IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for further evidentiary development due to insufficient medical opinions addressing secondary service connection and aggravation.

The Board has denied service connection for left upper extremity and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, as well as a sleep disturbance. The appeal regarding irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is being remanded due to insufficient evidence.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran's IBS because there is no direct link between his in-service herbicide exposure and the condition.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected irritable bowel syndrome with cricopharyngeal hypertrophy and dysphagia (progression of GERD) has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the issues on appeal, including for service connection for anemia and intestinal disability (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and IBS) as secondary to a service-connected gastric ulcer disease.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches and right knee limitation of flexion, but denied service connection for hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), an acquired psychiatric disorder, and sinusitis. The claims for these conditions are considered to be reopened due to the submission of new evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea, effective from February 18, 2015. The decision is based on new evidence received after the initial denial of these claims in October 2015.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for IBS and GERD is being remanded due to the submission of additional VA medical records. The AOJ will review these records before considering the merits of his claim.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, TMJ, stomach condition (IBS), left hand tremors, and right hand tremors as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating for individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, despite meeting the schedular criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a disability of the cervical spine is granted. The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not related to his duties as a KC-135 refueling boom operator during his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for IBS and for a higher rating for PTSD due to incomplete medical opinions and outstanding records.

The Veteran's IBS is granted as a presumptive service connection due to a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness (MUCMI). The RO will need to provide an examination and obtain an opinion regarding the bilateral pes planus, diabetes mellitus, eye disability, and right ankle condition.,Service connection for bilateral pes planus, diabetes mellitus, any eye disability, and right ankle condition is remanded due to insufficient evidence. Additional examinations are needed to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the predominant disability and the severity of the service-connected IBS and GERD disabilities. The Veteran's esophagitis secondary to his service-connected GERD is also under consideration.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any gastrointestinal disability. The heart disability claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn. The remaining issues, including those related to the left hand and right knee disabilities, are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and IBS due to conflicting opinions from VA examiners and new medical research.

The Board has granted service connection for IBS, GERD, and Breast Cancer. The claims of entitlement to service connection for gallbladder removal are remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for acne vulgaris and alopecia have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the remaining issues of service connection for bronchitis, gastrointestinal condition (to include gastritis and irritable bowel syndrome), and sinusitis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of June 1, 2015. His TDIU is granted effective from that date.