Yesterday was not a good day. Abby stayed home sick. I had a lot of work to do. I basically had one day to write my business plan (so I procrastinated a little), which had to be ready to present today. Let’s just say it’s a good thing I’m not trying to convince bankers. I also had church last night, which meant a good chunk of the evening was gone.
It meant for a busy day, but not too bad. Then I had lunch.
A month or so back I went on a banana eating kick. I had one every day with breakfast and it felt good to actually be getting a one-fifth of my daily allotment of fruit. I’m not exactly a healthy eater. Then one day as I finished my banana I felt intensely sick. A stomach ache and cramps set in for the next 45 minutes. It was a good hour or two before I was back to normal. By that afternoon I felt fine. Rather freakish.
The next day the same thing happened. I decided to cut back on bananas, as in not eat them, and I haven’t had a problem.
Of course Abby’s made a few loaves of banana bread in the past month, and I’ve devoured them with no problem. So it’s not a total banana thing. Or maybe cooking bananas changes things.
At any rate, yesterday for lunch I went to Jamba Juice, the default sick-person food in our house. I always go for a Strawberries Wild, which is basically a strawberry and banana smoothie. After finishing three-quarters of smoothie the intense stomach ache and cramps hit me. Suddenly our house became a double-sickie home. Speak didn’t know who to lick more.
The pain subsided after an hour to the point where I could work, but I didn’t feel great. The cramps came back later in the afternoon, though it was shorter and less intense. By supper time I felt fine again, though that night I couldn’t sleep on my stomach. Not exactly a conducive afternoon for writing a business plan. Thankfully enough came together that I could squeak by, though I’ll have plenty of revisions.
So I guess that means bananas are out. They’re the only commonality that’s made me sick like this, though I can’t imagine why. Nothing else has ever had this kind of reaction for me. Is it possible to overdoes on bananas? And if it is, that’s just not fair. I try to be healthy and I get hit with a double whammy of suck.
And I liked bananas. It was healthy eating but they still tasted good. And I really liked Strawberries Wild at Jamba Juice. It’s the only flavor I ever order. Jamba Juice has suddenly lost all appeal.
So that was my bad day. Lying in bed next to my sick wife with a damp washcloth on my forehead and intense stomach pain, all while an incredible amount of work was due the next day. Yuck.
It’s really not that dramatic — it wasn’t that terrible of a day. But it wasn’t a good day by a longshot.
Update: It’s been more than a year since I wrote this entry on what could be banana allergies, and it’s racked up more than 50 comments. I’m thinking the comments are more helpful than my actual entry, but hopefully people are finding what they’re looking for.
Since it has been more than a year since I wrote this, I thought I should give an update. I haven’t had intense banana-related stomach cramps since, though I have eaten small quantities of bananas. Back in February I had half a banana with no dire consequences. A few weeks back my wife made a fruit salad with bananas, and over a couple days I ate the equivalent of a couple of bananas. No dire consequences.
My only conclusion has been that my stomach cramps were caused by consuming massive quantities of bananas in a short period. If I eat them every day, I get sick. But once in a while seems to be fine.
Of course I’m still a little hesitant when it comes to Jamba Juice.
I just read all of the posts and comments…took me 45 min. I found this site due to looking for connection between drinking ice tea and eating papaya which both gave me this same horrible stomach ache that all here are talking about. As the tea is an oddball item amongst all this, one of the posts mentioned tannin which is in tea and bananas. I am thinking it must be in papaya, not sure yet.
the potassium connection sounds very possible also. I seem to be able to eat bananas but I have issues once in awhile with different fruits.
Possibilities seem to be
potassium and salt ratio
amines and salycilate sensitivity
tannin
cures are don’t eat what “hurts”
try pill —buscopan 10mg
drink real orange juice or salt water when have pain
Warm bath for pain
This is great site. We ought to have a forum…
gassing and/or pesticides
I came upon this site looking why I get such violent stomach pains after eating a banana. All my family thought I was nuts. I always loved banana putting, then in my early twenties I ate some and had extremely sharp pains. I tried again the next night and the same thing occured. I found it very odd. For the next couple of weeks I tried a half of a banana, then them in my cereal, and a banana split all with the same outcome. It has been six years later and every year I try to eat just a bite of one and still have the same reaction. Would really like to know the cause of why all of a sudden my body would reject bananas. That is just too weird to me.
