IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2021

The Board has granted service connection for IBS, finding that the Veteran's current gastrointestinal symptoms are related to his in-service treatment and stress. Service connection was denied for sinusitis due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

Service connection is granted for IBS and atopic dermatitis, both of which are considered manifestations of a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.,Service connection is also granted for asthma, with the reasoning that it was incurred in service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's motion for revision of an August 1980 rating decision because no VA Form 10182 was received, and thus the issues are not under the Board’s jurisdiction.

The Veteran's fibromyalgia was rated as 10 percent disabling from June 24, 1994, to June 22, 2006.,The Veteran's chronic fatigue syndrome was rated as 10 percent disabling from February 7, 1996, to March 9, 2005.,The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome has been rated as noncompensable (mild) throughout the appeal period.,PTSD was initially rated at 10 percent from June 24, 1994, to August 19, 1998, and then increased to 70 percent from August 20, 1998, to March 9, 2005.,The Veteran was granted TDIU prior to January 1, 2003, and again from January 1, 2003, to March 9, 2005.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is service-connected, with no specific date assigned.

The Veteran's neck disability was denied as not incurred in or related to his active service, and the Board found that his service-connected PTSD did not cause or aggravate his neck disability.,The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) claim is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient examination findings and conflicting medical evidence. The claims will be reconsidered with new examinations.

The Board has identified additional VA treatment records that have not been considered in the current rating decision. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded to allow for a thorough review of these new records.

The Veteran's IBS is a qualifying chronic disability resulting from a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness that became manifest to a compensable degree within the prescribed presumptive period since his active service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War. Service connection for a digestive disability, diagnosed as IBS, is granted on a presumptive basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including recurrent low back strain and right lower extremity neuropathy, precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to January 26, 2010. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in loss of use of both lower extremities, qualifying him for specially adapted housing and SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.,However, his appeal regarding financial assistance for automobile and adaptive equipment or for adaptive equipment only is remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and a VA examination.

Service connection for headaches is granted due to aggravation by service-connected cervical strain with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS).,Service connection for IBS is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted. The claims of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and a bilateral eye disorder are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical examination and lack of explanation regarding service connection for an undiagnosed illness or chronic multi-symptom illness.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his service-connected Reiter’s syndrome and its residuals, including chronic joint symptoms and non-orthopedic conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to conflicting information in the 2015 VA medical opinion and a need for further clarification of the events surrounding the July 2011 hysterectomy.

The Veteran's GERD with IBS is currently rated as 30 percent disabling since November 12, 2019. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for diverticulosis secondary to GERD with IBS.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of evidence, particularly regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's digestive system symptoms. The issues of service connection for a gastric disorder including as secondary to hepatitis and entitlement to an increased rating for hepatitis are inextricably intertwined.

The Veteran's IBS is rated at a 10 percent disability rating. The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination to assess her IBS severity. The CFS claim remains pending as well.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for IBS and PTSD, as well as her claim for a compensable rating for a scar associated with total abdominal hysterectomy are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions.