Tomato Allergy??

[PrincessLeia456]

My DD has been suffering with eczema for nearly all her life on and off (she is now 8). Mainly cracks/sores around her mouth, cracked ears, creases in elbows and knees. She also has hayfever and when she uses her antihistamines her eczema gets a bit better. A friend told me that a child in her family had a similar reaction to tomatoes??? has anyone else has a similar experience??

We have decided to eliminate tomatoes from her diet for a while and after only a few days she seems to be getting much better already. :) Would I be best to take her to the dr for referral for an allergy test? or if cutting out tomatoes works for her, then just leave it at that? Is she likely to be allergic to anything else if she turns out to be allgeric to tomatoes?

Any advice from anyone wtih experience/knowledge in this area would be very much appreciated!

Thank you!

Since no-one else has answered - I don't know much about it, but I've a cousin who is allergic to quite a few things, one of which is tomatoes. If I was in your position I'd take her to the doctor.

thank you Grimma :)

Sorry, just seen this. My DS has eczema, though it isn't as bad as your DD's sounds, but it is definately triggered or made worse by certain foods, these include raw tomatoes, cooked are fine so pizza, bolognaise etc is ok, oranges and rhubarb. Strawberries are now ok but weren't a couple of summers ago. He also reacts to some sunscreens.

Good luck.

My DS gets Hives on face and once some minor swelling. He was tested for tomato allergy (apparently rare) but isn't allergic to tomato itself.

Apparently tomato contact allergy is very common and my friends DH - a chef! - has this.

DS can eat cooked tomato products/ sauces/ pizza beans etc with no problems.

Meant to say the reaction is to tomato ketchup.

Thank you everyone. I have been to the doctors with my DD countless times and we come away with different creams and nothing seems to have a prolonged effect. I have asked about allergy tests with her dermatologist and he seems very reluctant tbh, saying that DD's eczema is minor compared to some :( but gave her blood tests to check her iron levels. I feel it is all affecting her confidence and wellbeing.

Also today she has flared up again without any tomatoes :( I wish I could figure it out and make it all better. Suncreams flare her up also.

daughter of a friend of mine suffers from eczema, and it flares up from time to time, sometimes its due to known irritants such as sun creams and swimming pools, but sometimes it just flares up.

One thing she does to help is to not let it dry out which is not always possible in all areas. On creases of arms and knees, a tubular bandage over the affected part rolled back over so a double layer. The trick is to wet with plain water the half that will be underneath and next to the eczema before putting on and then pulling the dry half back over, if you get what I mean. This does really help her. Maybe it also stops her from scratching it too!!

Could it be pollen thats flaring it up?

My DS has hayfever symptoms (neg RAST to grass pollen). He was really bad in April (tree pollen?) been of AH now for a few weeks but sneezearama again last 2 days.

I would push for allergy tests. Mention her confidence and emotional welfare. These matter especially as she begins her tween age and will become self concious.

What AH do you use? Ceterizine seems to be the best one for skin problems.

It may not be relevant, but something to bear in mind. I have a latex allergy, when I was first tested they asked me about various foods which are all in the same family. Tomatoes, potatoes, kiwi and bananas.

Tomatoes make my skin itch and go straight through me (but I love them.) Potatoes make my skin itch, I wear gloves when I'm peeling them, but fine once they're cooked. Kiwi makes my skin hurt so much that I daren't eat them, and I can't even stand the smell of bananas.

I've asked for allergy tests for years, but I know I'm allergic to a lot of things so the Dr's won't test me as it could be a never ending task. Thankfully I've never had a really serious reaction to anything.

Thank you all for your replies, we have today been to see an allergy specialist after a battle with the GP and Dermatologist for a referral. The consultant said it sounds almost certain that my DD is allergic to tomatoes from the symptoms that I have described, and we are to treat with Cetirizine. They are finally sending her for some allergy tests as she had reflux as a baby and has hayfever. But, what I found really interesting was he told us that 40% of sufferers of air borne allergies can have a corresponding food allergy. My DH has and allergy to grass pollen and the corresponding food allergy is.......tomatoes!! Genius!!! I am hoping that possibly this information may help somebody else out there, as we've had a huge lightbulb moment today .

