Bipolar disorder Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on foot pain and cramps, headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The Board will consider these issues once the new evidence is provided.

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder, finding that the Veteran's preexisting condition was aggravated by his active duty service.

Your claims for service connection related to migraine headaches, bilateral eye disability, lumbar spine disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and acquired psychiatric disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence addressing whether his current disabilities are related to his military service. Additional medical opinions and examinations are needed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder and for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's discharge was due to misconduct and he did not serve a full term, thus his Under Honorable Conditions (general) discharge is not a bar to VA benefits. He has also been denied service connection for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety, as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current conditions began during service or were related to any in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has granted the reopening of a previously denied claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but has remanded the issue to obtain additional information and adjudicate the referred PTSD claim.

The appeal for service connection for bipolar disorder claimed as memory loss is dismissed. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, cataracts of both eyes, obstructive sleep apnea with CPAP (claimed as sleep apnea), arthritis of knees, bilateral, arthritis of shoulders, bilateral, DDD at C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7, spondylosis with foraminal impingement at C5-6 and C6-7, claimed as arthritis of the neck, right shoulder tendonitis, tendonitis of both wrists, and spurs in fingers of both hands is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, specifically bipolar disorder and dysthymic disorder, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected residuals of right pelvis fracture. The claim for PTSD remains remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder, but dismissed the appeal regarding cervical spine disorder. The TDIU claim is remanded.

The Board denied the claims of service connection for hepatitis C and bipolar disorder in April 2008, which became final. The Veteran's new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate his claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and need for further development of records, including verification of in-service stressors.

An effective date of February 16, 1994, but no earlier, for service connection for bipolar disorder is granted.

The Veteran's bipolar disorder has been rated at 70 percent since March 24, 2014. The Board finds that an updated VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of her symptoms and a Statement of the Case should be issued for the earlier effective date issue.

The Veteran is granted an initial rating of 70 percent for bipolar disorder prior to February 6, 2009. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise that her disability was no more than 70 percent disabling during this period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for various psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, dysthymic disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder. The case is being reviewed de novo due to new evidence added in October 2012. A VA psychiatric examination is needed to determine if any of these conditions are related to service, particularly the sexual assault claimed during service.

The Board has reopened the claims for bipolar disorder and cervical spine disorder with associated neurological disorder of the upper extremities, but denied service connection for weight problems. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, bipolar disorder and panic disorder without agoraphobia, alopecia, migraine headaches, and gastrointestinal disability have been granted. The rating for migraine headaches has been increased to 30 percent.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the issues on appeal can be adjudicated. The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and bipolar disorder, as well as her back and neck disabilities, are being remanded for further examination and consideration.