IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation due to individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to May 14, 2010 as he was gainfully employed on a full-time basis and there is no evidence of protected employment.

The Veteran's IBS is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board has denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to lack of evidence showing its onset during service or a link between the condition and service. The claims for arthritis in all joints, irritable bowel syndrome, and an increased rating for depression are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to maintain gainful employment, and the Board denied a TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. The Board found new and material evidence to support the reopening of his claims, including medical articles linking tinnitus to mental health disorders and VA examination findings supporting the Veteran's current conditions.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims and increased rating claims due to new evidence received after previous decisions. The Veteran is entitled to a compensable rating for hypertension, but additional development is needed as no SOC was issued regarding this issue. He also needs an examination to determine the current severity of his hypertension. Other issues are remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous remand directives, including scheduling a VA examination for the Veteran's service-connected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The AOJ is instructed to ensure all development requested in this remand has been completed and re-adjudicate the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral legs and feet, finding no current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to his military service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions including bilateral metatarsalgia, right knee chondromalacia patella and degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative joint disease, major depression, anxiety, GERD, hiatal hernia, IBS, gastroenteritis, and sleep apnea. The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions began during active service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 30 percent for pancolitis and entitlement to TDIU due to ongoing development needs, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an examination to assess pancolitis severity. The matter of TDIU is also being deferred pending resolution of the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's dry eye syndrome is granted with a 20 percent rating, and the maximum schedular evaluation for tinnitus is denied. Other claims are either denied or remanded.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, irritable bowel syndrome, and fibromyalgia are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions. The VA will provide a comprehensive examination to determine if these conditions are related to service or secondary to his service-connected psoriasis.

Service connection has been granted for hemorrhoids, celiac disease, GERD, and IBS. The right Achilles condition, left knee disability, and right knee disability are still under review.,The Veteran's celiac disease is presumed due to service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.

The Board denied the appellant's request to extend the delimiting date for Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under Chapter 35, as there was no evidence showing that her physical or mental disability alone prevented her from initiating or completing her chosen program of education prior to September 5, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further examination and evaluation of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, including impairment of the sphincter, irritable bowel syndrome, and diarrhea. The issue will be evaluated on a de novo basis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome, a skin disorder, and a headache disorder are granted. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and effective dates for PTSD, IBS/GERD, migraine headaches, and myalgia have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus the TDIU claim is granted. The DEA claim is remanded for further consideration.

The Veteran's IBS is granted a 10% rating, effective May 14, 2016. The right foot post-ligament plantar plate repair is remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for rhinitis and sinusitis, as well as his application to reopen claims for sleep apnea and VA compensation for a dental disability. The Board also granted the reopening of these claims and awarded service connection for a dental disability. Service connection was denied for irritable bowel syndrome, neck disability, and sleep apnea. A compensable rating for hemorrhoids was denied, but TDIU was granted.