It looks like food intolerance to me. I was really hoping to avoid this and kind of denying the signs, but it’s getting hard to ignore.
When I started on E2 on solids, we began with mashed banana — it is a popular choice as a first food and had worked well for E1. She loved it, but it immediately resulted in some terrible nights due to painful guts keeping her (and me) up to all hours. So, I quickly moved on to mashed avocado, but there was no improvement — if anything, it got worse. After a week, I couldn’t take any more sleep deprivation and stopped the solids altogether, and we went back to breastfeeding.
But, a girl’s got to learn to eat sometime, so we tried again a few weeks ago. So far, we’ve tried rice cereal, carrots, sweet potato, mango, and broccoli with great success. A happy baby at lunch time and — more importantly — a settled baby at night. Thinking that perhaps her guts had now acclimatised to solid food, I decided to try avocados again and so, yesterday, I mashed her up a beautiful, creamy, pale green cupful.
She ate it up with excitement and greed. Good, I thought. I really want her to be able to eat avocados because they are so full of goodness and it seemed, so far, that it was going well. The rest of the day was normal and happy.
But it started to fall apart as we neared bedtime. She became the baby she was months ago: arching her back, crying desperately for no apparent reason — even delatching in the middle of a perfectly peaceful feed to let out a scream — and unable to settle for hours on end. I carried on feeding her and late into the night, she finally — finally — fell asleep. I put her in her cot and got myself into bed.
Thirty minutes later, she broke the night-silence with an ear-piercing shriek, and was up again, weeping inconsolably. I had to hold her arms forcibly still and sway for another 20 minutes before she surrendered again. It was such a struggle and all so familiar.
It would appear avocados do not agree with her …or her guts. I think perhaps it’s a food intolerance, and that means we’ll have to tread carefully as we try new foods. Avocados, bananas… what is it about those two that bother her so? And what other foods might be similar that we had best avoid? We have a follow-up appointment with the pediatrician next week, so I will try to discuss it then.
But today we retreated to the safety of carrots and broccoli. And I hope for a better night, for both of us.
Stumble it!
Weird–you wouldn’t think of those foods causing problems. But then again, I guess every food causes problems for someone!
I highly recommend looking at some back articles on food allergies in children at http://www.livingwithout.com …very good info from people who have lived what you are living right now.
Debbie Mumm
The Adoption Coach
http://www.adoptioncoach.wordpress.com
http://www.adoptionhighway.com
[...] had no reaction at all the banana or the latex, which surprised me greatly, given how much she had struggled after eating banana and how red her hands had been under the latex squares. The pediatrician and I discussed her diet [...]
I have much in common with your daughter! Although I’m 38, I have never been able to eat either banana or avocado (I love both) without experiencing stomach upset and pain so bad that I had to lay in bed for hours afterwords. Of my three children, one also cannot eat either food without geing very sick! We very simply avoid these foods.
I have the same issue! I am doubled over or writhing on the floor in terrible pain for a couple hours after eating raw bananas (the worst) or Avocados. I have also noticed I can’t eat raw tomatoes, onions, or peppers without getting cramping although it is different with those. I am still searching for an answer as to what it is to no avail. I just can’t eat them. Not sure if it’s an allergy. I know I’m not allergic to latex. I’ve heard some people who have gotten their appendix or gallbladder out can eat them again after not being able to for years. That’s what I’m looking into now. I have noticed I can eat Banana bread. My problem seems to be when they are raw.
Yes exactly, i dont know what it it but avacodos, tomatoes, and bananas make me very nautious, you guys are like the only people that have the same allergic reaction to them as me. Then, when i tell my mom and when im on the floor in excruciating pain she thinks im crazy.
I can not eat avocados and bananas either. It makes me bloated, I have agonizing pain and many other very miserable symptoms. I feel like crap for two days after I accidentally ingest one of those foods. Don’t try either again, it’s not worth it.
