IBS & irritable bowel decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for GERD, IBS, and migraines/headaches to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board granted an effective date of November 2, 1994, for the award of service connection for a gastrointestinal condition, including diverticulosis and IBS.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease as secondary to PTSD. The Board also granted an initial 50 percent rating for migraine headaches effective August 26, 2022.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hip condition, headaches/migraines, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but denied service connection for a left knee condition. The issues of service connection for cervical strain, bilateral foot condition, rating in excess of 30 percent for generalized anxiety disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were remanded.

The Board granted service connection for chronic sinusitis, obstructive sleep apnea as due to herein service-connected chronic sinusitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. It also granted increased ratings of 20 percent for the left knee disability and 30 percent for the right knee disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for migraines, GERD, and an initial compensable disability rating for IBS to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board denied all claims for increased ratings and remanded several service connection claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding no evidence of a current disability or sufficient in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The Board granted service connection for left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee conditions, as well as a 30 percent initial rating for chronic sinusitis from August 10, 2022, and a maximum 30 percent initial rating for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) from September 29, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for verruca vulgaris, irritable bowel syndrome, and an initial compensable disability rating for tension headaches as the evidence did not support a current diagnosis of these conditions or symptoms that met the criteria for service connection.

The Board granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, unspecified mood disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, as well as alcohol use disorder. The remaining claims were remanded for further development.

The Board granted service connection for cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disabilities, bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, tinnitus, chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, digestive disabilities including irritable bowel syndrome with abdominal pain and nausea, pelvic organ disabilities, iron deficiency anemia, and genital herpes. Service connection was denied for acne, tendonitis, fibromyalgia, painful joints, left shin splints, right shin splints, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, respiratory infection, GERD, PTSD, anxiety condition, manic-depressive reaction, and psychiatric disorder other than unspecified depressive disorder with symptoms of suicidal ideation. An initial 50% rating was granted for the service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.

The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea was dismissed due to a procedural defect in the notice of disagreement submitted by the Veteran.

The Board granted an initial rating of 30 percent for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) based on severe symptoms including diarrhea and more or less constant abdominal distress.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), and headaches, among others. Sleep apnea was granted.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all service connection and initial rating issues, thus the Board has no jurisdiction to review these appeals.

The Board granted service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, left hand neurological condition, and right hand neurological condition. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to obtain an addendum opinion that adequately addresses the Veteran's lay statements and the total combined exposure to toxic exposure risk activities through all applicable deployments.

The Board granted service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and other specified anxiety disorder, but denied or remanded the claims for service connection for a recurrent temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disability, prostatitis, erectile dysfunction, left elbow disability, esophageal disability to include GERD, gastrointestinal disability to include IBS, headache disability, right shoulder disability, heart disability, bilateral foot disability, and compensable ratings for hemorrhoids and allergic rhinitis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and remanded the claim for bilateral hearing loss, to include as secondary to tinnitus.