Bipolar disorder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasons and bases for denying service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, bipolar disorder, depression, and alcohol abuse. A new VA examination is required to determine if the Veteran's pre-existing psychiatric disorders were aggravated by active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than August 29, 2011 for service connection of moderate chronic lumbosacral strain and bipolar disorder are denied. The cases have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran's PTSD rating remains at 70 percent, but he is granted a TDIU based on the combined effect of both conditions.,A separate effective date for the TDIU will be determined by the RO.

The Board has found the VA examination inadequate and remanded for further evaluation due to missing relevant evidence in the Veteran's records.

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder and the cause of death (suicide) due to mental unsoundness. The Veteran's bipolar disorder is considered to have resulted from his in-service mental illnesses, including PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, chronic dyspnea, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, bipolar disorder, and depressive disorder) have been denied. The Veteran also had his claim for a higher rating for neurodermatitis denied.,Service connection was not granted for the claimed conditions due to lack of evidence supporting their onset during service or being related to in-service events. The Veteran's current diagnoses were found to be unrelated to service, with chronic dyspnea and psychiatric disorders attributed to deconditioning and other non-service-related factors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a low back disability and neck disability was denied. The claim for service connection of bipolar disorder is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a bilateral foot disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and bipolar disorder) are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder, finding no link between her current diagnosis and an event, injury, or disease in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, Bipolar Disorder, migraine/tension headaches, and knee disorders have been granted. The claim for a left knee disorder is remanded, while the right knee disorder claim remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder was denied. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for rheumatoid arthritis of the wrists, hands, left ankle, right ankle, left knee, and right knee were all denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The left patellar fracture was rated at 10%, bipolar disorder prior to March 20, 2019 was rated at 50%, PTSD beginning March 20, 2019 was rated at 70%, and bronchial asthma was not rated as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder with PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for PTSD due to insufficient evidence of a verified in-service stressor. The case will be reviewed again with additional development, including obtaining relevant service treatment records and verifying the claimed event.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and bipolar disorder), and headaches. Service connection was denied for hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder was granted, but his claim for a chronic respiratory disorder was denied. The decision is mixed as one issue was granted and the other was denied.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a link to active duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the veteran's claims for further development due to missing medical records and incomplete submissions. The appellant will be asked to provide VA permission to obtain additional relevant medical records from various doctors.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and requesting the Veteran to complete and submit a VA Form 21-8940. The issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for sleep apnea, entitlement to an effective date earlier than May 1, 2012, for service connection for sleep apnea, and entitlement to TDIU are inextricably intertwined.