IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2013

The Board found that the Veteran's skeletal conditions, including knees, fractured ribs, a scarred lung, and hip, are not related to service.

The Veteran's stomach and intestinal disorder, diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome, had its onset during his service in Vietnam. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are denied as there is no credible evidence of a head injury or neck injury during his active duty. The acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was not incurred in service.,There is also no credible evidence to support the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, acid reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or seizure disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a new and material condition.

The Board has raised doubts about the Veteran's diagnoses of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome, requiring further examination to determine if these conditions are present. The appeal is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, including irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease, to include as secondary to service-connected PTSD, is being remanded due to inadequate examination reports. Further development is needed to determine if the gastrointestinal disorders are related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bowel disorder is not related to his service or a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a new VA examination. The appeal will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including determining the appropriate diagnostic codes for his fibromyalgia manifestations and considering if combining separate ratings would provide a higher evaluation than the current 40 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to appear for scheduled VA examinations and his withdrawal of his appeal. The case is now returned to the RO with instructions to verify whether the Veteran still wants to pursue his claims, request relevant SSA records, obtain any private or VA treatment records, and schedule additional VA examinations if requested.

The Veteran's claims for viral pericarditis, gastrointestinal disorder, and heart disorders are denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The claim for bilateral upper extremity paresthesias is remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the current 10 percent ratings for his bilateral knee disabilities are appropriate.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peptic ulcer disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and an anxiety disorder characterized by insomnia are being remanded due to the need for additional development including a VA examination.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various gastrointestinal and psychiatric conditions, as well as a crushed right foot with bone spur, are granted.

The Board denied service connection for a neck disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, and radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities as these conditions are not caused or aggravated by service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination of his gastrointestinal system, as diagnostic testing was not completed in the past few years and he reported ongoing symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for GERD with irritable bowel syndrome was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Veteran's hydrocephalus claim, which is related to GERD, also failed to establish service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastrointestinal disability, including gastroesophageal reflux disease and irritable bowel syndrome, is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and an examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including beriberi, dysentery, malnutrition, intestinal parasitism, peptic ulcer disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and a psychiatric disability. The Board also denied his claim for an increased rating for pulmonary tuberculosis with bronchiectasis.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome is productive of alternating diarrhea and constipation with more or less constant abdominal distress, meeting the criteria for a 30 percent rating.