Managing a serious health issue can require you to take powerful medicine, which can affect your health in myriad ways. You might take a pill to stop physical pain only to find yourself too tired to function or unable to think clearly; the medicine treating an autoimmune condition can leave you incredibly nauseous.
Too often, people overlook the side effects of medication they take for a primary condition when they are seeking disability benefits. However, when evaluating these claims, the Social Security Administration (SSA) considers your whole health. This includes the side effects of the treatments meant to help you.
Does medicine affect your ability to work?
The SSA uses a process to find your Residual Functional Capacity (RFC), which determines what tasks you can still do at work. This review includes limits caused by your medical treatment. In North Carolina, examiners look at whether side effects make it hard to keep a regular work schedule. If a necessary drug causes heavy sleepiness or a lack of focus, these facts matter.
Tracking the daily impact of your medicine
Because of how serious the side effects of necessary medicine can be, it’s crucial to note them in a claim for Social Security disability benefits. Information that can provide valuable insights include:
- The specific time of day side effects occur
- How long the symptoms last after taking a dose
- Ways these symptoms limit your physical movement or memory
- Any adjustments your doctor made to mitigate these issues
Not only can you include the medical side effects in your SSDI application, you will also want to share these details with your doctor. Doing so ensures they are in your medical records. Notes from a doctor can be among the most important evidence used during a disability hearing.
Building a comprehensive record for the agency
Ensuring the SSA has a complete picture of how a condition and treatment affect you is essential in pursuing SSDI benefits. This detailed evidence helps the agency see why you cannot perform work duties or maintain a normal work schedule, even if you are treating your primary condition.