There are no "tests" for IBS, in fact it's usually the thing they resort to after tests for other bowel disorders come back negative. I think it's odd she's assuming that stress caused the deficiency in B12. There are lots of things that can cause that. In fact my understanding is that its usually the other way around, a deficiency in B12 reduces one's ability to handle stress. Were you significantly deficient? If so, I think I would want to get a second opinion as to why. If only a little difficient, maybe just try supplements. I know that birthcontrol pills can lower you B12, and I suspect other things can too.
It doesn't sound to me like you have IBS since you don't really have symptoms other than occasional diareah, and lots of things can cause that. You could be lactose or fructose intolerant, or intlerant to some other kind of food. If you think it might be some kind of food, the best way to narrow it down is to keep a food diary. Some foods can take several days to get through the gut, so if you have a problem, you need to look back at the previous 3 days at what you ate. Keep doing this until you see a pattern.
[This message has been edited by maggie39 (edited 10-31-2003).]
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