Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for hypothyroidism and an undiagnosed illness manifested by chronic fatigue, finding that both conditions are related to the Veteran's period of active duty in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of migraine headaches and chronic fatigue syndrome were denied. The claim for left knee disability was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Memory Loss, both presumed to have resulted from his service in the Persian Gulf.,Service connection is also granted for residuals of shin splints.

The Veteran's knee, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic cough, and headaches are being remanded for further development to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal of the claims for service connection for a left eye stye and right ankle strain has been withdrawn. The remaining service connection claims are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims to reopen his service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, major depression, memory loss due to an undiagnosed illness, and skin rash due to an undiagnosed illness. The evidence received since the September 2004 decision does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's appeal has been remanded due to the need for clarification of his hearing request. The issues related to service connection and reentrance into a rehabilitation program are still pending.

The Board has remanded the case for readjudication due to incomplete review of VA outpatient treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected headache disorder, including his symptoms of heat flashes and rapid heart rate, have not resulted in characteristic prostrating attacks occurring on an average of once a month over the last several months. Therefore, he does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and SSA records, workers' compensation records, and VA treatment records. The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and thyroid condition will be evaluated based on their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for histoplasmosis of lung and service connection for multiple joint pains have been denied as there is no credible evidence of active, chronic pulmonary mycosis or a link to the claimed undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no competent medical evidence showing that any of the claimed conditions are related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of evidence supporting a current disability and no objective indications of chronic disability resulting from undiagnosed illness.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic headaches and denied the remaining claims. The Veteran's current diagnoses include chronic headaches, bilateral inguinal hernia with nerve damage, prostate disorder, digestive disorder (undiagnosed illness), and skin disorder (undiagnosed illness).

The Veteran's loss of consciousness episode is not service-connected, but his PTSD warrants a 30 percent initial rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis with hypothyroidism, fatigue as due to an undiagnosed illness, and joint pain. The decision also noted that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for joint pain.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for lumbosacral spine injury residuals, head injury residuals, and hypertension. The Veteran submitted new and material evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of heat exhaustion, chronic fatigue, and right shoulder pain have been denied. The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable initial disability rating for his left wrist surgery residuals.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to address her claims for service connection for vertigo and chronic maxillary sinus disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable evaluation for left testicular orchalgia and service connection for loss of feeling in both arms, as secondary to undiagnosed illnesses. The appeal was reopened on new evidence.