Banana Allergy

Has Anyone Experienced Sudden Banana Intolerance?

Commented on November 05, 2014 
Created August 09, 2011 at 1:24 AM

Is there such a thing as developing sudden intolerance to bananas?

My wife loves bananas, but has been unable to eat them for a few months without severe gut cramping and a sprint to bathroom with a toddler chasing after her. The other latex fruits like kiwis and avocados don't have any negative effects. Also the symptoms of fructose malabsorption don't fit the case either. Is this some kind of intolerance that can build up over time after cutting out major problems like gluten?

at 02:11 AM

Alchemille

(432)

on August 09, 2011 

I have had banana intolerance for a while. I used to eat 1 banana everyday (I now know that we you eat too much of a food you can become allergic) until I ate an banana that wasn't fully ripe. Then I got some nasty stomach cramps and felt unwell to the point I thought I was gonna faint. I understood it was the under ripe banana. A couple days later I had a piece of ripe banana and the cramping started again. I didn't eat bananas for the next 6 months or so (did some gut healing in between (food allergies involved here but not to bananas)) and I was able to reintroduce bananas again in my diet. Hope this helps a little.

Seiji

(1091)

on May 03, 2012
at 09:47 PM

I've had the exact same experience. Intolerance due to over-eating certain foods, especially fruits, is a well-documented phenomenon.

foreveryoung

(14932)

on May 03, 2012
at 04:58 PM

Yeah, I stumbled upon a sight called 30bananasaday.com and suddenly found myself ill from the mere thought of one ;)

Ben__3

(10)

on May 08, 2013
at 01:29 PM

I recently went to the doctors with complaints about my stomach cramping, I told them I get acid reflux they presumed this to be the cause of the problem. I used the medicine they gave me and cotinued eating what I was already eating. The cramps persisted and they were quite severe lasting up to 5 hours at a time, next they gave me an antispasmatic for my stomach, this didn't solve the problem just created more giving me constapation, so they ended up perscribing me a laxative to get me back into the usual routiene.

I started thinking whether I am allergic to anything, I though it was dairy first, so I reduced my yogert and cheese intake...no effect. Then I though it might be protien shakes well I havn't had them since so I cannot entirely rule them out. After 2 weeks of having no problems I had a McDonalds and the issue resurfaced. I had a burnt double cheesbuger and a mango smoothy. A few days later I had a banana (slightly greeny) and the issues has again re-emerged to a small degree, my stomach feels achey, the acid reflux appeared and im having those sick burps. I have got my suspicions that it is Unripe fruit but namely Bananas and Mangos which seem to be tied together from what I've seen in these forums regarding latex fruit.

takata

(10)

on March 28, 2013
at 08:22 PM

I have an intolerance to bananas, grapes/raisins, kiwi, pineapple, raw spinach... those are the ones i know of... i did the research and its an amine intolerance... ur body lacks the ability to break down the proteins in that particular food... i hae found there is an enzyme availabe to take before eating the foos but im just leaving it alone (My note: This comment seems to be from a Japanese. Perhaps, Japanese don't have the enzymes to digest amines just like they don't have enzymes to digest lactose. This must be true for other brown skin and dark skinned people in other countries including India, especially south Indians. North Indians who are descendants of Aryans may be fine.)

bridget_kelly_osheehan

(10)

on March 25, 2013
at 09:25 PM

Hi.

Don't know if this will help any one, but last year I also started having this. I thought it was just weird every other time i ate a tiny bit of banana it would set off my tummy. At one time it was so bad i wanted to call the emergency services out at 2am.

After today's bout, which now i have confirmed, my manager made a lovely cake and she used banana as the filling, i have it ago, within 1 hour it had started. took 4-5 hours to wear off and that point i couldn't tell if i was hungry either.

Any thing with peppermint oil or peppermint will normally ease within 30 mins to an hour. I ended up buying Rennies today, or even senokot which also works.

According to a doctor, it can be the digestive system which will not digest for some reason. Also found out that it's better to burp, do not be sick as it'll make you worse. in the uk classes us "common ibs" or even better constipation this also the same, as i know once i been, I feel tons better but it's just that waiting time till which is awful.

Drink water if you can, i tried to eat my food today and it was in waves!

I'm not aware that i'm allergic to any thing else or intolerance, but funny thing before i used to eat bananas up to about 2 years ago and have a milkshake too.

it's not stomach cramps, it's muscle spasms which occur.

hope this helps xalso, don't eat over 9pm, (Otherwise not sleep and very pain full) I rated mine today, 8/10, and if you sleep 20/10 painful!! 

Kristin_6

(10)

on January 30, 2012
at 05:36 AM

Every day I would walk to work and eat a banana. After an hour of arriving, I would get severe stomach pains that grew worse and worse each day. I finally figured out it was raw bananas that were causing these pains after I was sent home from work.