After the birth of my first child at age 30, I could no longer eat bananas. I would feel like a cast iron balloon was inflating in my stomach. Pain and nausea like crazy. It could happen with 1 bite on an empty stomach or half a banana on a full stomach. I have eaten bananas all my life. Up to the day I delivered! For the following 7 years after my sons birth I would occasionally try a little banana just to see… I gave up. Couldnt torture myself like that any longer. For the last 3 years I have not tried banana.
Then just these last few weeks almost 10 years later, I started eating bananas again only after a full meal. It was fine. Sort of. Mild twinge of nausea. I found taking my bra off helped. Maybe because of the pressure of the bloating? Didnt really know I was bloating though.
I have also had bouts of being really tired. The yawning would not stop. It would soon pass. though.
Then I got another batch of avacados from my neighbor. Which I have been doing for years. Adding bananas into the picture. Having a mild twinge of a feeling of something isnt right the entire time. But NOTHING like what they used to do to me. All of a sudden, the avacados started making me sick. Much sooner then the bananas used to. I wouldnt get sick from a banana for a good 2-3 hours after consumption. The avacados… 45 minutes and Im puking. Although, the miserable effects after were not as bad, as I rid myself of the avacado sooner.
I finally went online and found the connection between the two. The mystery for me may be over!
I have had surgeries in the past. And never had a reaction to latex. Although, during an exame one time last year, I was asked if I had an allergy to bananas. I said MAYBE. But I dont get hives or anything. Just sick to the stomach. They used a different glove.
I have been eating avacados for years. But mixing them with bananas into the weekly menu is not working for me!
I have also had shortness of breath lately. I do not have asthma, but it does run in my family. Asthma is the inability to exhale everything right? Well, my problem is inhaling. Reading about this protien intolerance today, it states it could be linked to asthma. Im still putting it all together, but am really amazed to finally understand whats going on. I cant wait to see how I feel the rest of the week now that I WILL NOT be eating bananas or avacados.
WEIRD STUFF… all started after I had a baby.
Thats my 2 cents.
Just because I need to tell someone – I too develop a shortness of breath after eating a banana…! I haven’t got a clue why, but can only assume i’m allergic to them??
My mom used to love eating avocados and then one day soon after eating some, she became sick with stomach pain. She didn’t make the connection at first, but later determined it was indeed avocados that’s making her sick.
She’s taking Actonel (boneloss prevention medication) and high blood pressure medications. We are wondering if they are causing interactions? Is anyone else taking these medications and noticed the same symptoms?
I’m 42 years old and have what sounds like the same reaction to avocado as your daughter. I hadn’t ever tried one until early last summer and loved them so much that I ate half an avocado a day. After a couple of weeks I started getting severe abdominal discomfort. It was like a very dull gas pain which I got every day for several weeks. While I would describe the pain as maybe only 6 out of 10 it was very unyielding and felt like something was gnawing at my insides. I had quite a few visits to my doctor and various tests were performed, including an ultrasound which revealed nothing.
Through a process of elimination I finally (without the doctor’s help) figured out that it was the avocado which was the culprit. Even a teaspoon of guacamole would bring on the symptoms. Once I avoided it, I never had a single symptom again.
I experience terrible stomach pain whenever I eat avocado that last 2-3 hours. I have experienced this for 10 years and nothing that I take makes it go away after I consume it. Even a small amount that touched my food will make me sick. But when I was pregnant with my son at age 28 I was able to eat avocado it was heaven. I feel comfort in knowing that I am not the only one I just with there was a way to eat it without getting sick.
I love avocados so much that after I had my first child I told my husband to bring me avocados at the hospital to eat.
But I realised that I felt strange and wanted to throw up right after I started eating, so I stopped eating it.
It been seven years since, but I have not been able to eat avocadoes any more, everytime I try I get sick. but am happy to know that I am not alone.
I hated that feeling and would never try it any more for the rest of my life.
lol… i just had some avocado and i am currently experiencing all the symptoms mentioned above …
i just did some quick research and apparently people that have intolerance to high levels of amines can present with gut issues upon consumption of avocadoes and bananas, both of which are high in amines. although i have no problems at all with bananas, avocadoes are now off my list of health foods!
The method of using certain food combinations in order to control digestive problems has been around for a long time. The problem is that so many people get into the habit of eating their foods in specific combinations that they’ve been using for their entire lives that they can’t seem to break out of those habits even when the solution to their digestive problems is easily within their reach. It has been proven over and over that certain types of foods don’t digest well when mixed with other types of foods because it causes a hostile environment in the gut that often ends up releasing certain toxins into the digestive system. When these toxins are absorbed they cause the breakdown or lysis of different tissues over time. This tissue breakdown results in the various digestive conditions that you hear so much about and that cause so much pain and misery. Some of these conditions include diverticulitis, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux,chronic constipation and diarrhea, not to mention ordinary old indigestion. If people would learn to eat the appropriate food combinations, it would mean that their digestive conditions could improve significantly and they could enjoy life again instead of suffering through the digestive symptoms and taking all those pills, powders and often falsely touted “special foods.” It’s not difficult, it’s just a matter of learning the right food combinations and using them. Life will get better if people can just do this.
Dear Doc Lee,
How can we find out the right food combinations?
I practice food combining principles and ate an avocado in my salad of only leafy greens and cultured cabbage (did not mix it with a protein or starch), and I still experienced severe gas and bloating. So, while it could be a food combining issue for some, for others it may just be an intolerance.
Wow! I have this too! Avocados give me SEVERE pain and nausea and they go totally undigested (I usually had to throw-up. Sorry to be gross.) I totally avoid them. I am also sensitive to bananas, mushrooms, melons, eggs. I am allergic to aspirin and I have correlated some of my food intolerances and sensitive skin issues to SALICYLATES – they are naturally occurring and are in so many foods and products. http://www.salicylatesensitivity.com/ There is no way I could avoid all of those things, and I still get bad attacks once in a while that render me useless for a few hours. Nothing is as bad as the avocado, though! It is possible I could have gall bladder issues, but I’ve not had that checked out yet. My father had his removed several years ago. It’s great to see others that suffer the same reaction. My family and friends used to think I was crazy, but they have now seen me turn pale and start writhing in pain after I tried to eat avocado at the recommendation of my lactation consultant. NEVER AGAIN will indulge people’s disbelief!
i am glad I’m not the only one i love avocado but worked out it was cause terrible pains in my stomach, and was wondering why…….thanks
[...] For a moment… And then, no… no… I knew. I can’t make her go back to the way things were. Her life has been so much better since we discovered her allergies, removed her [...]
I have noticed the last three times I have had avocado (half an avocado each time) that I have experienced similar issues. Though I don’t believe it has been an issue before for me. I wonder if it has something to do with how ripe the avocado is? The last three times I have had any the avocado has been very ripe. Although risky I might try a less ripe one next time.
I wondered the same thing, Sean. Was thinking of trying a less ripe one next time…please let me know your experience in doing so.
I’ve noticed that I get a gassy, crampy stomach after eating avocado, too. It’s not consistant, though. Sometimes I can eat some with no problems and other times I get horrible cramping right away. I think a few bites I’m OK with, but when I cut up and eat half a ripe avocado, it’s trouble. I’m glad I’m not the only one–it seems like such an odd thing to have a reaction to. Either way, my reaction doesn’t seem too bad compared to what others have posted. Usually my ache comes on right away and lasts about 30 to 60 minutes. I’ve found that eating a handful of almonds helps, but that seems odd, too.
I can’t believe this many people have this problem with avacados. I LOVE avacados and used to eat them all of the time. I have recently put on about 15 extra pounds and it seems that I have been having these problems since then. Whenever I eat avacado, no matter how much, I get the most unbearable burning sensation in my gut. It is almost crippling. I also got this sensation recently after eating quite a bit of almonds. The pain and burning was not as bad with the almonds but it was the same pain.
I have been eating Sushi more regularly lately and each time have had it with avocado, not once have I had any problems. As per noted above each of those times I’ve had avocado on toast with salt and pepper. I have come to think that its a avocados in combination with other foods that cause the discomfort.
I haven’t looked into the science of it (i.e what types of food cause different chemical reactions with each other) so I haven’t come up with a “safe” method/knowledge of what combination of food and avocado will be a problem or not. I’m happy that I can enjoy it in a sushi roll
This would be more consistent with my experience with avocados. Perhaps some others could try this? I hope you can find a way to continue to enjoy avocados too
I recently went on the Atkins diet and avocados were part of the great things you could eat. However, everytime I eat one a get immense bloating. Despite having picked on meat and non carb foods I suddenly feel as though I just ate a 5 course meal. A weird and horrible sensation – especially when you’re trying to feel your stomach flatten. Sad – thet are so nice!
Googling to explain to a friend why I can’t eat Avocado, and found this site.
Avocados are far too rich of a food to be feeding to a baby!
I was introduced to guacamole in my teens, I loved it! But it didn’t love me… it took 3 times to determine it was not for me. Each time I consumed avocado, I would get an incapacitating stomachache. No nausea, no gas or diarrhea, just non-stop pain for hours…Straight to bed 30 min after eating it, writhe in misery for hours before I’d fall asleep, wake in the morning feeling better.
Once at a restaurant my salad came with guacamole on it. I scraped it off as much as I could, obviously left traces on the salad and fork, I thought surely that little wouldn’t affect me… Wrong… I went back to work, and in no time had to lock my door and lie on the floor for hours unable to function with another severe stomachache.
I’m not allergic to anything. I eat bananas every week before I go workout, gives me energy. And I don’t have a latex allergy. I keep a supply of latex gloves on hand to use in my house painting projects of the last several years. No problems whatsoever.
No one really knows what causes my stomach ache, but it is very real, and I bet your baby felt the same thing I did every time you fed it to her.
information from article: “Avocados: Not One but Two Types of Allergic Reactions” by Heather Legg, March 13, 2008.
“The other type of allergy to avocados, related to a latex allergy is more severe. This is known as the latex fruit allergy and is caused by the similarity of allergens in avocados and natural latex. The symptoms are more severe, including generalized urticaria, abdominal pain, vomiting and sometimes life-threatening symptoms like anaphylaxis.
Other foods which cause this type of reaction are bananas, melons, mango, chestnuts and kiwis.”
I have severe reactions to avocados, mangoes, and latex paint!
just remembered i have a problem with kiwi as well as the bananas and avocados
Correction to previous comment. I have reactions to eating avocados and mangoes. I get ill when exposed to latex paint fumes. Should have been separate sentences since I don’t ingest latex paint.
I’m curious as to how many people with bad reactions to avocados are over weight. I used to be able to eat bucket loads (ok, not quite) of guacamole when i was younger. Love it. Then one time about 10 years ago my husband and I ate some and we both got very sick. Neither of us touched them for years. I’ve recently started trying them again, and it seems like sometimes I’m fine, and other times i’ll feel a little heart-burny, and then tonite, i felt pretty sick for about 3 hours.
I’m wondering if #1, being overweight is a factor because I’m much heavier now then when I was when I could eat them.
and #2, is the ripeness a factor? Cause for the last couple months, I’ve not had much reaction, but the one I ate today was pretty ripe. I guess they’re now in season?
After eating bananas for most of my life I too have developed a sensitivity to them and cannot even have a bite without writhing about. Recently I had what could only be called a dab of guacamole and I spent four hours moaning because of the pain. However I can eat banana bread! I think that baking the bananas must change them chemically somehow.
I’ve known for 20 years now that I have an intolerance to avocado. I was able to eat it in my teens and 20′s but, after not eating it again for many years when I moved to the east coast, I found it gave me terrible stomach pain within an hour of eating it. The pain would peak in a couple of hours and be accompanied by extreme lethargy, before slowly fading away. Even just a dab left on a salad it was removed from would be a problem.
Last night I seem to have developed a new food intolerance. I had eaten some grilled steak, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and potatoes late in the evening and ended up developing that familiar gnawing stomach pain before bedtime which kept me up for hours. I haven’t eaten mushrooms or peppers lately so I’m thinking the culprit is one of those two foods.
