DS maybe allergic to Heinz ketchup, what should we do?

[thebecster]

Yesterday DS (aged 2) came out in a red rash around his mouth which had been covered in ketchup. Where he'd wiped the ketchup onto his fingers it went pink too and he started scratching the rash frantically and saying that it was itchy. I remembered that the same thing happened last time he had ketchup but I'd assumed it was something else. It also happened once when he ate a tortilla chip - where it had touched his cheek his skin swelled and went bright pink.

He's too young to be diagnosed with asthma, but he's been hospitalised three times with a 'wheezing attack' needing nebuliser & oxygen, and he has a salamol inhaler and occasionally is given steroid tablets with his wheezing. So he's probably asthmatic, although doctors don't call it that yet.

I'm not sure whether I should take him to the GP about the ketchup rash to talk about whether he might be allergic? (Our GP is super-unsympathetic). If he gets a skin reaction to it, does it mean he's allergic to eating it too? And do any of you know any common allergens that are in both ketchup and tortilla chips? It would be good to narrow down the actual cause of it. Thanks v. much in advance!

Take him to the GP. It could be one of the ingredients in the ketchup, you need to find out which one it is for future reference. There's alot of stuff in ketchup.

Tomato is a very common cause of skin rashes. Dd's paed said not to worry about it, and it does seem to be lessening as she gets older.

Not sure that that would explain the tortilla though, unless it was with tom salsa?

There have been quite a few threads on here lately about tomoato allergies if you look in the older threads in allergies.
As CSWS says it is areally quite common.
Hopefully it will be nothing more than this.

That's comforting, thanks all! I've called the GP and been told that they're not booking any appointments at the moment (ie not even for a month next Tuesday!), so that takes that dilemma out of my hands. God my GP practice is crap, really must change. Luckily all my family are GPs so I can ask their advice in the meantime. The tortilla chip had red powder on - flavouring which I suspect contained dried concentrated tomato. But might also have contained paprika and lots of other things that are also in ketchup... I'll trawl through the old threads - thanks for that tip VS!

check ingredients of ketchup and tortilla to see if they have any in common - ingredients vary with brand so no point any of us trying to look.

He may have a problem with vinegar. It may not be an allergy, although tomato is a fairly common allergen.

when I was wee I would get a rash from tomoatos - my lips woud get little red bumps all over them and I'd get a red raised rash round my mouth. It went away as I got older and I can now eat tomatos with abandon

could be food colouring

My dds have a slight reaction to tomatoes, and if they get fresh tomato on their skin, it goes red very quickly but fades soon too. I remember the feeling of having an itchy throat from eating tomatoes when I was young too. My dds eat tomatoes all the time, as do I and all is fine.

I am allergic to tomato sauce/ketchup and eczema/asthma runs in our family. I suffered badly from eczema as a child.

It causes a reaction when it comes into contact with my skin. The same happens with raw tomato (and raw potato as well - can eat it, just not peel it). I can eat tomato with no ill effects but either have to eat it carefully or wash skin afterwards. When it reacts on the skin it feels like a mild nettle rash.

It makes sense too the reaction to tortilla chips if you read this:

The potato is a member of the Solanaceae family, which includes tomato, cherry, eggplant (aubergine), melon, pear, paprika, bell peppers, cayenne pepper, red pepper, tobacco and chili. A condition known as cross-reactivity can occur between the different members of a plant family. Thus a patient who is allergic or sensitive to tomato could also react to raw or cooked potato.

Thank you all, that's really helpful and reassuring! I'll go back to the restaurant where he ate the tortilla chip (off my plate - he's quick to grab!) and see if they have the ingredients. What you say sounds exactly right Heated - he says his rash is stinging. ('Tinging! Tinging Mummy!) So I guess that he's having the same sort of reaction as you. He didn't have any asthma or tummy upset though, and its interesting that you can eat it, but not have it on your skin - that does sound like him. I'll harrass the GP for an appointment. I'd like him to listen to DS's chest at the mo anyway.

Thank you!