I have the latex/fruit allergy. I am allergic to latex, avocado, bananas, mango. If I’m in contact with latex, I get a very bad rash and get swollen. My allergist says I could have an anaphylactic reaction and to stay away from it. Avocados make me very sick. I’m extremely nauseous and have a stomach ache for a whole day. Even something with a tiny bit of avocado that I try to pick out will do me in. With bananas, I get the banana stomach ache a lot of people here are mentioning. With mango, I get a really, really bad rash, whether from eating it or coming in contact with the oil (like in a lotion or something). I just avoid all this stuff.
If you have the banana allergy, please beware of latex. If you wear a band-aid and get a little red where the band-aid was, you might be developing it. That’s how it happened to me. Then one day I was at the dentist and my mouth and face swelled up from the gloves like you wouldn’t believe. The dentist and staff were very alarmed. It went back to normal by that night, but now I have to tell every doctor that I have a latex allergy.
Also, a lot of people think that the stomach ache from bananas is not an allergy. Usually people think allergy and people think of anaphylaxis or rashes. It is an allergy. I’ve seen allergist for a few years now for environmental allergies and have talked about this with him. Google banana allergy.
Glad I stumbled onto this site tonight. I haven’t met a lot of people with these allergies.
I also have banana stomach aches, i thought i was the only one who had this shit happen to them. it started when i was 19. I love banana’s but they kill my stomach.
yep. bananas and avocados have done it to me since I was in my teens (am 41 now). and with bananas it seems to be a bit inconsistent. I also have bouts with foot cramps. personally, I’m siding with the potassium theory. because I love these foods and the reactions are kind of hit and miss (but suck to high heaven when they hit), I sometimes eat them anyway. did I mention that I’m stubborn? ;) silly, esp when debilitating pain is involved. in any case, it is a real joy to finally have this tangible proof that it isn’t “all in my mind”. hooray.
I’m glad to have found this site! It’s good to know I’m not alone with this banana issue. I had really bad stomach pains starting a few weeks ago and I had no idea why. Then only a couple of days ago I realised the only common factor was a banana! But I couldn’t understand why something that was meant to be healthy would do this. I’m only 15 so I don’t think it’s the age related factor like someone else said, but I’m going to try organic bananas and see how they work out…
Same thing. Even minutes after eating one. The pain will usually last about 45 minutes to 3 or 4 hours depending on the amount ingested.
After experimentation, I realized it also includes pineapples and dairy. :-/
I have had the same problem for over a year now, at one time before this happened, I loved Bananas, and a couple years ago I ate about 6-7 in one day. a few months after I had the same problem. Last week I had a sip of a banana & peanut butter smoothie, the usual terrible stomach pains and cramps hit, I had a glass with 2 Alka Seltzer (spelling?) and in abuot 15 minutes I felt like a million bucks, I will also say I have Exponentially worse symptoms when I consume avocado/guakomoli. One night it kept me awake until 8:00, i couldnt go into work. I say give the Alka seltzer a try. maybe it’s how i’ll have to enjoy my bananas… ( I am 23)
Noticed a banana took me two my knees two years ago. 42 y.o. now. Avocados made me nausiated as a kid, but never bananas. I grew up on them. So I thought I could handle one today. It has now been 2 hours of knife stabbing like pain in my upper abdomen. The pain is severe. My heart goes out to anyone who has felt this. Nice, not to be alone with this wacky crap. Oh, my
God, it hurts….I know it will be gone soon.
Wow, after discovering that my son (now 18) has Banana Belly, I empathise with all of you. Thinking back, he has possibly had it for 3 years, but it has reached the excruciating stage, even with just a small piece.
Since my grandchildren began eating solids, they developed eczema. I remembered that my son never liked potatoes, or raw tomatoes, saying that they made his lips burn. He also refused these foods, whilst being weaned. I googled the 2 foods and discovered Solanaceae intolerance. The group also includes peppers, aubergine and tobacco (oh and deadly nightshade, but that was the easy one to give up, lol). He can’t abide peppers, or aubergine and doesn’t smoke. We cut out all these products and their derivatives, from my grandchildrens’ diet and the eczema disappeared.
This site also mentioned that if you have an intolerance, or allergy to a certain food/food group, you tend to crave that/those food/s.
I also cut the foods out of my diet and my rough skin, disappeared. On trying them, on the odd occasion, I get severe bloating and pain, dandruff, dry skin and itchiness.
My grandchildren (aged 6 and 4) can’t stand bananas, but I love them. I haven’t ‘tested’ them yet, but I shall have to now. Their mum, a lifelong potato lover/craver, has n
Which brings me back to Bananas…..
ow succumbed to the fact that she, too, suffers from them!
I found this site and from that looked up Latex-Fruit allergy and found another site:
http://foodallergens.ifr.ac.uk/food.lasso?selected_food=5
On following their links, I notice that tomatoes and potatoes are also mentioned. I think I need to do some more elimination tests, to see whether it is Solanaceae, or Latex-Fruits allergy.
BTW I know I am allergic to latex, but my son does not, yet. Neither do we know if he is allergic to Avocado, or Kiwi. All that we know so far, is that he doesn’t like them.
Goos luck to all, in finding all your trigger foods :-)
I also found this link, which explains more about why cooking the foods makes a difference:
http://www.bjpcn-respiratory.com/pdf/2548/Vol1_Num1_December_2006_p45-46.pdf
ps Please excuse the spelling mistakes and not in order sentences, in the above post. My laptop mouse is misbehaving, so the cursor moves and I obviously didn’t proof read my text, carefully enough ;-)
Apologies if I am echoing other posts here, I have tried to read through, but this is a long thread now! I think the important issue here is that the pain is appearing despite the lack of a variable. For instance in my case I am pretty certain that nothing about my lifestyle or diet has changed, my body has merely just started to reject bananas. I have eaten 2 bananas a day, 5 days a week at work for the past 10 months without any reaction, until last week the stomach cramps / gas started as most of you have described with varying severity (although not the itchiness or boils etc which must be a much more serious and obvious allergy). To me, this immediately points to the cause being a build up of a some kind in the body over this length of time. I have to add, that despite being 28 years old, 10 months ago i had never eaten a banana before! So the pesticide / toxin theory seems the most likely as I have not had any other allergies at all or had any similar reaction with any other food – i.e. I eat eggs regularly. So I will give the organic solution a go in the hope that it can solve this frustrating problem.. I’ll post again in a couple of weeks to let you know if it helps.
I haven’t been able to eat a banana or avocado for more than twenty years without suffering the same kind of unholy cramps that the rest of you are describing. Sometmes I can get away with banana bread, sometimes not. Apparently, today was not my lucky day. I made some banana muffins and didn’t think anything of it until the cramps started. Then I found this site- I am not alone!
For those of you who haven’t yet found relief, try Pepto-Bismol. It doesn’t take the pain away completely, but it helps a lot.
I’ve asked at least a dozen doctors about this and have never gotten an answer. One doctor did check out my gallbladder, but said everything looked normal.
I’m assuming it must be an allergy as bananas and avocados are related. I don’t know about it being tannins because I drink tea every day and have no problems. Nor do I have any problem with walnuts, which are high in tannins.
Hopefully, this blog will help somebody figure it out. Until then, make your smoothies with yogurt, ice, and frozen fruit-that way, they are plenty thick without the banana.
Good luck to all of you.
Another Avacado/Banana allergy. I get sick to my stomach every time, no matter whether they’re cooked or not. I’ve also noticed the same thing with eggs, but if I only eat egg whites, I’m fine. The latest I’ve noticed is cilantro. If there’s any at all in my food, I get as sick as I do with the bananas and avacados (avacados actually landed me in the hospital last year around this time- don’t listen to them when they say there’s no avacado in your food!)
I was wondering if anyone else had the sensitivity to only the egg yolk…
This is so eye opening! I have been suffering from this horrible stomach ache for so long now! It’s not really a stomach ache it’s more of an abdominal pain right in the middle. It burns and cramps like crazy! I have been to several doctors trying to figure this thing out. They’ve thought it could be a hyatal hernia, stomach ulcers, indigestion, heart burn, etc. I was on nexium for a while and it did nothing. I’ve had sonograms and an endoscopy which showed I may have had some debris in my gall bladder or possibly a small polyp. So, I had my gall bladder removed about 3 weeks ago. When they took it out, they discovered no gall stones, no polyp, and no debris. It was a little red and irritated ( so they said). I’ve been a little skeptical of the whole thing. Then today for breakfast I had a banana with a bowl of strawberry fields cereal from Kashi. Boom! The pains were back. Just like old times. So I thought, I wonder if I’m allergic to bananas? Or maybe it has something to do with eating them on an empty stomach. This is amazing. I wish I would have thought of this before. I’ll never eat another banana and I WANT MY GALL BLADDER BACK!!!!!!!!!