The only other food which seems to cause me problems recently is egg.
It was surprising to find this site and see others have such similar
problems. I haven’t come across others personally who do, so it is a relief to find I am not alone.
What I would give for an chicken, avocado and mayo sandwich. Or, a favourite from a little girl, a banana sandwich. I have suffered from eating these foods for years and have found the list is growing. Banana and avocado were the first to cause me pain now I’ve progressed to zucchini, almonds and eggplant. Do these foods all contain something similar?
If anyone has found a way to eat these foods without an reaction PLEASE share!
I have the same reaction to avocado as everyone else does, but I have no problem eating bananas. I wish I knew why. Every article I’ve found on the internet correlates avocados intolerance with banana intolerance.
Avocados are part of the rubber tree family, as are mangoes and latex paint. bananas are a grass and distinct immunologically. The thing that unites bananas and avocados as is their high Amine content when ripe. Free amines are a product of breakdown of protein, and as the protein in those fruits breaks down (during ripening) the bonds between the proteins break, softening the fruit and releasing the amines. If chocolate, aged meat and ripe cheeses trigger the same symptoms, it could likely be an “intolerance” to amines. Not an antibody-mediated allergy, but instead a direct stimulation of a white blood cell line called the lymphocyte, which then releases poorly understood hormones generically called Cytokines, that create the havoc.
Hi, I get a burning sensation in my legs if I eat avocados. Apparently it’s because of vitamin b6 in it but I am not sure.
All I know is that if I stop eating it, the issue goes away.
I do not take any supplements by the way.
Before I realised I had an intolerance to first banana’s then
avocado’s and now almonds I would crave these foods and eat them everyday. Recently it seems I can’t eat enough eggs. Please don’t let this be the start of another food I have to wipe off my menu!! Was wondering if anyone else had these cravings before their symptoms started?
I have had the same problems that everyone listed first with bananas although i ate them as a child with no memory of problems. Next came avacodos, then eggs unless cooked really well and most recently raw almonds however roasted are fine and green bell peppers.i can eat banana bread however. I also have a very bad food allerfy to radishes that closes up my throat and watermelon, most melon actually, raw carrots and many others give me an itchy throat.
Whenever I eat avocados (not bananas) I feel like I have swallowed a fist-sized rock. It doesn’t take much (a spoonful) to make me feel like clutching my stomach for 2-3+ hours. Every couple of years I want to give it a try because it is so tasty, but I usually regret it. I have finally decided it just isn’t worth it.
I am in my early 40′s and have suffered the same problems with eating both banana’s and avocados. It takes hours for me to feel somewhat better and that is only if I can empty my stomach either by vomitting or going to the bathroom. I also, was able to eat both of these foods in my 20′s, but now, I wouldn’t think of it. I am hopeful to read all of these comments, I felt like I was the only one in the world that had these same symptoms. I usually have to lie down also for a few hours until the pain subsides, I also get pain in my lower back when I eat both of these foods. Has anyone ever experienced that? By reading these comments, it leads me to believe that I am in fact allergic to these foods. Does anyone know if there is a common ingredient in both of them to trigger these types of reactions? I was thinking that they both were high in potassium. I talked to my doctor about it years ago and she couldn’t give me and answer on why I am having such painful reactions.
Yes i get the lower back pain too. Eggs do the same thing to me.
Ellen, my situation is EXACTLY like yours. I am in my early 40s and while I used to eat both bananas and avocados-now it causes me stomach pain for hours as well as lower back pain (gas pains?). Every so often I try some again-like today-ate some avo and hours later still feel like I may throw up. Anyway-I feel your pain (literally).
