Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed fatigue disability, including its relationship to service-connected conditions and potential exposures.

The Board has denied service connection for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue with insomnia, neurological symptoms, and a respiratory condition due to an undiagnosed illness. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's attorney withdrawing his appeals for several issues.,The Veteran's appeal was also dismissed for service connection claims related to an undiagnosed illness, fibromyalgia, a right knee disability, and a back disability.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of right knee chronic osteoarthritis, diverticulitis due to an undiagnosed illness, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) due to an undiagnosed illness because the appellant withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbosacral spine pain with degenerative disc disease and remanded other issues. Additional development is required to address all claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inconsistencies in her Gulf War examination and need for further medical examinations. The issues include undiagnosed illness, folliculitis, Grave's disease, tonsillectomy, and a bilateral foot condition other than pes planus.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis for the period from November 27, 2012 to July 29, 2013 due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a low back disability, coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus secondary to CAD, chronic fatigue and joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness, sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, and total disability based on individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a low back disability and an undiagnosed illness (including chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia) due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran is required to undergo new examinations to determine the nature and cause of his disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and breathing problems due to asbestos exposure are being remanded as new opinions are needed.,The Veteran's claim for allergic rhinitis is being remanded because his condition may have worsened since the last examination.,The Veteran's claim for right shoulder disability is being remanded due to insufficient evidence of increased severity over time.,Whether the character of the Veteran's discharge during December 1998 to October 2001 constitutes a bar to VA compensation benefits is being remanded as new opinions are needed regarding mental health issues and insanity.,The Veteran's claim for an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI, including weight changes, idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, spondylitis, autoimmune disease, and chronic fatigue, is being remanded due to the need for clarification of his medical records.,The Veteran's claim for periodic numbness of the lip and jaw (secondary to genioglossal advancement surgery) is being remanded as new opinions are needed regarding the nature and etiology of his condition.,The Veteran's claim for residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is being remanded due to inextricability with the character of discharge issue.,The Veteran's claim for a deviated septum is being remanded due to inextricability with the character of discharge issue.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with other claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's undiagnosed illness manifested by menstrual disorders is service connected, as it became manifest during her military service and was not due to any known clinical diagnosis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lower extremity pain and swelling, other than residuals of left ankle fracture, is denied. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that his current joint conditions are related to military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder due to an undiagnosed illness or MUCMI is remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding whether he has such a condition.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple service-connected disability claims, including a respiratory condition presumed due to Gulf War exposure. The Board has ordered additional examinations and development for several other conditions related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has granted service connection for right and left elbow strains.,Service connection was denied for right and left hand disabilities due to undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to ensure proper development and consideration of the Veteran's claims, including for an increased rating for his service-connected right foot soft tissue tumor and undiagnosed illness with muscle/body pains (fibromyalgia), as well as for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development and clarification of evidence.,Specifically, additional medical opinions are required regarding the etiology of various conditions including cervical spine degenerative disc disease, lumbar spinal degenerative disc disease, right shoulder disorder, right hip disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, fibromyalgia (Gulf War Illness), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (Gulf War Illness), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (Gulf War Illness), and migraine headaches.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, cervical spine disability, hemorrhoids, and chronic fatigue syndrome (due to Gulf War service). The decision also notes that the Veteran's claim for sinusitis is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's preexisting sinus condition underwent worsening during service and whether it is related to his military service. The case must be returned for further development.

The Veteran's hypertension and Gulf War unexplained illness (chronic multi-symptom illness) are both remanded for further evaluation. The Veteran should be provided an opportunity to report for a VA examination to assess the severity of his hypertension, and another addendum opinion is needed regarding whether his symptoms of fatigue are due to an undiagnosed illness or a diagnosable disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of Gulf War Syndrome, PTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety, insomnia disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cognitive/memory disorder are all denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of these conditions.