IRRITABLE BOWEL DISEASE & DISABILITY

There are a number of inflammatory bowel diseases which can so interrupt the workday as to make an individual disabled.These would include Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, schistosomiasis and amebic colitis, among others.  Such illnesses are evaluated in Section 5.00 of Social Security's Blue Book.

These illnesses may preclude the ability to perform any full-time work because of regular symptoms, including:

• need to take frequent unscheduled restroom breaks
• unscheduled time away from work station to use the restroom
• need for a work station near an always-open restroom
• gastric pain that interferes with attention and concentration
• excessive missed days from work due to symptoms
• medication side effects

Judges are usually going to want to see treatment using various medication and to see that the treatment does not eliminate your symptoms. A form called a "treating source statement" from the claimant's doctor can be very supportive.  When possible, I also try to get statements from former employers or co-workers about how the symptoms caused problems performing work.  These are often winning cases.