I am 56 years old and have lived in the Avocado Capital of the world (Fallbrook California) for the last 46 years. My property is surrounded by avocado groves. I have loved eating avocados for as long as I can remember with no ill effects. Tonight I made a sandwhich for dinner (about 3 hours ago) which had chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and one half of a perfectly ripened avocado on wheat bread. Within 30 minutes of eating it I began to get waves of intense abdominal cramps and increasingly strong middle back pains. The cramps intensified to the point of my being doubled up in the fetal position on the floor and considering calling 911. I felt certain that if I could vomit I would feel better, but I didn’t feel nauseous. I finally was able to induce vomitting about 30 minutes ago and now I feel fine. A little residual back pain remains. Not completely sure it was the avocado but I intuitively think so. The thought of eating one right now is not pleasant. Bowl of ice cream sounds good though. How can someone have such a long history of eating avocados and then finally eat the ONE that triggers such a reaction?
Jim, if it was an allergic reaction, do be aware that allergies can develop any time in life. People often think of food allergies as something that only comes on in childhood, but that’s simply not the case. Whether what you experienced was an allergy or an intolerance, please please do go see your doctor about it. if it was an allergy, your next attack could be much more severe — even deadly — and it’s important that you know ahead of time what you’re dealing with and to have the right medication to hand. Please, do go see your doctor, and good luck.
Thanks so much for this blog item. I ate a whole avocado with salt the other night, and two days later, I’m still suffering. I’m very slim and eat low-carb (meat, eggs, butter, green vegetables mostly) and typically feel terrific all the time.
Interestingly, at 40, I found that I became deathly allergic to roquefort cheese. (Vomiting, terrible stomach pains, etc.) Going to look up amines to see if they’re connected.
Great blog guys.. good to know I’m not alone. Here is a list of what I can’t eat:
Avocados, Eggplant, Zucchini, Pineapple, mushrooms, almonds, bananas, cantaloupe broccoli. I find if the vegetable is boiled to death it’s much more tolerable. Or if the banana is in banana bread I have no problems. I experience the bloating, nausea and stomach pain for about four to five hours. Now someone needs to come up with a pill to enable us to eat all these delicious foods that we all seem to love.
oh i just had avocado last night,.. me and mom cant able to sleep,. avocados keep us awake all night,.. i will not eat avocados again at night time,..
It would be worth investigating the low FODMAP diet – referring to Fermentable
Oligosaccharides (eg. Fructans and Galactans); Disaccharides (eg. Lactose); Monosaccharides (eg. excess Fructose); and Polyols (eg. Sorbitol, Mannitol, Maltitol, Xylitol and Isomalt)
Fruits & vegetables are some of the main offenders for these. It is only recently getting mainstream attention but it is appearing to be quite common – I personally found removing certain fruit/veg have reduced symptoms.
Growing up I wasn’t able to eat even a bite of banana without a horrible stomache. I also thought I was intolerant of Mexican food and sushi because I was get horrible stomaches from it…I eventually realized that it was the avocado that is used often in these cuisines that was making me sick..Just like the banana even a small amount of avocado would make me feel terrible. It’s nice to know I am not crazy to have an allergy to such everyday foods…!
Mel, I am so pleased this post was useful to you!
What you are experiencing may be an allergy or it may be an intolerance. Intolerances generally affect only the GI tract, causing pain in the stomach and intestines, whereas an allergy involves the immune system, generally typified by vomiting, hives, runny nose, respiratory problems, dropping blood pressure, and increased/fluctuating heart rate. It’s very important for you to find out which of these two you’re dealing with, because the danger levels they pose are vastly different (an intolerance will cause you discomfort, an allergy has the potential to kill you), and the medicines and management differ as well. Please do discuss this with your doctor the next time you have an appointment.
As well as helping you, getting diagnosed and using the correct term for your condition helps other people who have allergies as well: one of the biggest hurdles that allergy sufferers face is that the general public often confuses intolerances with allergies and, thus, underestimates the severity of the situation (sometimes with deadly consequences). Understanding your own condition and being able to articulate it accurately will ensure not only that you get the right treatment that you yourself need, but also help other sufferers by reducing (even in a small way) others people’s confusion about the two conditions.