So interesting! I have now twice experienced pain in my stomach after eating a banana. The exact same pain I get after taking aspirin. The first time this happened, the banana I had was green and I contributed it to that, but I just had a nice yellow banana and the same pain is back. Guess banana’s (like aspirin) are out for me. Oh, I just remembered, black tea (regular Tetley kind) gives me the SAME Pain!! Hmmm.
Hi all!
This is crazy, who would have thought?
My dad said he got an awful stomach ache from eating a banana. He said it was the second time it happened in a week.
I just thought maybe I’d see if anyone else had, so I googled “banana stomach pain” and got all of this info!
I had no idea how many people this happens to. Its awesome that we can connect and find important and immediately useful knowledge.
So there is something to the banana stomach ache.
I myself get that same pain from cellulose foods. I used to get horrible wicked stomach cramping and bloating from eating onions, beans, peppers, certain berries,even popcorn.
Apparently I was lacking certain enzymes that help me digest my food.I found this out when I worked at a health food store and a customer came in for a Papaya Enzyme supplement. I tried taking it after I ate the problem foods and was amazed.
I can still ONLY eat these foods if I have taken one of the chewable papaya enzyme tablets.
Its so helpful. I can eat onions again!
I too suffer from an banana intolerance. Mine started a few years ago; I ate a banana before church and during the service I suffered arguably the worst stomache pain I’ve ever had. I took it as a one time thing but I ate another banana a few months later and had the same reaction.
I also get the same stomache pain from certain mexican food and after reading the post it must be the avocado even though I always ask for no guacamole. I’m suffering from the cramps and bloating as we speak even though I haven’t had banana’s or guacamole. I’ve been chewing some strawberry and banana flavored gum but I doubt that would cause the reaction. It sucks because my pain lasts for at least a week when it’s bad.
Mine is a little different. Today I am 24, 3 days ago I started feeling very ill at work I only had less than an hour left so I planned on toughing it out. That didn’t work I just could not focus, there was no energy left in my body, I had to leave 10 minutes before my shift was over.
My stomach was weird, nauseous, minor cramping, more like tightening. I walked home it took me an hour, about every 10-15 minutes I would have a burst of nausea (I thought I was poisoned with gas fumes). Smells of Diesel, exhaust fumes and all 3 restaurants did not help the nausea. I was sweating alot. About another hour later I became violently ill, started vomitting and came the diarrhea. I was convinced I had food poisoning.
Banana Bread or Sausages. I thought it was Sausages but last night my husband got sick as well. The GROSS part only lasted 4-6 hours and it was off to recovery. Because the timeline disproves food poisoning, I thought it was the 24 hour Stomach Flu. Great Theory, Symptoms are exact.
Except I made Banana Bread tonight and the smell(right when it was finished) made me nauseaus and sweaty.
THAT IS COOKED BANANA.
I have my Gall Bladder
I am very healthy, no medical problems
I eat my bananas yellow and yellow only, but these past banana breads I have made with black bananas. I usually use fresh or starting to turn bananas.
I just remembered the sharp pain, it just clicked. About 20-30 minutes after eating a banana for how long… (I can’t remember, I don’t and didn’t eat a lot of bananas) It felt like a strong humger pain, I would eat it as an “I’m hungry snack” I just thought it was “Hey it’s Hungry and that Banana didn’t do it for me, real food please”.
OHG! I thought I was alone. I first experienced the banana pain when I was in my late 20’s. I quit eating them for several years. Then I tried a half banana, no problem. So tried again. Then progressed to a full banana. But after a few days/weeks the pain started again. Excrutiating, severe cramps that cause me to double over. No problem with banana bread, so I think cooked bananas are ok. I do experience the same thing from raw mushrooms but I have to eat a lot of them, so I go easy when putting them on my salads etc. Cooked mushrooms are also no problem. I haven’t eaten a banana in years and never will.
Glad to have found this post. I am in my 50s and have had the banana problems for years. My son developed it also when he was in his late teens. Last year I started having stomach pains (which I did not equate with the banana thing since I wasn’t eating them) and was sent for all kinds of tests. Luckily they ruled out gall bladder and didn’t take it out! I have since figured out that is is eggs! I haven’t been eating them at all except cooked generally into something else – but wonder if it is the whites as mentioned in a previous post. My son has a reaction every now and then to eggs – so I warned him it was probably developing into full blown like the bananas with exposure. I have also had a reaction to dried apricots. I also break out at the site of bandaids. So there does seem to be a connection in all this.
