IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2010

The Veteran withdrew her appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, flat feet, a bilateral knee disorder, a female internal organ disorder, and incontinence prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including left shoulder arthritis, bilateral knee arthritis, residuals of broken ribs, and chest disability with sensitive bulge, were not incurred or aggravated during service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The claims for irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome are remanded as they may be related to undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim of service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, claimed as irritable bowel syndrome. The issue of service connection for congestive heart failure due to herbicide exposure remains denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder with schizophrenia is dismissed as moot because his psychiatric disability, classified as anxiety disorder, already accounts for the manifestations of his claimed bipolar disorder with schizophrenia.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that none of these disorders were incurred or aggravated by active duty or active duty for training.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for her service-connected fibromyalgia with irritable bowel syndrome was granted, and she is now assigned a 10 percent evaluation. The claims of entitlement to service connection for neck and low back conditions were also granted as secondary to the service-connected fibromyalgia with irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gastroenteritis, irritable bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, and bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is being remanded due to an inadequate examination in determining that he was not entitled to benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder, right knee, left elbow disabilities and an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than dysthymic disorder with anxiety) to include PTSD and depression have been granted. The Veteran withdrew his appeals on the issues of carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist and irritable bowel syndrome to include as being due to chemical exposure prior to the Board's decision.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise and grants service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, finding it to be related to service due to Gulf War exposure.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and lumbosacral strain, which he contends began in service. The case was remanded due to inadequate opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's skin condition and joint condition are not service connected. The Veteran's IBS is granted on a direct basis, as it had onset in service. GERD is also granted on a direct basis, as the Veteran reported symptoms since 1993.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection, finding that his ilioinguinal nerve entrapment syndrome and costochondritis of the left ribs do not warrant higher ratings based on their current manifestations. The Veteran's chronic eye disorder (to include vision disorder) remains unconnected to service.

The Veteran's service-connected tension headaches have been rated at 30 percent disabling since October 15, 2001.,The Veteran's service-connected IBS has been rated at 30 percent disabling since March 1, 2002.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, tinnitus, gastritis, IBS, familial tremors, and lung scarring, all claimed to be due to radiation exposure. The appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have perennial allergies during active service and her right knee disorder is not related to her left knee disorder or any other service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's post-infective IBS is related to his service, specifically a viral syndrome he experienced in May 1990 while on active duty. The VA medical expert opinion supports this finding and grants service connection for IBS.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 1, 2002 for the grant of service connection for IBS was granted. The issue of a separate rating for IBS is also pending and will be addressed in a future decision.

The Veteran's service-connected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is rated at a maximum of 30 percent, effective September 9, 2005.