GERD Secondary to PTSD or Anxiety

The recognized connection, the three-legged evidence standard, and the free routes to the medical opinion.

← All secondary claims · Ratings by condition

A secondary claim is a condition caused or worsened by one the VA has already service-connected. The causation fight is already half-won — the VA agreed your ptsd or anxiety came from service; the question is only whether it caused the gerd. That's a medical question with a recognized answer.

The connection

The gut and the stress response are wired together: chronic hyperarousal increases acid production and esophageal sensitivity, and several psychiatric medications list reflux among their known effects. Raters see this pairing constantly — the claim turns on a current GERD diagnosis and a medical opinion connecting the two, which the VA's own examiner can supply.

How the VA rates gerd

Rated on documented symptoms and complications under the revised digestive schedule.

Full criteria and evidence guide: VA rating for acid reflux / stomach.

What the claim needs — the three legs

  1. The anchor: service connection for the ptsd or anxiety (see how that condition is rated). Not connected yet? File it first — a secondary claim needs something to attach to.
  2. A current diagnosis of gerd — the VA rates diagnosed conditions, not symptoms.
  3. The medical link. An opinion stating it is "at least as likely as not" that the ptsd or anxiety caused or aggravated the gerd. The VA's own C&P examiner supplies this free in most cases; your own doctor can too. A paid independent opinion is the last resort, not the first move.
Honesty note: nothing here is a promise of any rating — the VA decides every claim on its own evidence. What this page describes is a recognized medical pathway and the evidence standard that applies to it. Describe your real symptoms, including your worst days, accurately — never more, never less.

Think you're underrated? Find out in 2 minutes.

Flat fee. You keep 100% of your back pay. Money-back guarantee — in writing, before you pay a dollar.

See If You Qualify →