Chronic fatigue syndrome decisions — 2017

The Veteran's migraine headaches are found to have started during service and are therefore granted service connection.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to have started during service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board denied the appeal to recoup a lump sum separation payment in the amount of $29,127.39 from the Veteran's VA disability compensation benefits as mandated by law.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if her daughter, L. K., was permanently incapable of self-support prior to the age of 18 and for obtaining relevant medical records from SSA.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of CFS, COPD, and Fibromyalgia. The VA examinations and opinions have concluded that these conditions are not related to her military service.,There was no mention or diagnosis of any of these conditions in her STRs, and they were first diagnosed many years after separation from active duty.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is not service connected as there is no evidence of a diagnosis in service and the lay statements are outweighed by the VA examination findings.,The Veteran does not have a current skin disability, as his keratin granulomas were found to be unrelated to service. The lay statements from family members do not meet the required medical expertise for an etiological opinion.,The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome is not service connected due to lack of evidence meeting the diagnostic criteria and the VA examiner's finding that multiple underlying causes could explain his symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is service-connected, while his chronic fatigue syndrome (undiagnosed) claim remains in dispute.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and PTSD. The appeal was also dismissed due to untimely filing of a VA-9 form in response to the June 6, 2005 Statement of the Case.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have chronic fatigue syndrome and that his symptoms of fatigue are related to other service-connected conditions such as glomerulonephritis, depression, diabetes mellitus, and COPD. Therefore, the claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is denied.

The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome has resulted in nearly constant symptoms that have restricted his routine daily activities to less than 50 percent of the pre-illness level, warranting a 60% disability rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, bilateral arm strain, left foot disability, and chronic sinusitis as they were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome was denied as he does not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. His symptoms are related to his service-connected PTSD and fibromyalgia, which already provide compensation for his fatigue. The Veteran's disability rating for residuals of fracture of the mandible has been granted at 10% since September 26, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, chronic fatigue syndrome, and left hip disability were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have an undiagnosed illness or a chronic multi-system illness related to his service in the Middle East. The evidence shows multiple diagnoses and symptoms, but no single diagnosis can be attributed to Gulf War Syndrome.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the specific locations and dates where his Army unit was stationed during the Persian Gulf War era.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of records.

The Veteran's headache disorder is found to have had its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection. The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome and joint pain/fibromyalgia are not due to undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness, but the Board finds that they may be related to her service-connected PTSD with MDD. The respiratory disorder (allergic rhinitis) is also not due to undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches was granted, with a rating of 50% effective from February 27, 2012.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the claims. The claim of service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, neurological disorder, and right ankle disability has been denied. The claim seeking an effective date earlier than November 30, 2010, for the grant of service connection for a right ankle disability has also been denied. The Veteran's claim of service connection for fatigue (manifested by chronic fatigue syndrome) was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. Service connection for skin disorder and multi-joint pain (fibromyalgia) are denied. Service connection for a sleep disorder (manifested by sleep apnea) is also denied. The Veteran's headaches, right elbow disability, intermittent diarrhea, and right ankle disability have all been assigned the lowest possible rating of 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, as his audiometric results did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The claim of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome was remanded due to outstanding private treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, tinnitus, psychiatric disorder, hypertension, knee joint pains, myalgia, weight loss, and fatigue have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of a current disability or continuity of symptomatology.