IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2019

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeals for right ankle disorder, heart disorder, IBS, and circumcision. The claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder is denied.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for cervical spine disorder, headache disorder, low back disorder, left knee disorder, hypertension, gastrointestinal disorder (IBS), lower left extremity neuropathy, and upper left extremity neuropathy have been granted. Service connection is now established for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, hypogonadism (claimed as low testosterone), type 2 diabetes mellitus, sleep apnea, and irritable bowel syndrome is granted. The issues of service connection for a sleep disorder to include sleep apnea and an initial rating greater than 10 percent for irritable bowel syndrome are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting further exposure assessments. The Veteran's service connection claims are pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions regarding his breathing disorder, acid reflux, joint pain, high blood pressure, and GI disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome was denied. The Veteran's IBS has been granted a 10% rating, effective May 15, 2015. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder is being remanded.

The Board has granted a 60 percent rating for GERD with IBS, vacating the previous separate ratings and combining them under Diagnostic Code 7346.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for IBS, GERD, and headaches due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's military service included active duty in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and irritable bowel syndrome, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome based on the evidence showing continuity of symptoms since active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral elbow disability, fractured ribs, residuals of an eye injury, right ear hearing loss, Gulf War Syndrome, and left knee disability. The decision also remanded several issues.

The Veteran's impairment of rectal sphincter control is found to be proximately due to his service-connected IBS and GERD, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, was granted. The claims for right knee disability and gastrointestinal disorder were remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of his claims as they are now moot.

The Board denied service connection for various knee, leg, hip, and lung disabilities. The Veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee disability, right knee disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left leg disability, right leg disability, emphysema, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were all denied.,The Board also denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for sigmoid diverticulosis with chronic constipation and dermatophytosis and onychomycosis of the bilateral feet.

The Veteran's restrictive lung disease and gastrointestinal disorder (irritable bowel syndrome with diverticulitis) are granted as service-connected, with the gastrointestinal symptoms encompassing the previously granted irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board has remanded the claims for neurological disorder of the left buttock area, right hand scars, left thigh muscle injury with strain, and irritable bowel syndrome with diverticulosis and colon polypectomy due to new evidence and worsening symptoms.

The Veteran's claim for higher disability ratings for GERD with IBS is being remanded due to the need for a new medical opinion as previous opinions did not address symptoms in relation to different Diagnostic Codes (DCs) throughout the entire appeal period.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a back condition, eye condition, tinnitus, gastrointestinal disorder, migraine headaches, restless leg syndrome, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claims that these conditions were related to his military service.