Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea. Service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and undiagnosed illness or MUCMI is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The appeals to reopen claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left knee disability are dismissed. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is reopened, but the Veteran's tinnitus and headaches remain in dispute.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ADHD and an undiagnosed illness manifested by fatigue (claimed as CFS) due to a lack of evidence supporting these conditions. The Veteran's ADHD is considered part of his service-connected depressive disorder, while his fatigue symptoms are attributed to his already service-connected depression.

The Veteran's hypertension was rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under DC 7101. The claim for service connection for Gulf War unexplained illness (to include symptoms of fatigue) as due to an undiagnosed illness was denied because there was no evidence that the Veteran had a diagnosed illness without conclusive pathophysiology or etiology.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for undiagnosed Gulf War Illness manifested by a muscle condition, joint condition due to Gulf War (claimed as joints and muscle condition due to gulf war), skin cancer, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and acquired psychiatric disorder to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by muscle and joint pain, as well as headaches that are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected Chron's disease.

The Veteran's IBS and chronic fatigue due to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations have been granted service connection.,A rating for each condition has not yet been assigned.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability, muscle and joint pain (undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness), and skin disability due to incomplete records and further development is needed.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for follicular infection on the head and chest. The claims for service connection for other conditions are remanded due to lack of evidence showing an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if his symptoms are related to Gulf War service. His right hip disability claim is also remanded as it requires updated evidence of current severity.

The Veteran's right and left knee disabilities are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left knee disability is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left ankle disability, presumed due to undiagnosed illness, is denied.,The Veteran's right elbow disability, presumed due to undiagnosed illness, is denied.,The Veteran's left elbow disability, presumed due to undiagnosed illness, is denied.,The Veteran's hypothyroidism, presumed due to undiagnosed illness, is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and clarification of medical opinions regarding the Veteran's symptoms, including blisters, swelling and bruising of the legs, chronic joint pain, muscle aches, headaches, and difficulty breathing. The claims will be reconsidered after this additional review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a separate memory loss condition and denied service connection for it. The issues of service connection for skin condition, obstructive sleep apnea, and Gulf War Illness including chronic fatigue are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal to revise the October 2017 rating decision that granted an effective date of July 21, 2014, for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran argued that he should have been awarded TDIU earlier based on his service-connected conditions and inability to work.

The Veteran's undiagnosed illness, including an enlarged thyroid, fatigue, syncope, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations, and headaches associated with exposure to Persian Gulf environmental exposure, has been granted service connection.

The Board has found that further remand is necessary to obtain the curriculum vitae of the VA examiners who provided opinions in April 2020, August 2020 (two separate exams), September 2020, November 2020, and May 2021. The Veteran and his attorney will be notified if these documents cannot be obtained.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to missing VA treatment records and further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss is granted, but with a noncompensable rating.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied.,Gulf War Syndrome is granted.,Service connection for a lower back condition is granted.,Service connection for shin splints and left shoulder condition are granted.,The Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss disability remains noncompensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal was improperly placed in the AMA system and should be re-docketed under the Legacy system. The AOJ must issue an SOC addressing all issues on appeal, and the Veteran is given the opportunity to perfect his appeal by filing a VA Form 9.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Gulf War Syndrome, including chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, finding that his symptoms are attributable to known clinical conditions such as PTSD, OSA, and multiple orthopedic disabilities.