IBS & irritable bowel Board decisions

The Veteran's IBS and bilateral plantar fasciitis have been granted service connection.,He is also entitled to service connection for a neurological condition related to his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disorder.

The Veteran is currently assigned a 50 percent rating for PTSD with anxiety/adjustment disorder since August 23, 1989. He seeks an increased initial rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to clarify the nature of his gastrointestinal disorder and hypertension, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion on their etiology.

The Veteran's GERD and IBS have been granted service connection as they are aggravated by his treatment for a service-connected disability (prostate cancer).

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and SSA disability determination records. The gastroenterologist will provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome and liver damage are at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected ankle disability.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to the appellant's request for withdrawal prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's IBS did not originate in service and is not otherwise related to active service, was not manifest within one year of discharge, and is not proximate due to, the result of, or aggravated by a service-connected disability. Therefore, the claim for service connection for IBS secondary to pain medication used for other service-connected disabilities has been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and blurred vision as due to an undiagnosed illness were all denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of these conditions during his service or at any time thereafter.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and inpatient hospitalization records from Vietnam. An additional VA examination will also be conducted to address the gastrointestinal disorder.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and there are no allegations of errors of fact or law for appellate consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's IBS and GERD did not manifest during service or are related to any incident of service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor are they proximately due to a service-connected disability. Service connection for these conditions is therefore denied.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability is not service connected. The upper gastrointestinal disability (GERD) and lower gastrointestinal disability (intestinal hypermobility, gastroenteritis, and irritable bowel syndrome) are both service-connected as separate disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the cyst of the mid back and chest pains have been withdrawn. The remaining issues are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran is granted secondary service connection for irritable bowel syndrome as a result of medication from his service-connected disabilities. He also has been awarded a 60 percent rating for degenerative disc disease and intervertebral disc syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine, effective January 15, 2002.,Effective October 30, 2006, the Veteran is granted special monthly compensation benefits by reason of being permanently housebound.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability, in-service incurrence or aggravation, and no nexus between the Veteran's claimed IBS condition and his military service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal seeking service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As a result, the Board dismisses this matter.

The Board has withdrawn the claims of entitlement to service connection for chronic sinusitis and low back disability due to a request by the Veteran's representative. The Veteran is found to have irritable bowel syndrome, which was incurred in military service and is considered a qualifying chronic disability under Persian Gulf War criteria. Neurological symptoms in both upper and lower extremities are also considered as an undiagnosed illness related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and gastrointestinal (IBS) disorders are not related to service or service-connected disabilities. However, hypertension is found to be unrelated to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability, GERD with Schatzki's ring and hiatal hernia, and bilateral plantar fasciitis.