IBS & irritable bowel Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's GERD is related to service, but there is insufficient evidence linking his IBS to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with a rating of 10% for residuals of a right wrist fracture and an initial evaluation higher than 10 percent for irritable bowel syndrome. The gastrointestinal disability other than IBS, hiatal hernia with GERD as residuals of helicobacter pylori infection, and tinnitus are all found to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ) for scheduling a videoconference hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after this action.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing a VA examination to address the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased rating for gastrointestinal disabilities, including duodenal ulcer, rectal/colon polyps, hemorrhoids, gastroenteritis, irritable bowel syndrome, was denied. The Board found that the VA opinions did not substantially comply with the September 2012 Remand instructions.

The Veteran's service-connected IBS does not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and industrial background for the period beginning July 11, 2012.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, diagnosed as dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, was incurred in active service. The Board granted the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected migraine headaches are rated at 50 percent, the highest possible rating under the applicable criteria. His service-connected IBS is rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's prostate disability, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and PTSD may be related to service or service-connected conditions. Further examination is needed to determine the current severity of these disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome did not meet the criteria for service connection, as it was not shown to be related to his military service or any undiagnosed illness. The claim was denied.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder, including esophagitis, sigmoid diverticulosis, and possible irritable bowel syndrome, is being remanded for additional development to determine if it is related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during active service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for gastrointestinal disorders, including Crohn's disease and IBS. The issue of entitlement to service connection for gastrointestinal disorder other than IBS and Crohn's disease is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome with non-ulcer dyspepsia is not shown to meet the criteria for a higher rating, as his symptoms do not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome and migraine headaches have been granted service connection. Other claims of service connection for various disabilities remain pending.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings were denied as the evidence did not show entitlement to higher ratings within a year of the date of claim.,An effective date earlier than June 15, 2007 was denied for the 20 percent rating for residuals of a fracture of the left tibia due to lack of medical records in the year prior to the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a VA examination and obtain additional treatment records. The claim will be reconsidered after the additional development.

The Veteran is entitled to an initial compensable rating of 10 percent for his service-connected IBS, effective May 6, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a grant of any of the requested evaluations.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral pes planus was denied. For IBS and hiatal hernia with GERD, the Veteran received a single 10 percent evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7319-7346.