IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2008

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing at the Little Rock, Arkansas RO.

The Board has determined that the appellant's irritable bowel syndrome is attributable to service.,However, the residuals of cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, cholecystectomy (gall bladder removal), and bile duct surgery are not attributable to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a request from the Court, including providing the veteran with notifications of VCAA provisions and scheduling him for a medical examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The appellant's service-connected irritable bowel syndrome is found to have contributed to the veteran's death from metastatic colon cancer.

The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for irritable bowel syndrome from August 11, 2000 and found that the veteran is entitled to an effective date of August 3, 1992 for service connection.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for the claimed disabilities, including bilateral ankle and elbow disabilities. The veteran's complaints of pain have not been supported by clinical findings or diagnoses.

The veteran's service connection for irritable bowel syndrome was granted with a 10% initial rating, and her claim for carpal tunnel syndrome secondary to fibromyalgia was also granted. The veteran's fibromyalgia was also granted with a 10% initial rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have diagnoses of certain conditions, and there is no competent medical evidence linking his military service to any current disabilities. Therefore, these claims for service connection are denied.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and identifying any relevant medical providers. The veteran's claim will be readjudicated to determine if a higher rating is warranted for his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome and whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his peptic ulcer disease claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran is entitled to a 20 percent rating for fibromyalgia since April 21, 2004. The evidence shows widespread musculoskeletal pain and tender points with fatigue, sleep disturbance, stiffness, paresthesias, headache, irritable bowel symptoms, depression, anxiety, or Raynaud's-like symptoms that are nearly constant.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a hearing. The specific issues of service connection and evaluation remain unresolved.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and IBS, finding that there was no evidence linking his current conditions to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Board found that the veteran's irritable bowel syndrome does not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture, and therefore denied entitlement to an extraschedular evaluation.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for post-operative residuals of extramedullary plasmacytoma with deviation of the nasal septum and recurrence in the left hip and ribs is being remanded due to outstanding evidence that needs to be obtained.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of the case.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed headaches and fractured ribs were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for her service-connected residuals of a cholecystectomy with irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis, finding that she was already receiving the highest schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 7319.

The veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations of residuals from a right hamstring tear, irritable bowel syndrome with GERD, and right knee ACL reconstruction have been denied. The veteran is currently rated at 10 percent for these conditions.