The Board denied service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, to include as due to an undiagnosed Gulf War illness, and denied higher ratings for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease (DDD) and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS).
The deciding factor: The most persuasive evidence did not support a current diagnosis for chronic fatigue syndrome or the presence of symptoms that qualified as an undiagnosed illness or a medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness. The Veteran's symptoms were attributed to other conditions, and there was no evidence supporting a higher rating for the other conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) including functional abdominal pain syndrome with bloating and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease (DDD) and intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 28, 2025
- Citation
- A25047382
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,240 · Granted: 28% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25047382.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the need for additional medical records and examinations.,Service connection is denied for tinnitus.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for chronic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and chronic fatigue syndrome as there is no evidence of a current disability in the record.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for persistent depressive disorder with anxious distress and service connection for ulcerative colitis are being remanded due to the failure to obtain relevant medical records.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB) and remanded the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.