# Bananas???



## 21720 (Apr 25, 2005)

Hello! I have not posted here literally for years because I had my IBS reasonably under control.I have been eating apples for many years for their fiber content, and I started to suspect that they were making me really bloaty and gassy, so for a week, I switched to bananas. Could bananas give me D? I used to eat them all the time. I know they are supposed to be "gentle" especially if you go on the "BRAT" diet, but this is too weird of a coincidence.I had to laugh at the posting about alcohol helping some people with their IBS....I wish! Last fall, completely without warning, I lost my ability to drink any wine etc without getting the most horrific D! It literally happened overnight. I will now and forever be the Designated Driver, which is not a bad thing, but to not be able to even drink half a glass of champagne at a wedding is odd.


----------



## 14623 (Apr 8, 2005)

Banana is a good food for me. Tends to bulk up the stoools.


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Food can be idiosyncratic in IBSers (things that shouldn't cause problems might).I think they may be a problem for people with Latex allergies, but usually they are included in the BRAT diet because based on the types of sugars they have they are unlikely to cause diarrhea for that reason.http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~aair/latex.htm#FoodLatex talks about foods that cross react. Histamine in the GI tract can lead to diarrhea. If you suspect this you may need to be tested because they may need to change what kind of gloves, etc they use for you in medical situations.It may be a random food intolerance, but latex allergies are fairly common.


----------



## Lagomorph (Mar 4, 2005)

I have IBS-D and I recently stopped eating bananas because I think they were giving me urgent bm's. I haven't eaten them in a while because I'm too scared to try them. But do we really know what causes our D?


----------



## 18255 (Mar 28, 2005)

I used eat bananas and all fruit with no problems up until 2 or 3 years ago, now I'm also frightnened to eat any fruit as I get a really upset stomach and then inevitabley D. A dietician suggested trying tinned fruits to find out if these can be tolerated, but haven't had the chance yet.


----------



## ClareM (May 12, 2003)

vwgirl, bananas are generally considered to be a safe food but they're certainly not safe for me. Different foods affect different people in different ways so, if you think that bananas are giving you D, you're probably right.ClareM


----------



## 21720 (Apr 25, 2005)

Thanks. It just frustrates me that things can change in an instant....something I ate for decades can without warning become offensive.


----------



## kateandtink (Sep 1, 2004)

bananas are the only fruit hmm albut melon i cant tolerate.. apple even a quarters give me bad D within 20minutes.... apple were always my fav before my IBS i would have 2 a day and now lol they betray me!!!


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Apples (and pears, peaches, plums and cherries) all tend to have a good amount of sorbitol.You might see if you can do baked apples or applesauce as heat tends to substantially reduce the sorbitol.K.


----------



## legbuh (Jan 9, 2005)

I'm one that can handle the alchohol without problems...BUT....Wine is a no no.. it still has a lot of fruit sugars in it.. Try beer or a cordial. That may work for you. All it does to me these days is make me hung over the next day if I have too much.







I stay away from all fruit as well.. once in a while I'll steel an orange wedge from my wife, though.


----------



## Lagomorph (Mar 4, 2005)

I can also have a glass or two of alcohol (beer or wine) with a meal no problem. But I have been avoiding fruit for a while now. I can eat apllesauce though. Oh I can also eat mangoes, papayas, and afew strawberries. Okay I guess I've just reduced my fruit consumption to the types that don't make me go.


----------



## Twocups424 (Mar 26, 2002)

BANANA'S HAVE ALWAYS MADE ME FEEL MUCH BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IF I START OUT THE MORNING ON ONE OF THEM THE WHOLE DAY IS BETTER. OF COURSE , EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.


----------



## Runningjude (Nov 18, 2004)

me too - I aim to eat a banana before 9;00am each day cause it's about the only fruit that I can tolerate and i've heard so much about them binding - umm perehaps I should eat a few at night with my calcium tablet - maybe i'd be brilliant in the morning then


----------



## 21438 (Apr 4, 2005)

I can eat bananas, can somewhat tolerate apples and fruit in yoghurts, but cant handle citrus fruits or juices. I thought it was weird: I could eat up to 4 apples a day and feel fine but one glass of apple juice was a disaster. My nutritionist says its because with a juice, theres no plant cells to break down, you're getting all of the sugars in one big hit. These sugars draw water into the bowel, causing D. Also, the seeds in strawberries have a laxative effect if eaten in large doses. Yeast is also present in over ripe grapes and melons, so I need to watch that. It's terrible news for my waist line, I can eat tons of chocolate but not oranges!


----------



## Guest (Apr 30, 2005)

No fresh fruit for me, gives me multiple problems. But canned peaches, pears and applesauce are OK. I take fiberchoice with my fruit to get a bit more of fiber.I started out slowly with the canned fruit and gradually increased the amount. Char


----------



## goldy (Nov 22, 2000)

Last night I had a banana sandwich with mayo, I know the norm is pnut butter, but I tend to do better with mayo than pnuts. I was in the bathroom in 15 minutes. I used to eat bananas and would have the opposite effect, but now my diet is constantly changing. I would gladly live on just one food item if I could be assured that I would not have any problems with the diarrhea and incontinence.


----------



## jeanne2 (Jul 19, 2004)

I continue to pose that worn out question...how can we really tell if the food we just ate is the one causing the problem?But I suppose if bananas are the only new thing in your diet and you consistently have worse D-that is a no-brainer.As for the alcohol..or other foods, I have never just given it one chance...lol. I can tolerate alcohol without a problem-it calms me in fact. So, if you just had one bad time with wine, I'd give it more tries before you rule it out completely.I'd say when in doubt, try something on a day when you can afford to just hang out around the house.I have never found a trigger food-only two times when I had chinese food, but I had D within an hour, so how to know if just the food started something way down there that was already unformed, or the immediate food I introduced was so bad for me-it wanted to push it's way through..for lack of a better description....either way, it sure isn't the chinese that just comes out first!And, I had eated Chinese food for literally decades prior to the first event, with no problem at all.SighJeanne


----------

