IBS & irritable bowel Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including bladder cancer, gastrointestinal disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The appeal is based on presumed exposure to herbicides, but there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or to any specific exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome are being remanded due to inadequate VA examination, and the need to obtain updated treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical information regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected fistulectomy, sphincterotomy, cryptotomy for recurrent fistula in ano and his gastrointestinal symptoms. The Veteran is seeking a higher disability evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's digestive disorder is as likely as not a manifestation of an undiagnosed illness resulting from his service in the Persian Gulf. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran is granted service connection for IBS, but his other gastrointestinal disability (including GERD) is not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, finding that his current diagnoses are related to in-service symptoms and symptomatology.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge by videoconference at the St. Petersburg VA Regional Office.

The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The case has been remanded for additional development and consideration.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal disabilities, including gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and hiatal hernia, are currently rated at a 40 percent disability rating under the criteria for duodenal ulcers. The Board denied entitlement to separate ratings in excess of 40 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is mixed, with some issues granted and others not. The claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome and gastroesophageal reflux disease to include as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder are pending. The claim for increase in rating for coronary artery disease from May 25, 2005, to April 2, 2009, is granted. The claims for an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and special monthly compensation by reason of being housebound are pending. The claim for educational assistance pursuant to Chapter 35 of Title 38 of the United States Code has not been adjudicated yet.

The Board found that a current disability was not incurred due to service, and arthritis of the low back is not presumed to have been incurred during service.

The Board denied service connection for the appellant's claimed low back disorder, left knee injury (torn meniscus), obstructive sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, left ankle/tendon disorder, and right ankle/tendon disorder. The decision found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for Crohn's disease, which he contends should be secondary to his already service-connected IBS. The Board has determined that additional development is necessary.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his diagnosed gastrointestinal disabilities and erectile dysfunction. The VA will provide a new examination for these issues.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for IBS and granted it. The claims for stomach disorders, incisional hernia with post-operative scar, and migraines are also addressed.

The Board is remanding the claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) manifested by stomach pains due to the need for additional medical records from the VA Medical Center in Dublin, Georgia. The Veteran reported receiving treatment for stomach-related complaints at this facility in 1976.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastric disorder, claimed as stomach problems, is being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an opinion from a VA examiner.

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

The Veteran's diagnosed gastroesophageal reflux disease does not qualify as an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness, and thus the claim for service connection is denied.