I love anything tomato based sauces, pasta pizza etc but if I eat a slice of tomato my tongue is really sore!! has any1 had the same problem?

Yes this is exactly what my daughter has!! Sounds like a food sensitivity to me!

tomatos have a high histamine content to do cause problems for some, my son cant eat them raw , but can eat them cooked.
he has a few food allergies, but some high histamine foods can tip him into anaphylaxis, although its not a true allergy. foods such as marmite or meat flavoured crisps with yeast extract on label are a problem.

have heard the same thing for those who try game, as its a hung meat, and as meat starts to decay it releases higher amounts of histamine as the cells break apart.
this is also the cause of food posioning from fish.

That's really interesting!! I'm going to watch out for those. Thanks Eragon. How did you find that out? How do you manage your sons allergies? We are still waiting for tests!!!

my son has lots of ige food allergies, and he had a history of reacting to foods with high histamine as well. the last time he had a trace of marmite he couldnt swallow, and a immunologist mentioned that raw tomatos should be avoided as well. which, ironically enough he was doing already. Sometimes i think he can smell some types of food and realise it is going to be a problem for him.

my also has a history of migraines, pretty severe long lasting ones, but we went on a exclusion diet, removing foods that are high in histamine etc, and they stopped happening. He came of medication and has never gone back on it.
occasionaly he mentions a headache and we halt its progression by changing his diet, and stop the computor games.

its true about the environmental allergies linking with foods, tree pollen and OAS is highly linked, apples being the most problem food.

a odd but interesting fact is that dustmite and shellfish allergy are related. something to do with similar proteins in the dustmite outer shell, also found in shell fish. we havent had the courage to try a lot of shell fish with our son as he has a roaring dustmite allergy!

Wow clever DS! My dd is permanently on anti histamine which we find helps a lot but if she stops taking it her eczema flares again, she had awful reflux as a baby, red raw cheeks and tongue when weaning! But still can't put finger on what else it is causing flare ups? Apples is something she eats lots of so I'm wondering whether to give them a wide berth for a while!!

This is interesting as ketchup causes an allergy in DS, who had negative RAST to tomato and grass but yet has hayfever and probable airbourne allergies, AH's and an epi-pen. Cooked tomato is not a problem but he would never eat then raw, even as a baby after he first put one on his tongue he threw it and would never try then again!

I take it you have removed all dairy for while?

most reflux is caused by milk, irritating and swelling the valve at the top of the stomach. this causes the ratio of milk and digestive juices to be wrong. this acid causes the burning and further damage to valve and all innner tubing iyswim. normally docs prescribe fully changed milk for severe cases and no improvement is fully seen until 6 weeks or more, due to inflamation of gut and valve.

as for environmental , dustmite is the most common, and is the prime cause of my sons ezcema. that and tree pollen, mold, and hay fever, dog and cat........

Isn't it wierd how they know??? My dd has been told to wait for test results before we do dairy as it is quite difficult? But we don't even have a date for the test yet!! I just looked up high histamine food there's quite a list! Am shocked!!

Funnily enough DS isn't actually allergic to tomato apparently!.

He's never actually eaten one to try out a real life test not a bloods one! (nor do I have any desire to try it btw!)

I have just googled OAS and I'm convinced my daughter has this. I cannot believe I haven't realised this sooner . What with her hayfever etc Bad Mum. I am going to remove all uncooked fruit and veg from her diet and gradually re introduce one by one to see what her reaction is to each.

Can OAS cause eczema in the ear canal??? My daughter suffers alot with also, but the two maybe completed unrelated?

i would say that environmental allergies can irritate the ear canal, eczema in ears can happen.

My DD had a tomato allergy - watch out for potato as well, it's in the same family (nightshades) and used to make DD very ill. Her eczema disappeared when we cut all nightshades out of her diet - potato starch is, unfortunately, in a lot of places I didn't expect so it was a little tricky at times.