Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom decisions — 2021

The Veteran's PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder, and stimulant use disorder are rated at 70 percent prior to January 10, 2014. The Board denied a higher rating due to the severity of his symptoms not warranting a 100 percent rating.,Tension headaches were granted a 10 percent rating effective February 1, 2017 and a 50 percent rating from that date forward.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right lower extremity is granted effective June 9, 2014. The Board also grants service connection for Parkinson’s Disease and related conditions secondary to environmental exposures from Persian Gulf War service. Other claims are remanded due to inextricable interrelation with these issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for fatigue, claimed as chronic fatigue syndrome and as an undiagnosed illness, based on the findings that the Veteran did not have chronic fatigue syndrome and that the symptom of chronic fatigue had been attributed to obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia.,The Board also denied service connection for muscle pain, claimed as an undiagnosed illness, based on the findings that the Veteran did not have fibromyalgia and that the symptom of muscle pain had been attributed to chronic lumbar strain.

The Veteran's dizziness and lightheadedness, as well as persistent weakness and fatigue, are due to an undiagnosed illness related to his service in the Persian Gulf. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's sleep disturbances are found to be due to an undiagnosed illness and service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient information in the previous VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right knee and bilateral hand conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and back condition due to additional development being necessary.,Service connection is denied for cervical condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, heavy metal poisoning due to Gulf War (including renal involvement), and back condition.

The Veteran's claims for cervical spine disability and fibromyalgia, both claimed as due to an undiagnosed illness, were denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches, to include as due to an undiagnosed illness. The Veteran's tension headaches are secondary to his service-connected psychological disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding his Gulf War exposure and the nature of his symptoms. The Veteran is required to provide more information about his service in Southwest Asia, and new VA examinations are needed to determine if he qualifies as a Persian Gulf Veteran and what conditions he may have.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD. The Board found the evidence in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran’s joint pain, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, lipomas, Gulf War Illness, bronchial asthma, nasal polyps, digestive problems, hernia, and skin problems are related to service.

The Veteran's case is being remanded due to incomplete opinions on several service connection claims.,Multiple issues related to undiagnosed illnesses and secondary service connection are pending.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities, kidney stones, and gastrointestinal signs and symptoms due to an undiagnosed illness are all granted. Service connection is also granted for PTSD with a rating of 70 percent.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for the left knee disability including due to undiagnosed illness, leaving only the claims of service connection for left shoulder and lumbosacral strain.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the threshold minimum percentage criteria for a schedular TDIU prior to August 14, 2012. The Board referred the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 14, 2012 to the Director of Compensation Service for action in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for IBS is granted, with a rating of 30 percent effective from the date of the examination. The claims for hypertension and fatigue are denied.

The Veteran's request to restore a 40 percent rating for lumbar spine disability from November 27, 2013 was granted. The effective date of this restoration is April 9, 2013.