Nexus letter
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Functional gastrointestinal claims, including those secondary to PTSD or deployment infection.
$895 for this condition · $149 to start
What this claim turns on
IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, which means the strength of a claim depends on other causes having been properly ruled out. Two pathways come up repeatedly: post-infectious IBS following a documented gastrointestinal illness during deployment, and IBS associated with a service-connected mental health condition through the gut-brain axis — a mechanism with substantial published support. Gulf War veterans should also be aware that IBS may fall under presumptive provisions for medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illness.
Commonly claimed as secondary to
If one of these is already service connected, this condition may be claimable as secondary to it. Your intake asks which pathway applies.
Records to have ready
Your physician needs these to form an opinion. Gathering them before you start is the single biggest thing you can do to move your case quickly.
- DD-214 or other separation document
- Service treatment records covering your time in service
- Current VA or private treatment records showing a diagnosis
- Any VA rating decision or denial letter you have received
- Gastroenterology records showing workup and exclusion of other causes
- Any record of gastrointestinal illness during deployment
Missing something? Start anyway and tell us in the intake. Sometimes a gap changes the approach rather than stopping the claim. How to request your records.