Gulf War illness / chronic multisymptom Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and a sleep disorder due to an undiagnosed illness, as well as for gastritis, gastrointestinal reflux disease, diverticulitis, and a stomach disorder due to an undiagnosed illness. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service or the veteran's Persian Gulf service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination and additional notice to the veteran.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death and entitlement to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 due to insufficient evidence regarding the cause of death.

The Board denied service connection for an eye disorder, a disability manifested by fatigue due to an undiagnosed illness, and a respiratory disability manifested by breathing problems due to an undiagnosed illness. The veteran's claims were not supported by objective evidence of chronic disabilities or non-medical indicators that are capable of independent verification.

The veteran's headaches due to an undiagnosed illness are rated at 30 percent effective October 29, 2002. His hypertension is currently rated at 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, desquamation and exfoliating rash (claimed as undiagnosed illness), and myalgias and arthralgias (claimed as joint pains and muscle aches).

The Board has granted service connection for bipolar disorder and a chronic disability manifested by fatigue, memory impairment, and night sweats. The issue of an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the service-connected left knee disorder is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, skin rash due to undiagnosed illness, sleep disturbance due to undiagnosed illness, muscle and joint pain due to undiagnosed illness, and memory loss due to undiagnosed illness. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection based on the veteran's reported history.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's joint and muscle pain affecting the back and neck, as well as his degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a direct link to active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for fatigue, dizziness, sleepiness, loss of appetite, and joint pain due to undiagnosed illness or other qualifying chronic disability, PTSD, and a left shoulder disorder. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of these conditions during service or in post-service records.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disability, degenerative changes of the lumbosacral spine, an undiagnosed illness characterized by headaches, sleepiness, poor memory and concentration, and sexual dysfunction, and an undiagnosed illness characterized by low back pain with numbness and weakness of the legs.

The veteran's symptoms of fatigue, loss of energy, joint discomfort (neck, low back, right shoulder), memory loss, headaches, anxiety, fevers, skin rash, boils, and disability secondary to reaction to chemicals are not considered service-connected due to lack of evidence supporting their causation by an undiagnosed illness. Service connection is granted for neck, back, and right shoulder discomfort as manifestations of an undiagnosed illness.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a rash on the left arm, sores of skin (chest, shoulders, and back), and memory loss were denied as these conditions are not related to his active military service or undiagnosed illness in the Gulf War.

The Board found that the veteran's multiple joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness is manifested by episodic but not constant pain and stiffness in his hands, with exacerbations often precipitated by environmental or emotional stress. The tinea pedis with onychomycosis of the feet was also noted, with a combined area exposed for both feet being 5%.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for myofascial pain due to undiagnosed illness was granted, with a rating of 10 percent and effective June 30, 2000.

The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia (claimed as due to Gulf War service) and hemorrhoids, finding no evidence of these conditions in service records or competent medical opinion linking them to service.,Service connection was also denied for a depressive disorder with an initial evaluation of 30 percent.

The veteran is seeking service connection for 'Gulf War Syndrome', but the claim is denied as a matter of law because it does not reference a specific disability.

The veteran's fibromyalgia is granted with a rating of 40 percent, while his sinusitis and dermatological conditions are denied. The veteran's sleep apnea and obstructive lung disease were not found to be service-connected.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the claimed conditions are not related to his active duty service.