Sudden appearance of a tomatoe allergy

[bright_eyes]

Ds loves tomatoes and has had them on quite a number of occasions. Last week, dh gave him a slice of tomato, and we noticed that he had a red rash all around his mouth and cheeks. Wondering if it was from the tomato, dh put some tomato juice on his finger and touched part of his face. 5-10 minutes later, the spot had turned red. The other day we had chilli (which had canned diced tomatoes in it) and the same thing happened.

He's had tomatoes tons of times and has never had a reaction. Is this normal? Should we completely steer clear of tomatoes for good, or just for a couple of months and then retest to see if it causes a reaction? Can allergies just appear like this? Dh and I have no allergies and ds has not shown any other signs of allergies thus far so I don't know much about them.

Also, are people who are allergic to tomatoes allergic to anything that has tomatoes in it (ie. ketchup, spaghetti sauce, ect)?

[Karri_B]

I would steer clear of the tomatoes. The more times their introduced to an item could be a factor. If he had gone a while w/o have tomatoes and then they were reintroduced, he would have a larger reaction. (hope I'm making sense - I don't to myself ). he could outgrow it in a year or two.

[isaoma]

If my bf 16 month-old dd tested positive (muscle test) to being sensitive to nightshades (including tomatoes), should I stay away from them too? I have noticed that she gets a small red rash when she consumes tomatoes (in sauces), but when I've consumed tomato products in the past I haven't seen any outward problems.

not to highjack the thread, but this is all very confusing. DD is also sensitive to dairy and I KNOW I can't consume any dairy products (or else she gets eczema on her cheeks).

[sirena]

I am 32and just not began to be allergic to tomatoes?? AND my grandmother 88 also just became allergic at the same time as I did?? I am thinking it happened to me from hormones and body changes after pregnancy?? maybe her body is changing too as she ages??

IT's so hard when you love, pasta, pizza, chili, ketchup...
Just my experience...I don't if it helps??

[bright_eyes]

It does help because now I know that it can appear suddenly. I am so sad because we love all of the foods you mentioned. And ds loves pasta sauce and fresh tomatoes. Sigh!

[briansmama]

Hi,

I'm not sure if this helps, but tomatoes are naturally occuring salicylates, which can cause symptoms of food sensitivities in many people. Physical symptoms can include skin rashes, eczema, and hives. Other salicylates include apples, oranges, strawberries, cucumbers, to name a few. If you suspect your child may have food sensitivities (which are different from allergies in that people with food sensitivities react to additives and salicylates that may bother most people, but only those sensitive are likely to show symptoms), then you may want to consider eliminating food additives and salicylates for a while.

Just some info I've learned along the way. The non-profit Feingold Association is a great place to start. www.feingold.org.

Hope that helps!