IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2021

The Board dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for erectile dysfunction, sleep apnea, and irritable bowel syndrome due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's GERD and IBS were granted a 30 percent rating from December 6, 2016 to December 27, 2019.,The Veteran's GERD and IBS were granted a 60 percent rating starting from December 28, 2019.

Service connection for IBS is granted.,PTSD with Depression and Panic Disorder was previously denied, but a higher rating of 50% prior to September 8, 2015, and 70% on or after that date is granted.,Lumbosacral Strain has been rated at 10% prior to January 11, 2021, and 20% on or after that date. The claim for a higher rating remains pending.,Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy was previously denied, but the claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for IBS with duodenal ulcer, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied.,An effective date earlier than June 13, 2018 for the grant of service connection for these conditions is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome is granted, while the claims for chronic fatigue syndrome, hearing loss, and back disability are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding his claimed former POW status and combat experiences. Additional development is needed, including verifying the Veteran's involvement in special operations incidents and confirming his former POW status.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and a need for further medical evaluation.

The Board has remanded the cases for an investigation into whether the effective dates for service connection of IBS and right buttock strain were incorrectly set at July 25, 2016. The SMC claim is also being remanded due to a data entry error. The hypertension issue remains unresolved.

The Board has granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease, both presumed to be related to the Veteran's service in Southwest Asia during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination and medical opinions regarding service connection for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

The Veteran's gastrointestinal condition, including IBS and GERD, is granted service connection. A 50 percent rating for posttraumatic headaches prior to April 21, 2017, is also granted. The low back strain issue remains denied.

The Veteran's severe loss of vision in the left eye is not considered to be due to VA treatment, and there is no evidence linking his current condition to any fault on the part of VA.,Hypertension was not found to be related to service or herbicide exposure. The claim for secondary hypertension to PTSD is also denied.,IBS was not linked to service or PTSD. The claim for secondary IBS to PTSD is also denied.,Right hand and left hand disabilities were not found to be due to service or herbicide exposure. The claims for these conditions are also denied.,The Veteran's hypertension, IBS, right hand, and left hand disabilities do not meet the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Veteran's stomach disorder and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are being remanded for further examination and opinion as the current evidence is insufficient to determine their etiology.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for rib disorder, left hip disorder, right hip disorder, and IBS due to new evidence received since the last decision. The claims are currently pending.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, eczema, and onychomycosis. The case will be returned to the Board for further review.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for fibromyalgia due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran meets the criteria for a diagnosis of fibromyalgia or another medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness (MUCMI).

The Board has found that the Veteran's GERD, H. pylori, hiatal hernia, and IBS are not related to his service or secondary to his service-connected OSA. The Board has therefore remanded for additional VA examinations to determine if these conditions were present during service or caused by service-connected OSA.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for further development and clarification of evidence.,Specifically, additional medical opinions are required regarding the etiology of various conditions including cervical spine degenerative disc disease, lumbar spinal degenerative disc disease, right shoulder disorder, right hip disorder, right ankle disorder, left ankle disorder, fibromyalgia (Gulf War Illness), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (Gulf War Illness), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (Gulf War Illness), and migraine headaches.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and a chronic pain disorder, diagnosed as fibromyalgia and spondyloarthropathy with flaring peripheral joint synovitis, all of which are deemed to be directly related to her active military service.

The Veteran's IBS was not shown in service and is not causally or etiologically related to service, nor is it due to herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection.