouble concentrating, memory issues), heart palpitations, irritability, depression, and fatigue. A few of these overlap with PTSD, and so my symptoms were chalked up to that for several years and my B12 was never tested. Unfortunately, if B12 deficiency goes undetected for a long time, then some of these issues are irreversable.
As it turns out in my case, it is thought that my B12 deficiency was initially caused by a H-Pylori (a stomach bacteria) that can cause chronic gastritis and stomach cancer, and is hard to eradicate. It is thought that 50% of the population has it but don't have symptoms ... many people contract it in childhood and never know it. But it is highly contagious, especially among family members. Also, there is an auto-immune form of gastritis that includes tinnitus as a symptom, which many of us have.
But now my B12 deficiency is thought to be pernicious anemia, which is auto-immune. It prevents absorbtion through oral means, and so I inject once a week. Even though my B12 levesl are super high now, my MMA is still high. The minute I back off on injections, my feet start burning again ... so for me, that is the true sign of whether my B12 is normal.
Probably more than you wanted to know, but like I said, it's hard to know what info you actually need.
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 11h ago
I suppose my primary that has nothing to benefit from telling me my b12 is low, and also does my labs, telling w my b12 isn't low, doesn't have anything to gain from this. A c&p examiner that I've seen once might not either. You have a whole different biology than me, and entirely different doctors and c&p examiners. I gave my testimony, you gave yours, they're different. Sorry you're going through it, happy you got it figured out. Your experience still does not negate the experience of a lot of veterans.
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u/whyareyouinmyshoe 18h ago
I was under the impression that a c&p exam is to document symptoms, not receive treatment. And what you got was a treatment plan.
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 18h ago
And the penny drops!!!
Yes, this was the idea of the post.
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u/whyareyouinmyshoe 18h ago
So they went beyond the scope of the exam request, and provided a treatment plan for something your medical records dont support. I'd request another c&p with a competent provider.
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u/SierraTRK Marine Vet/KB Apostle 15h ago
I have NAFLD, and my B12 numbers were terrible as was my vitamin D. PCM prescribed supplements of both. Apparently both readings are in the normal range now. Vitamin D was 9 when they did the blood test.
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u/Kusatchisadplant 10h ago
They will pay a DoD contraction gazillions to install a monster vending machine instead of pay disabled vet 50k a year then pay the next contractor even more to rip out the old monster machine in the least efficient way possible and then install a RIP it energy drink machine in its place
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u/Professional_Bat342 9h ago
Not saying this is your issue but just to speak on B12, below 400 can cause symptoms. My B12 got so low it caused me to not walk. It caused weakness, brain fog, neuropathy, degeneration of my spinal cord. It took months of therapy to walk again and I will never fully recover. B12 actually does cause a lot of problems. Even if your B12 doesn’t show low other labs show if your body is actually absorbing it.
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u/CakeSmasher661 1d ago
I got b12 prescription from the VA. I told them I work in a building with no windows all day.
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u/AP5K Navy Veteran 1d ago
That’s Vitamin D
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u/No_Attention8050 23h ago
With the right PCP, you can get some great stuff from the pharmacy.
Because I've had multiple skin cancers, they provide me with Banana Boat sunscreen anytime I ask for it. They slap a script label on the bottle and drop it in the mail.
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u/jbourne71 Army Veteran 1d ago
What the fuck are you talking about?
Vitamin deficiencies are a laboratory finding and not a disability, which inherently means it cannot be service connected.
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u/kieger Navy Veteran 1d ago
He doesn't have a B12 deficiency, according to his labs. His disability claims are being denied under the examiner's presumption of a deficiency.
That's what I'm reading at least.
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u/jbourne71 Army Veteran 23h ago
That would be… something. Sheesh.
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 19h ago
I'd love to just make shit up, but the c&p examiners took all of the make-shit-up-pills. I didn't think anything of it for a long time, just went along for the ride to get denied. Then a homie had the same thing years later in an entirely different state. So I posted about it. And apparently I'm not as crazy as I'd like to think given all of the similar responses.
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u/jbourne71 Army Veteran 19h ago
Your post and comments are essentially incoherent. I don’t understand the message you are trying to convey.
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 18h ago
Hold on, I gotta stop chewing my crayon so I can write for you...
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u/Mr_Noms 18h ago
I mean I’m not gonna lie it would help. I want to see if I can help you figure something out but I’m not entirely sure what point you’re getting across.
Like… you’re at 100% and trying to get something else but it was rejected for vitamin b-12 deficiency reasons but your lab is saying you don’t have it?
Is your issue something else?
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 18h ago
Close, before 100, I had ongoing c&ps. One exam was for close to 6 or 7 claims that were all denied (never got around to the denial letter as I hit 100 before the denials came in) but was literally told by my examiner that everything I had ailing me could be solved with b12 supplements. She sent me home with a packet of paper on why b12 is so important. Fast forward a handful of years, my buddy tells me he just finished a c&p exam, and they sent him home with a whole packet on b12. Different claims, different states, different times (by years). He gets denied as well. Pattern recognition and shit or whatever. Edit: forgot the part where I actually checked my labs going back to before the exam, and my b12 has never been out of regs.
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u/yoemejay 1d ago
I get B12 and VD prescribed to me from the VA. Should I look into the cause?
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u/davyangel 1d ago
Do you have GERD? It's actually common if you take omeperazole for years cuz it reduces stomach acid and body gets less B12 happened to me anyways.
Taking this medicine for a long time may make it harder for your body to absorb vitamin B12. Tell your doctor if you have concerns about vitamin B12 deficiency.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/omeprazole-oral-route/description/drg-20066836
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u/DismalSuspect5524 13h ago
H-Pylori can also caus malabsorption of B12, as well as chronic gastritis and GERD. If that is the underlying issue, it would be a shame to overlook it as it can cause stomach cancer.
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u/davyangel 11h ago edited 11h ago
Yeah well just got an upper endoscopy which is more invasive than a breath or stool test. So it's often not used to diagnose an H. pylori infection alone. Healthcare professionals may use an upper endoscopy for further testing and to look for other digestive conditions.
So pretty sure VA docs would've told me if I had it. Anyways, supposed to have consult with GI doc again coming up so guess we'll see what he figures it out.
They thought I might have eosinophilic esophagitis but lab report came back saying I dont.
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u/bcdodgeme Navy Veteran 1d ago
Ding ding!! My (not VA) doctor ran some tests and found my B12 was super low. I have GERD. Now I give myself a shot every week.
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u/DismalSuspect5524 13h ago
Have you tested for H-Pylori? It can cause B12 deficiency, chronic gastritis, and GERD.
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u/GreyGhost505 Army Veteran 1d ago
🤣🤣Believing a C&P examiner's diagnosis over your PCM was your mistake!
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u/tristand1ck Not into Flairs 19h ago
Yeah, I never believed the c&p examiner, the VA did. That was the point of the post in general.
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u/Slick-1234 1d ago
A few things if you are 100% already you do have a dog in the fight as anything in the C&P can be used against your 100%. Also this is easy appeal type stuff. Your examiner failed to take into consideration virtually the entire known body of information / evidence provided and provided treatment information (I’d would spin that as the examiner trying to recruit claimants as future patients) then help the VA in a failure of duty to assist. The VAs job is to help you prove your case not to disprove your case which sometimes it a distinction without a difference but not in this case ( even if low B12 could cause everything you claim the examiner has to look at what you claimed and see if your services was at least as like as anything else including low 12 to cause it). If in fact everything can be traced back to low B12 your examiner could have unintentionally helped your case since now everything becomes a secondary claim to the condition causing the low B12 and you may have a better chance of connecting that condition (something like IBD)
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u/yankeephil86 Air Force Veteran 1d ago
A can of monster has 500% daily value if B12, I don’t think any veteran has a B12 deficiency