IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and a clarification of the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected arthritis and his death from pulmonary fibrosis.

The Board found no credible evidence linking the Veteran's current TBI, to include headaches, to service. The VA treatment records do not show a continuity of symptomatology from service to the present. Therefore, service connection for TBI is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were denied. His heart condition was rated at 30 percent prior to April 26, 2011.

The Veteran's GERD and IBS have been rated at 30 percent, effective from June 30, 2004. The rating is based on the severity of his symptoms as described in medical records.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome has been rated at 30 percent since April 28, 1994. The Board denied a higher initial rating.

The Veteran's IBS is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board found that his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. Therefore, he does not meet the criteria for an increased evaluation for IBS or TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of broken ribs has been granted. The Board finds that the current residual condition is related to his in-service injury and supports a grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of prostate cancer do not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent, as his urinary dysfunction is primarily manifested by voiding intervals between one and two hours during the day and two to three times each night. The Veteran does not use absorbent garments or require catheterizations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the Veteran for VA examinations to assess his current disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for lumbar strain with sciatica, bulimia, hiatal hernia, IBS, GERD, and sleep apnea are denied. The Board finds that there is no evidence of a low back disorder during service or at any time thereafter, and the claimed conditions are not related to his military service.

The case is being remanded due to the failure of the originating agency to separately evaluate and assign a percentage rating for each diagnosed disability, including irritable bowel syndrome, right wrist strain with mild degenerative changes, cervical spine with degenerative changes, thoracic spine with moderate dorsal kyphosis and mild chronic compressions, and lumbar spine with degenerative changes. The Veteran's pension claim is also being remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for IBS and service connection for celiac disease, to include as secondary to IBS.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for IBS and sexual dysfunction, to include as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to evaluate these claims, and a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) will be issued.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bone necrosis of the right foot and ribs due to herbicide exposure, as well as his claim to reopen a previously denied claim for residuals of right kidney removal (nephrectomy) due to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder impingement has resulted in painful motion equating to limitation of motion at shoulder level, warranting a 20 percent rating. The issue of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for irritable bowel syndrome is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hemorrhoids, cardiovascular disease, and gastrointestinal disability (including IBS), as well as his requests for increased ratings for PTSD. The Veteran was also denied effective date claims related to his PTSD and TDIU benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his period of active service. The gastrointestinal disorder and bilateral hearing loss claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for magnesium deficiency, hypertension, residuals of bunionectomies and scars, migraines, acne vulgaris, GERD, and hemorrhoids. The initial ratings requested were also denied.