Susan and Kristina,

I'm not sure if this pertains to either one of you, (and I'm not  just trying
to throw another fly in the ointment!) but avocados just happen to  be rather
high in Tyramine, especially if, like bananas, they are very ripe.  Tyramine
is an amino acid that is present in overripe, smoked, and aged foods,  such as
bacon/ham, hard cheeses, sometimes red wine, organ meats, and some  overripe
fruits. Those who are Tyramine sensitive, as I am, will find that  reactions
to these foods is a "threshold" phenomenon, rather than an allergy.  That is to
say, one can handle a small amount without reacting, but cumulative
consumption can lead to migraine headaches. I'm not sure why, and I don't know  if
this occurs in others as well, but in my case, the migraine is accompanied by
water retention, generally feeling terrible, i.e., "sick", and sometimes a
spike in blood pressure, too. Usually, the day after the migraine is gone,  I
spend the day in the bathroom, getting rid of all that excess  water!

I have learned, the hard way, that a few bites of smoked salmon are  OK, for
example, but eating it several days in a row gets me into trouble.  Sometimes
the reaction can be delayed, even by several days, leaving a person  puzzled
as to what might have caused it. You might be able to handle a small  amount of
avocado, as long as you don't eat it every day, and don't eat it with  other
Tyramine containing foods. Unless, of course, you have a different type of
allergy/sensitivity that has nothing to do with Tyramine. It's such a pain,
teasing out all the causes of so many different reactions, especially when one's
level of sensitivity can vary from day to day, depending on so many different
 factors.

Maddy Mason
Hudson Valley, NY