Why Can't I Eat Red Onion Anymore?

PhoenixRising11
PhoenixRising11 Posts: 245 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I never used to eat much raw onion before but I then discovered how yummy raw red onion is.
I'd have it with my salmon salad all the time and loved it!

The past few times I've had red onion in my sandwich though it's given me a massive pain in my stomach almost like cramps.
If I leave it out and don't eat any I'm fine but the slightest bit of raw onion and I'm in pain again.
If it's cooked I don't have any problems.

Does anyone else have this problem?
Why is it that I've been fine eating it for months and all of a sudden it's hurting me?

I love you red onion, please don't hate me! :frown:

Replies

  • Emmaroch
    Emmaroch Posts: 7 Member
    i have the same problem with both red onion and onion. it gives me massive pains and almost like heart burn but worse. I have no idea what it is though. May have something to do with its acidity or something. x
  • lisapickering
    lisapickering Posts: 374
    I have the same problem when I eat onion. I love them too but I get cramp like pain. Not sure why?? I'm not sure why you could eat it before but now you can't though...
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I can't answer specifically for red onions, but there have been times in my life that specific (well-loved) foods caused me distress and I had to cut them out of my diet for a period of time. I developed an allergy to cheese when I was young, and had to stop eating it for a few years. I can eat it fine now. I went through a stage where I was unable to eat spicy foods due to the unwanted affect to my bowels, but I can eat the hottest, sweat-inducing things now, with no after effects. So my suggestion is to avoid it for a month or 3, then give it a shot again...
  • rodneyderrick
    rodneyderrick Posts: 483 Member
    I have this problem some times, but I haven't had any problems lately.
  • JellyJaks
    JellyJaks Posts: 589 Member
    It is possible to develop allergies over time. I gained an allergy when I was pregnant with each of my children. My OBGYN said it was due to all the hormonal changes my body went through. My daughter brought a peanut allergy. My first son brought bananas and my second son brought pineapples. The only allergy I got over was the peanuts :ohwell: I sure do miss bananas and pineapples. I can't eat anything with the word "tropical" in it.

    I'm sorry that you aren't able to eat onions anymore. Onions are something that I've always been allergic to :frown:
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    I get terrible stomach pain and bloating is I eat raw onion. it makes me very sleepy too!
  • jb_2011
    jb_2011 Posts: 1,029 Member
    Hmmmm, that's weird! Never heard of it happening. But I did a Google search for "red onion causing stomach ache", and I see that you're not alone. You might want to read about it.

    I love red onion and I don't hate you. :bigsmile:
  • asampeer
    asampeer Posts: 1
    Red onions can cause heartburn.
  • PhoenixRising11
    PhoenixRising11 Posts: 245 Member
    Thanks guys,

    Hmm yeah I guess I'll have to cut them out for a while. Since eating healthy they have spiced up my sandwiches lovely and made them not seem so bland but I guess I'll have to find an alternative.

    Red Onion is now my enemy. :angry:

    :flowerforyou:
  • katenysh
    katenysh Posts: 3 Member
    I've discovered that if you marinate raw onion in red wine vinegar it takes some of the potency out of it. Try it, maybe your body can handle it in a slightly milder form.
  • PhoenixRising11
    PhoenixRising11 Posts: 245 Member
    Red onions can cause heartburn.

    It's not heartburn it's more around my stomach area and feels more like severe cramps. I can't think of any other way to describe it. :S
  • PhoenixRising11
    PhoenixRising11 Posts: 245 Member
    I've discovered that if you marinate raw onion in red wine vinegar it takes some of the potency out of it. Try it, maybe your body can handle it in a slightly milder form.

    Yeah I will try that thanks :)
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    A lot of people can't eat raw onions. I would bet the stomach pain/cramps you feel is just gas produced as the onions are digested.

    Maybe try something like Bean-O.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I am pretty sure onions are toxic in large quantities.

    Either that or your body is telling you to stop eating them for the sake of everyone else! Onion breath is not the nicest!
  • timlover38
    timlover38 Posts: 22 Member
    It's just gas. I've had minor bouts with it from time to time. Same with salad. Some days my body acts fine and other days I end up with gas and diahrrea. I had them quite a few times growing up...and never understood why.