WOW!!! I am not alone. I have always tried to eat a banana but would only be able to take one bite and then get so crampy and nauseated that I would gag on the second bite…every single time. I never thought anything about it, so I would continue to try it again with the same results. This has been since I was about 13 yrs old and I am not 29. Lately it has been so bad, I can’t even handle the smell of a peel sitting in the trash because it makes me sick, and it seems like I can smell it a mile away! Now, I just don’t even try to attempt it. I have never had a latex reaction so not sure if that will develop. This thread is so interesting though!!!!
So glad I’ve found this site! I’m recovering from latest bout of stomach cramps after eating a banana earlier tonight. This has just started in the last month, I’m 40 so don’t think it’s age related. I have a friend who developed skin rashes from eating too many bananas, so there must be something dodgey in them if eaten in large quantities. I can eat 1 ok but any more than that in a day and i’m bent double. This is the 3rd and last time it’s happened to me, I’m an apple girl now!
My reaction:
20-30 minutes after eating banana, a sickly feeling starts to build like I am getting sick on my stomach. Then waves of flushes and feel hot bulding to what feels like a bad stomach virus. Then nausea sets in
and it feels like my body is telling me there
is poison in there – everything feels bad to the point that I cannot even think normally. All I can think about is my body is having a violent internal reaction and the only thing I can do is to force myself to throw up. Each time this has happened, relief has come
IMMEDIATELY after throwing up.
My back story: ate bananas as a staple, at least one or two a week since a child. At age 38 this started to happen out of the blue. Went on for ten years and then for a 6 month span i could eat them normally. After that the symptoms returned. I am now in my 50’s and condition persists.
Medical: potassium levels have been relatively the same over all these years with
no problems. The only difference in my medical during that 6 months when I could digest them normally was when I was taking hormone replacement therapy. Can’t imagine any connection with that.
Other reactions: no other fruits or foods bother me in the least..only I get the same exact reaction to anything with ASPARTAME..
whether it is in a drink or chewing gum…just as I do with bananas. I am miserable to the point of throwing this up and out of my body, Also doctors have no idea why bananas are making me sick so they are no help.
I’ve been diagnosed with and am a long time sufferer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome and according to all the info, bananas are supposed to be a good thing. Just had one a little over an hour ago and am just starting to feel okay again. Owee. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to eat at all.
I have tears in my eyes after reading these posts! I have felt like a freak since this all started–you guessed it–at about 21 years old!
Foods I ate regularly as a kid began causing unbelievable stabbing pain in my upper abdomen. Hours of agony!
Avocados are the worst! One microscopic bite and it’s over! My list includes: mushrooms,nectarines,bananas,raw carrots,certain types of lettuce,all melons,walnuts,pecans,etc… When it first started, I too was treated for a gallbladder “attack”, but I had no problems with high fat,spicy foods, so it didn’t make sense.
Cooking the food seems to alleviate the reaction. i can eat cooked carrots but not raw. I also thought about the potassium connection, but since I can eat eggs,and other foods I’m not sure. I’m just happy to not feel so alone now.
OMG! I just had a banana for lunch. Like, ive been eating bananas for a while and i ALWAYS get stomach aches from them, but, now, as im stitting here with my STOMACH HURTING, well, im just fed up with it. Like, last year, it never happened at all, (Heh i guess i should say TWO years ago) And its been happening and happening, so i rarely eat bananas. Before i actually started looking at these posts, i thought the pain in my stomach was good pain, like it was burning something (HAHA). But now i know its not, my mother is a Pharmacist so i’m going to defintiley talk to her about this, my stomach hurts like hell at the moment, I only looked at some of the posts people made, so i’m definitley going to be reading more in the near future. Ugh, my stomach hurts so bad. Now i know i’m not alone. Thank you whomever made this thread. :)
I’m 25 and I’ve only noticed problems with bananas starting about a month ago. Earlier this week I was fine after eating a banana which had ripened to a ‘mottled’ appearance (consistent with no ethylene gas treatment). I have, however, had problems yesterday and today after eating bananas which had started to blacken over large areas (as if they’d been treated with ethylene gas). I was in agony this morning before finding this thread, but I tried Alka-Seltzer and now feel much better. I also noticed a mild reaction to latex for the first time a few months ago. I’m just sad guacamole may be off-limits from now on!
If you’re reading this: try Alka-Seltzer!
I’m so happy I am not the only one. My friends used to tell me it was in my head cause I could eat most cooked banana items. It also happend to me at 21. I tried again this morning (I haven’t had a banana in 3 years) cause they are my FAVORITE!! I’m at work right now barely sitting up my stomach hurts so bad.
I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately, ie. eating more fruits
for some time now (i’m 29) i wouldn’t be able to eat apples, blackberries and peaches because i would get itchy throat. my gums would also hurt!? then this week i tried making banana smoothies and right after i had BAD stomach cramps! after reading this thread, i think i’m gonna take bananas out of my diet!
I have a similar problem with bananas! It started last year when I was 21 and pregnant. I ate a kiwi and then my chest hurt, and it did it again when I ate another type of fruit at a birthing class. Now it is a year and a half later and I just ate a banana 20 min ago. I have bad chest pain right between my ribs and feel short of breath. I get this way everytime I eat a kiwi or banana. I usually try to avoid these fruits but it had been so long and I forgot. I find it odd that this is happening with so many people in their early 20’s.
It’s so nice to know that I am not alone in this! At 18 I developed these weird symptoms, which literally popped up overnight. Every time I eat banannas or avacados, I get the absolute worst ache and cramping in my abdomen. It lasts forever… literally hours and hours, lately when I’ve inadvertently ingested something with bananas or avacados the pain lasts longer. It almost hurts to breathe because the pain in my abdomen in so bad!! I doubt it has to do with raw bananas, because even cooked ones have the effect! I’d be interested to know if anyone also has the feeling of being drugged? I feel almost like I’m having an out of body experience right as the pain starts – like I’m on some sort of drug? Weird. Its so nice to know I’m not alone! Someone also mentioned watermelon sensitivity… I have that to, to a lesser extent.
Wow…everything is spot on…I’m 25 and I noticed for the past couple of months that I too have acquired stomach pains from…bananas! I love them cut up with my yogurt and used to have this for breakfast regularly…could it have been the yogurt was coating my stomach? I dunno…I have never heard of a banana allergy and I summed it all up to gas…it’s not a stomach ache that can be relieved by going to the bathroom it’s just this dull, cramping sensation…but it sux…I was beginning to wonder if my body was rejecting the potassium…so now I’m off to look up potassium deficiency…to see what not eating bananas may do…I may be back with a report!
Thankfully I found this……….now being 27 and having this problem since i was around 18 and noone else seemed to have it my mother was starting to think i was just silly…… bananas give me a horrible horrible stomach ache within an hour or so of eating one……..a paralizing tummyache at that and often i will even vomit its like my body isnt breaking down something in it and it must come back up……..i will continue to have the tummy ache for about 24 hrs…….i have no sensitivity to any other food really and medications or anything just bananas. on occassion maybe once a year i will try to bite into one and test but its still the same result and unlike many others banana nut bread or something with cooked bananas also hurt me which is why i started looking up the problem today…..so from now on out i will just stay clear of bananas tho its tempting i would rather spare myself the pain! good luck to all!
Phew! This is such a relief! My problem started last summer (age 20), and like most everyone I would always have a banana for breakfast. I thought I had cramps but this was worse, so I experimented one day, and it really was the banana that caused my severe cramps. I can’t believe they are supposed to relieve cramps!
Also, to an earlier post, alcoholism would not have any effect or this, since this allergy is not effecting my liver or brain. I am of Indian heritage, so I don’t know how similar my genes are to everyone else. Conclusion: it’s jsut an allergy.
So GREAT to see this blog! I’m allergic too, but in a totally different way than most. Cooked bananas are my nemesis! I ate creamed banana pie at my mother’s 60th B-day party and awoke the next day with hives all over my neck and face. Three days later I ordered mole sauce on my enchiladas and my mouth instantly started itching in the same way as it had with the pie. After I asked the waitress if there were bananas in the mole sauce, she frantically returned from asking the chef and said “Yes! There’s bananas in the mole sauce!” (As a side note, who the heck puts bananas in mole sauce! Sheesh! They’re trying to kill a girl!) Also, I’ve been fighting a low-grade itchiness on my lower legs for years and think it’s from raw bananas (which I’ve now stopped eating) and/or something in raw fruit (which I still eat a lot of). Anyone have thoughts or similar symptoms?
I’m up late and can’t sleep b/c my 5 yr. old son just had an allergic reaction. It is his 4th since this summer. He got itchy all over (from his toes to his ears and ear canals). He nose started running and got stopped up. He eventually developed hives. I noticed a few burps, but he didn’t complain about a stomach ache. I gave him Benadryl and most of the symptoms have gone away. He’s still very flushed and his face looks swollen.
When he had the 1st reaction this summer, his breathing was compromised. I was close to the doctor’s office and took him there. The doctor instructed me to give him an epi-Pen injection (prescribed for his egg allergy.) We didn’t know what he was reacting to, but I remember clearly that he had a banana that day. In the following months, he had two more reactions. I began to suspect bananas and ORAL ALLERGY SYNDROME. I discussed this possibility with his allergist. The allergist does not belive that he suffers from Oral Allergy Syndrome because the sympoms are supposed to be limited to the mouth.
He eats bananas regularly and usually doesn’t have issues, which is why it has taken me so long to figure this out. It must be just the gas-ripened bananas that are causing the problem. For dinner tonight, he had cereal and a banana. The banana was small and a little green. I know he had a banana the day I had to use the Epi-Pen on him. I believe he may have had bananas the other two times he had reactions.
So from reading all the posts, I am seeing two kinds of reactions – stomach cramps and hives/itching. Some of you just have one type of symptoms and some of you have both, but it seems that the culprit for everyone is bananas. Do any of you notice that you react to some kinds of bananas and not others? Has anyone had a reaction to organic bananas?
I forgot to mention that 5 yr. old son’s symptoms did not start until 4 hours or so after ingestion. He’s eaten lots of bananas with no reaction, but I am now sure that the times he had reactions that a banana was somehow involved. Anyone with similar experiences, especially with a child, is welcome to e-mail me at stephlf@swbell.net.
me again. I talked to my son this morning to make sure he didn’t have any gastrointestinal issues and he didn’t, but I think the agent (or agents) that is causing the gas might be related to what is causing the allergy. I saw in one post that some can eat the Chiquita brand and not Dole. I am convinced that my son is having either some sort of cross-reactivity OR is only allergic to a certain type of banana. He’s only 5 and I don’t want to condemn him to a life without bananas. He already can’t eat eggs or anything with eggs. His older sister is egg/nut allergic, so I had him tested before I ever gave him eggs. He tested + for an egg allergy, so I’ve never given him eggs or anything with eggs as an ingredient. I don’t want to totally cut out bananas if is a cross-reactivity or only a certain kind of bananas. He can eat cantaloupe but I don’t know about avocado. I don’t eat it and I’ve never given it to him. I am not aware that he has any other food allergies and he has been tested for several foods. I also haven’t noticed any issues with latex. He is allergic to various grasses and molds. As mentioned, sister has a nut/egg allergy. Older brother has severe grass allergies, but no known food allergies.
The kind of banana he reacted to was Dole. It was small, bright yellow with a green stem, some brown marks but no spots (possibly gas-ripened); the peel was firm and thick, the inside fruit was very firm and tart. I have noticed that some people can eat some types of bananas and others are scared to take another bite. Those of you who have sworn them off, any possibility you could try different kinds (ripe, unripe, Dole, Chiquita, Organic) in small quantities as an experiment to see if it is all bananas or just one kind? Someone also mentioned that they are ok if they cut the bananas in thin slices and let them “air out”.
Also, if you experience any kind of itching, swelling, flushness – take Benadryl, Zyrtec or some kind of anti-histamine to help. My son was much better only 20 min. after taking Benadryl.
I am 46 and have not been able to eat bananas since I was a small child. I get excrutiating abdominal pain. Over the years, more things have been added to the list of things I can’t eat….. because of the same type of abdominal pain. Avacados, honeydew melon, cantaloupe. Today I ate a pear and had a stomach ache. I’ve gotten them from certain fresh veggies, too. But not every time. I will not touch melon, banana or avacodo, though.
I guess I’m late to the party, but I thought I’d chime in. I just ate a banana for breakfast, and within five minutes I’m looking for antacid tablets. This has been a somewhat regular occurrence after eating bananas, but is worst on an empty stomach. I always thought bananas were supposed to be a food that is mild on your stomach since it’s low in acid and high in carbohydrates, so it never really seemed like it should be the cause of my issues. But I finally googled it and found this page. It seems to happen with both sligtly green or ripe bananas.
It’s interesting to see that so many of the posts are from people in their 20’s. I just turned 30 and this started a couple years ago for me. I also developed allergies to cats and pollen in my 20’s. I lived with cats as a child without any problems.
I also just developed an allergy for bananas. The only fruit I enjoyed eating. While researching on the internet I found alot of sites that said people who are allergic to bananas tend to be allergic to avocado, kiwi, chestnuts and latex. I love avocados and haven’t had a reaction yet. I’m tempted to try a kiwi to see what happens. Has anyone noticed if the symptoms have gotten worse as you get older or are they the same?