There is definitely a connection between bananas and avocados – I can’t eat either one either. My symptoms are not as drastic as some described here, but enough that I avoid both foods completely — after eating/enjoying bananas for 48 years. The symptoms develop within an hour after eating either of these foods. Good luck, everyone.
Thank you all for the helpful information. As a lot of you have already mentioned, it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who experiences these symptoms after consuming an avocado. I have no problems with bananas or any other fruits. My main issue is with avocados. Even just a dab of it will cause a severe stomach ache. At first I thought it was lactose intolerance because I usually experienced the symptoms after Mexican food, where I put sour cream on everything…. but that was ruled out and I figured out that it was from the avocados in the guacamole!
Each time I have an avocado, I get a incapacitating stomach ache. The onset is usually about 20 minutes after consumption. I don’t experience any nausea, gas or diarrhea just stomach cramps for hours that feel that something is gnawing at my stomach/intestines. The hours that follow are accompanied by extreme lethargy where I have no choice but to sleep the pain off.
My experiences have shown that anti-acids really help relieve the pain. Anti-acids contain high levels of calcium. I’m not a doctor, but I’ve hypothesized that perhaps the avocado reduces calcium levels and the anti-acid helps neutralize the stomach acidity.
The only other time I have experienced this strange stomach ache is when I go out for breakfast and order eggs. If I make scrambled eggs at home, it’s not a problem at all, but anytime I have breakfast at a restaurant I experience the disabling stomach cramps. Maybe they use an avocado oil or something.. no idea. It’s all very strange.
Dr. John Shuster, your post was very helpful.
I’m 57 and very active, being an adventure racer and regular runner. About a month ago, while training for a race, i experienced an unusual shortness of breath at the start of a run that normally would be no problem. It frightened me to the extent of going immediately to my doctor. The lungs checked out so he focused on my heart. I ultimately had a heart cath and angiogram and was found to have no heart disease. No conclusions were reached about the shortness of breath. This episode happened only once up to that time and I had been able to do my normal runs with no problems. Then earlier this week I had another episode of unusual shortness of breath while attempting to run. I ate a banana, which I do occasionally, an hour before the run. I began to connect my shortness of breath with the banana consumption prior to running. I cannot swear I had eaten a banana prior to the first episode, but it seems likely. That is what brought me to this site.
There is a possibility that bananas cause shortness of breath when exercising in me. It is pretty profound and caused me to go through some pretty invasive and expensive heart and lung tests. After my next race I will be experimenting with this and will report back.
I get horrible stomach pain from both avocados and bananas. I really don’t know what it is, but I feel I can relate. So sad for your baby. I hope you can figure it out.
I have intolerances to avocados, bananas, almonds and sometimes zucchini. I get the same reaction to each. I thought I would experiment a little with these foods as they are all my favourites and I miss them! So, when my 4th baby was ready I started feedng him small amounts of avocado. Each day I would taste a little, (oh it was good), then a little more the next day. I managed to eat 1 whole teaspoon without having any kind of discomfort. In the past I was so sensitve to avocados the smallest bit would send me to sleep it off. I admit, I have not kept going with my experiment for different reasons, but I have noticed that if I am served food with avocado I don’t have the need to send it back. I simply take out what I think may be overload for me and eat. No reaction so far. I am still not game to eat a chicken, avocado and mayo sandwich though.=( YUMMMMM!! Anyone else desperate to beat these intolerances and eat these foods again?
Never was a big avocado fan, but LOVED bananas . . . would say I ate 1/2 to 1 banana basically every day in one form or another. I have wondered if after not having one for 3 – 4 years, the intolerance may have lessened/changed. Thoughts anyone? But, bottomline for me, the overall discomfort/feeling badly isn’t worth it for me . . . so I would have to say “no” I am not desperate to beat the intolerance. Would be great if it just went away.
I think the same thing because i miss bananas so much but everytime i get as sick as the last. Be careful!
