Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2017

The Veteran's symptoms of fatigue, joint pain, mood swings and anxiety have been attributed to known clinical diagnoses. The Board finds that service connection based on the presumption in favor of Persian Gulf War Veterans is not warranted in this case.,Service connection for blurred vision and rash has not been established as they are not currently diagnosed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the etiology of his respiratory condition.

The Veteran's undiagnosed illness has been rated at 60 percent since September 22, 2009. The Board finds that the disability is not productive of symptoms that are nearly constant and restrict routine daily activities to less than 50 percent of the pre-illness level. Therefore, a higher rating is not warranted. As of March 20, 2013, the Veteran's combined evaluation was 70%, meeting the threshold for TDIU. The Board finds that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted a 40 percent rating for joint pain due to undiagnosed illness, the highest available under DC 5025. This decision is based on constant and refractory symptoms including widespread musculoskeletal pain, stiffness, paresthesias, fatigue, sleep disturbance, depression, anxiety, and constipation.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome, a qualifying chronic disability of chronic multisymptom illness, is found to have manifested within the applicable period following her Persian Gulf War service in the Southwest Asia theater and warrants service connection.

The Veteran's breathing disorder and sleep apnea are not service-connected as they did not manifest during active service or due to a service-connected disability. The acquired psychiatric disorder is also not service-connected.

The Veteran is precluded from substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including migraine headaches and hypothyroidism. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether he is entitled to TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including an examination to assess the nature and severity of his service-connected undiagnosed illness. The claim will be readjudicated based on whether the disability may more appropriately be rated by analogy to Code 8100 (headaches).

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's respiratory and neuropsychiatric symptoms are related to an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the service-connected multiple joint pain, right foot disorders, and arthralgia of the hips did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Veteran's Gulf War Syndrome and related symptoms are found to be due to an undiagnosed illness, granted service connection.

The Veteran's undiagnosed illness and medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness have been granted service connection as they are considered qualifying chronic disabilities under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.317.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability and an increased rating for PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches, joint pain, muscle cramps, and a skin disability is granted. The claims for irritable bowel syndrome, memory loss, and bilateral hand disabilities are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right elbow joint pain is due to an undiagnosed illness and granted service connection.,Regarding the lung disability, the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether it was incurred during service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including consideration of new private treatment records and an addendum medical opinion regarding his claimed headaches.

The Board denied reopening the Veteran's service connection claims for Gulf War Syndrome and residuals of a burn injury to the eyes, as well as his claim for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease. The evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, right eye vision loss, left eye vision loss, and fatigue have been granted. The claim of service connection for presumptive illnesses from Gulf War - Southwest Asia theater of military operations (claimed as a functional gastrointestinal disorder) is moot due to the already established service-connected conditions. A rating in excess of 100 percent for hepatocellular carcinoma has been denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip disability, fatigue, diarrhea, and joint pain. The decision found no left hip disability during the pendency of the claim, and the criteria for an increased rating were not met for the undiagnosed illnesses.

The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and testing related to a potential diagnosis of fibromyalgia.