Ibs Questions

[mwainwright]

I need help. I have been diagnosed with IBS and the VA has accepted this, with a rating of 0%. There reasoning was because I was not in any pain. The fact is that I do have pain. My question is do I need to go back to my doc and complain about the pain or can I just put this info in a letter with my appeal???

[Guest]

Do both.

[WVSERVER]

do both and know what the 38 CFR says about IBS, you may be asking for a rating that is or is not possible for you condition of IBS. This is what my IBS, GEERD and Hiatal Hernia is rated as at the 30%.

7319 Irritable colon syndrome (spastic colitis, mucous colitis, etc.): Severe; diarrhea, or alternating diarrhea and constipation, with more or less constant abdominal distress 30 Moderate; frequent episodes of bowel disturbance with abdominal distress 10 Mild; disturbances of bowel function with occasional episodes of abdominal distress 0

[Philip Rogers]

You can also get rated either TDIU or 100%, if your IBS interferes w/your ability to work. I've helped 2 vets get TDIU for IBS.

pr

[K9MAL]

Were you in the Persian Gulf? To the best of my knowledge IBS is a presumptive condition rated automatically at 30% if you were. http://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/claims-postservice-gulfwar.asp

[justrluk]

WRT the symptoms, you need to be specific when talking to your docs. Even the somewhat gross details. Make sure these are in your records w/VAMC. I've been through this and lost 2/3 of my colon for cancerous/IBS issues. No weight loss (probably due to meds) but serious pain, frequency, etc. Keep a record of what your body is doing, your pain level and what it does to your life. Wish you all the best!

[Prospector]

I cannot help but to reply to this topic. This is not to alarm anyone but merely a suggestion from personal experience.

IBS, Crohns disease are often the same symptoms of Carcinoid Cancer which is rare and most VAMC's never check for it. In my own case the VA took almost a year to properly diagnose.

Fact 18% of Carcinoid Cancer is diagnosed post-mortem.

Most often the symptoms are misdiagnosed as IBS or Crohns disease.

There are a few simple tests the Doctor can run to check for it and most VAMC's do not.

1) CgA (chromogranin A) a simple blood test.

2) 5HIAA - 24hr urine test

If either or both of these show excess serotonin in the bloodstream, immediate investigation (scans, and other blood tests) should be performed.

This is the same cancer Steve Jobs of Apple computers died from.

https://carcinoid.wordpress.com/tag/missouri-national-guard/

In this soldiers experience from his original story, he was diagnosed with IBS.

I hope none of the VA IBS diagnosed patients have this, but do not depend on the VA doctors to recognize or test for it on their own.