Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2019

The Board has determined that the Veteran's neuropathy in his upper and lower extremities is related to his service-connected prostate cancer, but additional development is needed to confirm this relationship.

The Veteran's schizophrenia is rated at 100% from November 21, 2013. The effective date for service connection of schizophrenia is set to the date of application to reopen in November 21, 2013. TDIU was denied as his other disabilities preclude him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities are being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine their current severity, as well as whether they are related to service-connected conditions or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and bilateral hearing loss, are deemed insufficient to allow for a determination on his TDIU claim. The Board has ordered further medical evaluation from an occupational or vocational medicine specialist.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and diabetic neuropathy have been dismissed as he requested to withdraw the issues.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,Service connection for sleep apnea has been granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD.,Service connection for colon cancer has been granted based on exposure to environmental hazards.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and left upper extremity has not been established.

The Veteran's original claim for service connection for a heart condition was denied in an August 1987 rating decision, and new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim. The claims for service connection for other conditions were also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease and peripheral neuropathy with right fingertip numbness, finding no current disability of GERD or evidence linking the conditions to service. The claim for peripheral neuropathy is remanded for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and unclear reasoning behind the assigned rating for entrapment neuropathy. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not yet adjudicated.

The claims to reopen service connection for various conditions have been granted. The specific disabilities are autoimmune disorder, fibromyalgia, IBS, residuals of cysts removal from the left ankle, numbness and neuropathy in the left thigh, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, pre-cancerous polyps, arthritis, NASH, and a heart condition.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetic neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities is currently rated as moderate incomplete paralysis, warranting a 20 percent rating. The Veteran's service-connected diabetic neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities is currently rated as mild incomplete paralysis, warranting a 10 percent rating.,The VA has remanded these issues for further review.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that these conditions are related to service. The decision also remanded the issues regarding peripheral neuropathy of the lower left and right extremities.

The Veteran is granted service connection for multiple myeloma as due to herbicide exposure.,Service connection is also granted for bilateral upper and lower extremity radiculopathy/peripheral neuropathy as secondary to his service-connected multiple myeloma.,However, the Board denied service connection for erectile dysfunction, finding no evidence linking it to service or any other condition.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction was not found to be due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings have been dismissed as the appellant and his representative withdrew from appellate consideration of these claims prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetic neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities, as well as peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, have been denied.,The Veteran is currently rated at 90% combined disability rating due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided that there may be relevant VA treatment records from before 2002, and the Veteran's claim should be processed without these records. The case is being sent back to obtain these records.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for GERD, DM, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities have been withdrawn.,Service connection is denied for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals to reopen claims of service connection for various conditions and seeks a compensable rating for a right buttock hematoma, as well as the appeals seeking increased ratings for knee disabilities. The Veteran's representative withdrew his appeals in these matters.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II is found to be the proximate cause of his peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, has been granted.