IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2020

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, but dismissed his claims for increased ratings for IBS and hearing loss disability as well as his claim for service connection for GERD.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to include irritable bowel syndrome and chychonycosis right great toe, due to incomplete medical records and need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of all pending claims.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to February 10, 2020, and in excess of 40 percent from February 10, 2020 for a low back disability.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for the period prior to February 10, 2020 for GERD.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for the period from February 10, 2020 for IBS and GERD.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for retropatellar pain syndrome of the right knee.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for retropatellar pain syndrome of the left knee.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a compensable disability rating prior to February 10, 2020, and a rating in excess of 10 percent from February 10, 2020 for a left ankle disability.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding a compensable disability rating prior to February 10, 2020, and a rating in excess of 10 percent from February 10, 2020 for a left wrist ganglion.,The Veteran's petition to reopen service connection for right shoulder disability based on new and material evidence has been dismissed.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and adjustment disorder.,The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal regarding service connection for a neck disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased rating for PTSD, service connection for OSA, and a compensable rating for IBS prior to May 18, 2017 due to insufficient evidence in some cases.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to inadequate examinations in her gastrointestinal disability claim. The case will be returned for further development, including a new examination by a VA gastroenterologist.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The rating in excess of 20 percent for DJD of the thoracolumbar spine was denied, while service connection for PN of the bilateral upper and lower extremities and IBS were also denied.

The Veteran's appeals of increased ratings and service connection claims have been dismissed. Effective dates for awards of service connection are denied.

The Veteran's IBS is currently rated at the maximum schedular rating, and his TDIU claim has been granted. The Board finds that additional examination and medical opinion are needed to determine if service connection for sleep apnea should be granted.,Service connection for post-polio syndrome was remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals for increased ratings and service connection, effectively dismissing the cases.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to a lack of proper examination for his service-connected right hip condition, and the need to obtain updated VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) due to his failure to appear for a scheduled VA examination. The Veteran was not notified of the examination, and he missed it.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, IBS, and sleep apnea/sleep disturbance due to lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed in-service stressors and other medical findings.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and sleep apnea have been denied, as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service. The claim for increased rating of scarring of the occipital scalp has also been denied.

The Board has remanded the appeals for entitlement to increased evaluations for IBS and diabetes mellitus due to additional evidence being added to the record.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD was denied as the evidence did not show that his symptoms more nearly approximated those required for a 100 percent rating.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for residuals of low back surgery prior to December 9, 2016 and from December 9, 2016 was denied. The evidence showed that the Veteran did not have unfavorable ankylosis or incapacitating episodes as required for a higher rating.

The Veteran's headaches and low back disability are granted service connection as they had their onset during her period of active duty. Other conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, were not connected to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of opinion regarding whether the Veteran's IBS is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and anal fissures with scarring, effective from January 31, 2017. The claim for hypertension was remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and remanded the issue of service connection for hemorrhoids.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for macular degeneration, glaucoma, gastrointestinal disability (to include IBS), and hypertension due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.