I’m so glad I read this and found it’s not just me. The last three times I’ve had this reaction has been after avocado – I didn’t even realize it the first two times but my daughter reminded me that I had just had some –
Pepto Bismol as soon as the pain starts – yep – I drink a couple of big swallows and it stops the pain. I keep it with me now just in case – the times I didn’t have it I ended up writhing in pain thinking I was going to faint. I thought at first I was having a heart attack – I even went to the emergency room once.
I am completely dumbfounded at how many people share these food sensitivities to similar foods. I am 28 years old, and first noticed being senstive to EGGS. I had eaten them my whole life and one day out of the blue they had me doubled over in stomache pain. Next was stomache pain from TOMATOS. I find it’s only when the tomatos are raw that they bother me. Next came BANANAS. I recently am finding that I cannot eat AVACODOS either. I do not have a reaction to banana bread, tomato sauces, or foods that CONTAIN eggs. Infact, egg yolks do not bother me, it’s only when I eat a whole egg by itself. The pain I experience from all of these foods are exactly the same. I get a burning “sour” stomache feeling, nausea, and gassy. It usually begins about 15-30 minutes after eating these foods, and goes away within a few hours. I’ve found that eating something else seems to speed up the “healing” process. One other thing I found I have in common with several others is that I cannot take ASPIRIN. It seems like a digestive problem…will the list of foods continue to grow with age???
I experience the same symptoms to the same foods that you do! I’m 32 and the first thing to start was the eggs (this started in high school), then I noticed the avocado when I ate guacamole. Bananas cause more mild pain and thankfully I don’t feel anything from tomatoes (I LOVE tomatoes, so that would be very upsetting!). The pain I get from eggs and avocado is absolutely awful and starts about an hour after I eat these things. Horrible burning pain with gas and bloating and it usually lasts for a few hours. And I also avoid aspirin and ibuprofen too as it causes a similar pain if I take it too frequently. I usually try and stick with acetaminophen for headaches…
I am 41 years and have had food intolerances since my teens. I as well cannot eat tomatoes, bananas, avacados. Nor cantalope, strawberries, mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, cucumbers (unless seedless). I do not have diviticulosis, and have had a colonoscopy which came up fine. If I have a good 8 0z. glass of red wine before I eat these vegetables I am usually able to tolerate them at dinner. But without the wine… Within a half hour I have horrible burning pain across whole abdomen area. I used to have to try and sleep it off as well because it lasts for hours. But I have found recently that sometimes if I ingest about 4 tums and some gingerale the pain does decrease and then within about 45 minutes does go away. Someone suggested Pepto Bismo, I will try that. Hopefully that works quicker.
I have this!!! In my late teens, it was only avocados. But the list has lengthened as I got older. Now, at 36 yrs, it includes melons, cucumbers, bananas, quinoa, almonds, spinach, raw peaches and pretty much all raw veggies. I can eat them if they are cooked, or canned. But even the smallest piece of avacado that doesn’t get pulled out of a bite of sushi will make me painfully sick for hours. And no medicine will help. It feels as though all digestion has come to a halt and I become horribly bloated with intense pain high in my stomach. Gassy, vomiting only serves to release pressure momentarily. It appears that I have become more sensitive as I age. I originally suspected gall bladder problems, but testing rulled that out. I have been trying to track this intolerance down to get more information. Is there treatment? I found this website that offers food intolerance testing,
http://www.gillianmckeithclinic.com/food-intolerance-test.php
I remember reading an article that accuratly described and explained this intolerance, but have not been able to find it again. This is frusterating to slowly have all of my favorite, healthy foods slowly taken from me!
Salicylates! I believe it has something to do with the inability to process salicylates. Or maybe just some salicylates. Are there more than one?
Wow I am so surprised that this is so common. Since I was 12, I’ve gotten horrible stomach pain from avocados and bananas. Also, any kind of peppers. And broccoli from to time. I completely avoid avocados, peppers and bananas now because the pain is just unbearable. It’s like a burning feeling that spreads across my abdomen. Tums, Mylanta, etc. only mildly helps so I usually just try and sleep it off. I have bad chest pain from time to time that I think is associated with it. In my esophagus i believe. Hope your little girl doesn’t have the same.