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Ginny,

I've recently been studying cholecystokinin (CCK).  It is a neurotransmitter
very busy about things digestive in both the brain and the gut, but it is
capable of blocking instead of engaging its own receptors whenever there are
insufficient quantities of sulfate around for it to use.  I recently found
that CCK is involved in the production of intrinsic factor, without which
absorbing B12 from the diet becomes a problem.

My father also has pernicious anemia, and has had particular problems with
sulfation chemistry, too. (He has Alzheimers, too.)  I just this week found
out that it is likely his vagal nerve was severed when he had ulcer surgery
about forty years ago (that was the practice of surgeons in those days, to
try to keep the production of HCl down).  The vagal nerve is the pathway
that the CCK in the brain and gut uses to "communicate" between the two
regions.

Daddy's nurse said that B12 deficiency is a natural consequence of having
your vagal nerve cut, but that just provides more evidence, perhaps, that
CCK is involved.  I did a little poking around in Medline on vagotomy
(cutting the vagal nerve) and found out that it could be responsible for my
father's episodic "explosive" diarrhea, and for his gall bladder
problems...again, CCKish issues.

FWIW,

Susan (whose father is doing much better off gluten!)

At 11:58 AM 11/4/97 -0500, Ginny wrote:

>My mother has DH and Pernicious anemia.  I'm sure she also has celiac....
>What type of doctor should she be seeing...?
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                            (Walter & Susan Owens)
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                            Dallas, Texas  USA