IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2024

The Veteran's hearing acuity was no worse than Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.,There is only one painful scar of the abdomen, rated at 10 percent under DC 7804. The Veteran does not have two scars that are unstable or painful.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome was granted service connection effective January 6, 2021. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right ankle, shoulder, and knee disabilities as well as a rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbosacral strain.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new examination is required to determine if the Veteran's IBS is related to service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to incomplete records. The VA must attempt to obtain all relevant medical records, including those from the Louisville VAMC from January 2012 through March 2022.

The Veteran's IBS and GERD are granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD, foot calluses, hypertension, and thigh disabilities. The right thigh hamstring strain is granted a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board granted a 40 percent disability rating for fibromyalgia, finding that the Veteran's symptoms were constant or nearly so and refractory to therapy. The claims for service connection for sleep disabilities, headaches, psychiatric disorders, IBS, and TDIU are remanded.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for sleep disturbances, PTSD, and IBS as they were filed more than a year after the last rating decision denying these claims.

The reduction of the evaluation for post-concussive headaches from 30% to 10% was not proper, and the Veteran's claim is granted. The entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for irritable bowel syndrome is denied. The right shoulder disability remains remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and IBS were granted with an effective date of August 12, 2019.

The Board denied service connection for TMJ disorder, neck condition, left shoulder condition, asthma, IBS, irregular menstruation, and dry skin condition.,Service connection was not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for various secondary conditions are remanded due to predecisional duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for IBS was denied as there is no current diagnosis of IBS.,Service connection for right and left knee strain was granted with an effective date of May 24, 2017.

The Veteran's IBS rating was reduced to noncompensable, but the Board has now restored a 10 percent rating effective February 28, 2022.

The Board granted an initial disability rating of 60 percent for obstructive sleep apnea with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and remanded the claims for higher ratings for chronic urticaria and irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board has remanded several claims due to duty-to-assist errors, including the need to obtain SSA records related to the Veteran's disability benefits application and earnings history.

Service connection for GERD and gastritis is denied.,The Veteran's intestinal disorder, to include IBS, remains under review due to a lack of clear etiology.

The Veteran's appeals for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and prostate cancer have been withdrawn. The claims of service connection for residuals of prostate cancer, lung disability (IPF), kidney disease, and IBS are remanded due to new evidence submitted after the prior final rating decisions.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for a disorder characterized by abnormal weight/gain, brain damage, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic muscle and joint pain, diabetes mellitus type II, irritable bowel syndrome, left rotator cuff tear, loss of smell, loss of taste, other specified depressive disorder, skin disorder, umbilical hernia, sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is granted with a disability rating of 50 percent effective from April 26, 2016.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for other conditions (vertebral fracture and lumbar discectomy, cervical strain, IBS, and bilateral hearing loss) are denied as they were not received within one year after separation from service or earlier.

The Board granted an initial evaluation of 30 percent for irritable bowel disease and remanded the issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.