Chronic fatigue syndrome decisions — 2012

The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome, joint pain in various joints, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee are all found to be related to his service in the Gulf War. The claims for these conditions are granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings in both categories, resulting in the dismissal of these issues.

The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of current hearing loss or CFS, and thus denies these claims. The Veteran's joint pain is not service connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for cherry angioma, headaches (including tension and migraine), chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. The conditions were found to be not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including an appropriate examination to determine whether the Veteran has a disability causing his chronic fatigue and if so, its etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was previously denied due to lack of a verified in-service stressor. New evidence received since the previous denial does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic pain disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome are dismissed as the symptoms do not constitute a separate disability warranting service connection.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance is being remanded due to the need for further examination to determine her need for nursing care and aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for headaches has been dismissed as the benefit sought on appeal is already in effect.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder was remanded and is not addressed in this decision.,Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome was denied as there is no evidence of current disability or a link to service. The Veteran currently has pes planus, irritable bowel syndrome, varicose veins, and hepatitis A.,The initial rating for the service-connected pes planus prior to April 5, 2007 was denied due to lack of moderate disability. After that date, it is rated as 10 percent disabling.,An initial rating in excess of 30 percent for irritable bowel syndrome beginning on May 9, 2011 was denied as the current disability picture does not meet criteria for a higher rating.,The initial compensable evaluation for varicose veins, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity were both denied due to lack of evidence of persistent edema or other disabling symptoms.,Service connection for hepatitis A was denied as there is no current disability.,Hepatitis A currently has an effective date of the day following the decision.

The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor is it shown to be due to an undiagnosed illness as a result of his military service in the Southwest Asia Theater during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD and thus, service connection cannot be granted for this condition. The issues regarding Gulf War Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's hypertension was not found to warrant a higher rating, and service connection for various conditions including low back disorder, knee disorders, foot disorders, shoulder disorders, diabetes mellitus, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorder (GERD), and fatigue were denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to the need for additional evidence, particularly from examinations requested in December 2010.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and depression, finding that these conditions are causally related to the Veteran's active duty military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's liver disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD and his symptoms of fatigue, hypersomnolence, memory loss, loss of concentration, and muscle pain are attributable to an undiagnosed illness due to Gulf War Syndrome. The claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is denied.

The Veteran's chronic fatigue is considered a symptom of his service-connected psychiatric disability and not a separate disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's stomach disorder and chronic fatigue are due to undiagnosed illnesses experienced during his military service.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia with chronic fatigue syndrome has been granted a disability rating of 20 percent since October 31, 2006. The condition is characterized by near-constant symptoms that sometimes restrict daily activities.