The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, other than GERD, to include IBS as secondary to his service-connected fibromyalgia is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The current evidence does not definitively establish whether the Veteran has a diagnosed gastrointestinal disability, excluding GERD, that was caused or aggravated by his service-connected fibromyalgia. The VA examiner must provide an opinion on this issue.
- Claimed conditions
- gastrointestinal disability, other than GERD, IBS
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 12, 2015
- Citation
- 1525293
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1525293.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
A 30 percent rating for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is granted, and service connection for hypertension is denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as there is no current diagnosis of IBS or symptoms at any time during the pendency of the claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's IBS and obstructive sleep apnea are granted as service connected, with the latter condition likely originating during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination reports and internal inconsistencies in the previous VA examinations. The Veteran's gastrointestinal symptoms, including IBS, constipation, diarrhea, and hemorrhoids, need further evaluation.
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