    All depends on how much bulking fiber you have in your tract, how much protein..etc...

    If you have a gut full of green leafed vegetables, don't be surprised if you get gas and diahrrea.

    Try taking a beano with your meal next time and see how it does.

    Maybe a scoop of protein powder to balance your meal out....

    There are sure some cases of people who have food allergies, but mainly its just gas...and gas/diahrrea cramps can make you feel like you are dying.....
  • aDelphinium
    aDelphinium Posts: 1 Member
    Hello. I have a *terrible* reaction to raw onions and garlic; also green onions, chives, leeks severely upset my stomach. What do they all have in common? They are members of the "allum" family. I've learned that it is a food sensitivity and that it's actually very common. It's not just gas or bloating. One time I just had a taste of onion (I had repeatedly told the waitress that I could not have any onion) and I got so sick, just from the juice, that I was throwing up. I also accidentally ate some raw garlic and I was sick for several days. I can't even digest onion powder (except for when it's in ketchup, go figure!). There must be an enzyme in the allum family, or maybe I'm *missing* an enzyme that causes this reaction.

    I hope this helps!
  • chimes876
    chimes876 Posts: 1 Member
    edited August 2017
    The stomach pain your describing is probably indigestion. Like something lodged in the top part of your stomach, right in the center below the breastplate. I've been wondering what causes my chronic indigestion as I'm sitting here kept awake by it again in the dead of night and may have finally figured out that it's red onions. Thanks for this post.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,301 Member
    Gosh OP posted this 6 years ago :o:o
  • 1stray1
    1stray1 Posts: 1 Member
    ah its a relief to see Im not alone! I had no idea this was so common. i just wanted to add that in a healthy digestive system you don't experience bad pain - that is, there is no such thing as 'just gas' pain which makes you feel like 'you are dying' so @timlover, be kind to yourself and take it seriously :)
    But I am actually relieved to hear that Im not exaggerating the amount of pain involved! Pale, sweaty, doubled-over can't-stand-up kind of pain! Onions! who knew!
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    Let the zombie thread die!
  • MoveitlikeManda
    MoveitlikeManda Posts: 846 Member
    I eat loads of raw onion and have no problems, but after eating peppers for years (like my whole life) at around the age of 23 I had to cut them out completely because every time I had them (cooked or raw) my stomach would bloat up (looked 8months pregnant sort of bloated). Id get seriously painful cramps and within half an hour be on the toilet :s

    I love them as well but the pain was so bad I couldnt eat them, Iv had several times Iv had something without realising they were in it until it was too late and same problem so no more peppers for me now :/
  • AnnoraCherryLane
    AnnoraCherryLane Posts: 1 Member
    This is an old thread but I thought I’d weigh in and ask if anyone out there every tried cooking and eating onion or garlic without the green or white heart of either of them? I found when I pull these little bits out that I don’t get sick or bloated anymore..!!😳😳🥰
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,371 Member
    AnnoraCherryLane wrote: »
    This is an old thread but I thought I’d weigh in and ask if anyone out there every tried cooking and eating onion or garlic without the green or white heart of either of them? I found when I pull these little bits out that I don’t get sick or bloated anymore..!!😳😳🥰

    Raw onion, any part, any colour, causes stomach pain for me. Cooked onion, no issues at all. I've never eaten raw garlic but have used it in cooking with no problems.

    Currently doing low FODMAP and onion and garlic are both at the top of the naughty list as common irritants.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    I'm not a raw onion person, but I do get that problem with garlic. I mean..I eat it anyway but still... 😂
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    Maybe undead/zombie threads attract vampires who can't tolerate garlic and other alliums?
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    I think @lyn_glenmont has got it sussed. You are all vampires.

    68w91s0bs0vh.png
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    Maybe undead/zombie threads attract vampires who can't tolerate garlic and other alliums?

    LMAO!

    But to be fair, the person who most recently revived it surely found it via search and noted in the post that it was an old thread.
  • RetiredAndLovingIt
    RetiredAndLovingIt Posts: 1,395 Member
    Kind of off topic, but doing food elimination diet to check food allergies & garlic is in everything!

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