The Board denied service connection for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), residuals of a cold injury, and a respiratory disability to include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to insufficient evidence supporting the diagnoses or linking them to the Veteran's military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no objective evidence for an undiagnosed illness or chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia. The respiratory condition was linked to smoking, not in-service smoke inhalation.
- Claimed conditions
- fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), residuals of a cold injury, a respiratory disability to include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2022
- Citation
- 22000034
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 scarring, right orchiopexy and remanded the claim of asbestos exposure residuals. Other claims for service connection were denied.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for fibromyalgia and Gulf War unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness, bronchus, as well as an extension of the temporary 100 percent disability evaluation.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome and denied higher ratings for sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, and lumbosacral strain. However, the Board granted initial 20 percent ratings for left lower extremity radiculopathy, femoral nerve, and sciatic nerve.
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