When I ate "Fried Bananas" (which are actually plantains) and cooked bananas, I wouldn't get the same reaction. I also have to order smoothies without bananas (which is a real hassle). Every six months or so I can get away with half of a banana, but I don't try and push it.

Like your wife, I have no other Latex related allergies. Though I do not enjoy avocados, I love kiwis and consume them regularly. If there is any way to get ride of this "intolerance" or "allergy", I would love it, as bananas USED to be my favorite fruit!

Jerry_4

(0)

on August 27, 2013
at 01:54 AM

I've eaten bananas most of my life and loved them. 10 years ago at age 58 while vacationing in Puerto Rico I found myself getting very nauseous every morning shortly after eating a banana. The Puerto Rican bananas were shorter than I was used to back in Minnesota, but tasted about the same. I quit eating them in Puerto Rico and felt fine after that. When we got back home to Minnesota I started eating bananas again, but still got quite sick. I cannot eat bananas at all now. About once a year I would try just a bite of a banana and the result was the same. I can eat banana bread with no ill effects. Must be the heat in the baking that kills off whatever makes me sick. We went to the Mall of America this morning with our grandsons. We were in a Starbucks where my wife and I ordered a couple of Lattes and a banana/chocolate smoothie for the grandsons to split. They really didn’t like the smoothie so my wife and I each took a few sips. 20 minutes later I was violently ill. I’m not sure how this all started after 58 years, but it seems to be here to stay. No more bananas for me in this lifetime.

Sally_12

(0)

on May 31, 2013
at 06:31 AM

I too developed gut pain from bananas as a teenager 

I'm now 33. 

Around 21 could no longer eat eggs and developed an allergy to latex. About a year later I could no longer eat avacados. I still cannot eat any of these foods. I tried a banana when I was pregnant 3 years ago did ok but tried another a week later and got the gut pain. I ordered some tacos for dinner this evening and they had guacamole on them so I am now in horrible pain writing this trying to figure out what I can do to relieve the pain.

Jeff_Jackson

(0)

on May 13, 2013
at 06:46 PM

I always ate bananas. always. with no trouble. ever. i ate them raw. in protein shakes, on cereal. etc. Then, all of a sudden, last week, I ate one before bed. I woke up in the morning with the most intense stomach ache, cramps, pain, whatever you want to call it. every 10 minutes for two hours, i would run to the toilet with the most intense pain, and i would sweat, get pale, feel nauseous and then I would think I was about to make an explosion...and only a little would come out. next day, had a banana again in the morning and same thing happened for an hour. but i still thought it was something else. i was fine over the weekend. and then boom, it happened this morning. I will never have a banana again. sorry for the TMI but this is so weird. I guess I should do see my dr. btw. for three days before i ate that banana at night.. i was on a very strict diet, had only a protein bar, a salad and a piece of chicken for dinner. maybe it had something to do with my 3 day crash diet. who knows.

Melissa_Jones

(0)

on May 09, 2013
at 03:31 AM

Ok let me say, that I ate bananas almost every day as a child. I'd have them in cereal, bananas on toast with warmed peanut butter (you'd have to have tried it) I would eat a few bananans a week. Then one day, I was 16 (I am 33 now and Pregnant) and had to pull over and throw up. Fast forward to 21 years old. I had a banana and 2 cups of Orange Juice. At that time, I also had Weight Loss Surgery. So about an hour later, I had violent cramping, diahreeah, thrown up several times. This episode lasted about half hour. I was in AZ and thought it was something else I had eaten...Fast Forward a few weeks later. Same thing happened with half of a banana. I thought it was mental. I figured out it was bananas. At 27, I thought I was over it, my friend made banana pudding with the vanilla wafers. I just HADDDDDDDDDDDD to have some. I had a slice, about the size of a quarter. I had stomach cramping for 2 days!!!!

Now I am 33, and I am craving bananas because I am pregnant (15 weeks). I broke down and bought 2 yesterday, kind of black and as I googled this, I am eating half of a banana. I burped a few times. nothing big. I will see. Hopefully because it is a little black and I am eating it slow, I hope this makes a difference.

I am NOT allergic to any other fruit that I know of. Sometimes pineapples make my mouth a little raw but I eat them with no problem. I don't hardly eat mango. I do not have a problem with Kiwi. I have anaphalytic shock with brazil nuts but with bananas, there is NO ITCHING, SWELLING OR SKIN REACTIONS. Just DIgestive. My Brother says that when you get older your body cannot digest things sometimes and you develop a reaction that only gets worse.

My sister cannot tolerate tomatoes, coffee, or Dairy once she turned 40. My mother who is 69 has a new allergy to Soy yet Soy products are in everything. Her blood test came back positive for Soy though.