So glad i found this post. I always thought ‘who in the world could be allergic to bananas?!’ and it’s good to know I’m not the only one.
I do not experience ANY stomach or abdominal pains. I do however experience EXTREME itch/discomfort in my mouth/tongue/throat and feel like my tonsils get swollen. I’ve noticed that this reaction extends beyond bananas to also include:
Avacado/Guacamole (a huge staple in my family as we are Mexican)
Cantalope
Pineapple
Watermelon
Pecans
Mandarin Oranges
Kiwi
For a second, I thought I was allergic to ripe fruit but noticed it didn’t really make a difference.
I have learned to deal with the severe itchy mouth as I will not allow what i feel is a ridiculous allergy to prevent me from enjoying common foods; however often times I tend to avoid these items.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WEBSITE!!!!! I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure out what I have for the past two months. I have been having severe abdominal cramping 1-2 hours after I eat for the past few months. Doctors have put me through the gamut of tests and fixated on gall bladder issues for the longest time. It was ruled out this morning when all my tests came back negative. I’ve been keeping a food journal for the past two weeks and have noticed attacks are particularly intense after eating a banana. So much for the BRAT diet!!!! Thanks to this site and all your comments, I have another potential cause to explore. Now the question is, is it food allergy (immune-related) or food intolerance (digestive related)? If food allergy, is it latex syndrome or OAS? If intolerance, is it salicylates or amines? If I hear anything, I’ll come back and post it here. If any of you have some suggestions, please post them! THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!
Danny,
Your symptoms sound like you have Oral Allergy Symptom (OAS), which is a true allergy (not an intolerance). You may want to check out a website like the following:
http://allergies.about.com/od/foodallergies/a/oas.htm. Please get tested, since this condition could lead to a serious allergic reaction. Good luck!
I am among the many suffers, who in a search for answers have only found this site. But thank god, my husband thought I was crazy!! My reactions are severe w/ Bananas and Avacados. Eggs are bad to, but let severe and don’t last as long. I wish there was a doctor who could comment on this. I will give the Beano a try, but dread the side effects if it doesn’t. I love bananas and guacamole, but haven’t eaten either in years!! I am 30 now, and the reaction started about 3 years ago. I had my gallbladder removed 5 years ago, so I know it’s not a problem there.
So, ironically enough my stomach pain also started when I was about 21, it started out with a mild stomach ache in the right upper quadrent of my abdomen. Over the years what started out has a mild stomach ache turned into a very painful, lay me out on the floor in a ball kind of pain. I have found an ice pack over the area can really help ease the pain. Over the years I have added many foods. First bananas, then avacados, grapes taco johns food (can still eat taco bell though! wierd right?), and the most recent food is almonds. at most I can eat one two bites of these foods but if I were to eat a whole bunch of grapes, for instance, i would be very sick. I had my gall bladder tested a few years back but the test were inconclusive, so nothing ever came of it. I am curious to know if anyone that posted to this blog suffers from GERD (Acid Reflux)? I have been suffering from these weird food reactions for 10 years now and it’s great to finally have someone understand what I’m talking about.
Wow! Lots of people with this issue!
I just wanted to add myself to the list of people with the “avacado problem”.
I am a 24 year old female with no known allergies. I have a sensitivity to oranges.
Yesterday, I ate half an avacado after not eating all day and about 30 min later I was overwhelmed by stomach cramps that lasted for approx. 3-4 hrs. Kinda embarassing to admit, but the pain was accompanied by foul, sulfurous smelling gas.
This evening I treated myself to sushi. I’ve been to this place at least a dozen times. I had a soy sheet roll with crab and AVACADO along with some seared tuna. Within 30 min (again) severe stomach cramps and sulfurous gas. This time I actually had diarrhea.
Thinking back, I can trace this problem a year back to similar incidents.
I think this may have something to do with what kind of foods I eat avacados with. For example:
raw, plain, by themselves= cramps!
a slice or two on a veggie burger= fine.
I never eat bananas by themselves (I don’t like the texture). I usually have them in a smoothie with other fruits or as a peanut butter and banana sandwich.
I may have to try a banana by itself just to see if it causes the same symptoms.
Thanks everyone for contributing! Nice to know I’m not alone.
Also, just was reading some more posts and I remembered…
I have also had the same reaction to egg yolks and raw almonds.
I adopted a vegetarian diet about a year ago. Anyone else here vegetarian?