The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome as secondary to the veteran's service-connected myofascial pain syndrome and sleep apnea, due to a lack of competent medical evidence supporting such a diagnosis.
The deciding factor: There was no sufficient data provided by the VA examiner to support a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome. The veteran had known histories of myofascial pain syndrome involving the cervical and lumbar regions, as well as sleep apnea which can cause chronic daytime fatigue with naps required. Medical therapy with narcotics can also cause episodes or constant fatigue.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic fatigue syndrome, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, thoracic spine and lumbar facet disease
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 11, 2008
- Citation
- 0812037
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 60 percent disability rating for chronic fatigue syndrome and a 30 percent disability rating for sinusitis, while remanding the claims for service connection for an ovarian condition and increased ratings for tension headaches.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 23, 2022, for the award of service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome.
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