I have no idea why this happens and I am curious as well. I am happy that I am not alone though! It's been about 30 minutes now and no adverse reaction to the banana I just had. Maybe this baby is helping me digest it. I don't know but I will come back to report if anything has changed. 

doreolola

(0)

on February 11, 2013
at 11:43 PM

I suddenly developed intolerance to eggs and advocadoes after my pregnancy, I did try the organic thinking it may be something chickens were fed or pesticides, and that did not make a difference. For pain it's a heating pad on my stomache and one on my back, ginger and/or peppermint, fennel, dill tea, and lay absolutely still until the pain goes away Then usually about 3 days of very easily digestable bland diet, as I found out that if I try to eat a normal diet right after an attack, any food (not bland or very easily digestable) can set it off again.

nukeme1

(0)

on January 08, 2013
at 04:57 AM

wow, never thought I would find so many people with the same problem as me. I used to have sweats, paleness, extreme cramping, gas, bloat, even vomiting sometimes, chills. finally discovered the cause was bananas... only raw ones. dried, cooked etc, NO PROBLEM. This is definitely an intolerance and not an allergy (no breathing/ itching issues) but I have always wondered what exactly gets lost when a banana is dried or cooked that I'm intolerant to, I would love to know to avoid other foods that might have them as well, although, so far, only bananas are problematic and I eat pretty much anything and everything and have been for almost 33 years.... at least I know I'm not alone, just wish I knew what part exactly I'm intolerant to.

madmemere

(0)

on November 30, 2012
at 04:37 AM

After eating bananas, occasionally, for the first 50 years of my life, I suddenly developed a severe intolerance- in about 1/2 an hour, it started with numbness in my extremities, advancing to my core, I became extremely weak and dizzy and could barely crawl to bed; 12 hours later, I was "fine"! My doctor blamed it on a flu-bug. Ok, sounds reasonable. About two weeks later, I just happened to eat another banana, without even thinking about it. The same reaction, only faster - about 20 minutes and it was 24 hours before I even began to "feel normal"- -doc had no explanation except "possible allergic reaction"!! Duh - -no kidding, really? To this day, I do not eat raw bananas; I can eat them in "cooked form" like banana bread, or muffins, fried banana with something else - -no reaction! So, all you banana lovers, just eat them "cooked", in or with something else.

sith

(78)

on November 07, 2012
at 09:36 AM

Bananas give me unbearable heart burn.I don't bother asking why I just don't eat them.

Gary_B

(0)

on July 11, 2012
at 05:48 PM

I've encountered the same problem. I have no allergies (I've been tested) but found that after eating one to two bananas daily for a period of time, I started cramping/feeling nauseous to the point where I've stopped eating bananas (even in smoothies).

I've read that, if you consume too many bananas, it is possible for your body to react to to something in the banana as your immune system begins to recognize it as an foreign invader.

Lynn_9

(0)

on May 06, 2012
at 03:17 AM

About a year ago I started becoming very ill after eating bananas. I suffered severe chest pains that radiated up into my face and had trouble breathing. I actually thought I might be having a heart attack but quickly took an antacid and drank some milk which calmed my symptoms. For dinner tonight I had a veggie wrap that contained avocado and I experienced the exact same symptoms. That is why I am now on this site. This can be scary stuff. I haven't had bananas since I figured out it was causing these symptoms and now no more avocado! Thanks to all for sharing this info.

bittykitty

(1600)

on May 03, 2012
at 09:10 PM

My body has zero tolerance of bananas now.About 30 mins after I eat one,I'm irritable and light headed.Not the fructose,because other fruit doesn't have the same effect.

Nathan_9

(0)

on November 29, 2012
at 09:45 PM

I have been doubled over in pain for the past 24 hours since i had eaten ONE Banana yesterday at lunch. Stomach feels like it is being cut open from the inside and the pain comes and goes. Going to try some "beano" after work. i've heard that this can help alot with this situation. But once this stops i'll tell ya i will not be eating Bananas again. . . :-( Any other remedies anyone can think of?

Justine_3

(0)

on March 02, 2013
at 11:04 PM

I am 29 and in the last couple years I developed an allergy to bananas, avocado, and eggs just like another commenter mentioned. It really sucks because all three were a major part of my diet. I wish someone knew what caused this. Is there any sort of explanation? (My note: Banana allergy and eggs allergy seem to go together)

Hope_1

(10)

on May 03, 2012
at 04:40 PM

Almost 31 years ago when I was pregnant I developed an intolerance to eggs, bananas and avocados. Thinking I would be fine after delivery with hormone shifts or whatever, but no. To this day I can't eat bananas, although I tolerate them in baked goods. I'm now vegan so eggs aren't a problem. Avocados, small amounts smashed are kinda okay but cubed aren't. I am guessing something with the process of digesting is to taxing on the system. Smoothies are a problem for sure, at home I just freeze mangos and do the best I can with smoothies. Seems everyone has some food issues, hubby can't do tomatoes or onions.

https://www.paleohacks.com/bananas/has-anyone-experienced-sudden-banana-intolerance-7374