# tomatoes



## jimmye (Nov 13, 2001)

I am noticing that on days after I eat tomatoes the night before that I have pain in my abdominal area. I have never really noticed an association before but wouldn't have guessed tomatoes could or would be a cause of this kindof pain. Could someone give me some input, maybe you Mike. Is this food a likely trigger substance for a reaction? Thanks, Jimye


----------



## newlearner (Jun 7, 2001)

I saw a top allergist in New Orleans for scratch tests and he said he had never seen such an extreme reaction when tested for tomatoes.


----------



## WD40 (Jun 7, 1999)

Tomatoes are hard for some people to digest. I know that sometimes they give me the worst type of gastritis you can imagine! And yet sometimes they do nothing to me. Sauces seem to be worse than raw tomatoes. I think the compounds which trigger the acids are more concentrated or something.


----------



## Jane1721 (May 12, 2002)

A few people on this board suggested Healthy Choice tomato sauce to me (after I flipped out over not being able to put anything on my pasta!), and I am able to eat it without problems. I used to eat Classico sauces, but I have bad reactions to those (must be all the olive oil?!). I also have noticed that if I can SEE pieces of the tomato, I better not eat it.


----------



## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

Comment:Just a brief sidebar on the interesting subject of skin testing first.... ____________________________________________"I saw a top allergist in New Orleans for scratch tests and he said he had never seen such an extreme reaction when tested for tomatoes. " ____________________________________________One thing is for sure about scratch tests...Scratch tests are only useful if at all for actual true IgE allergy. While they are OK for inhalants they are in fact (see JAMA Allergy Guide) less than 50% reliable feven for food ALLERGY...thus flipping a coin is better and cheaper...and they cannot detect any form of cell mediated reaction or enzyme mediated reaction or cytotoxic reaction, or any of the other mechanisms.There are a lot of false positives. BUT if you got a test (+) skin for tomato and have it confirmed by oral challenge, then the combo works. This can be tricky if the pt has any hx of anaphylactic reactions and must be done if at all under direct supervision of the doc in the hospital with a truckload of epinephrine standing by







Same goes if a radioimmunoassay like RAST comes back (+). Suspiciod...possible...but not diagnostic. Only confirms the immunoglobulin is there BUT not an actual clinical allergy.While the American Allergy community is moving out of the ages of darkness in these matters (based upon what ocurred and the papers presented at a recent major allergists concention), it is still not part of the curriculum for many to go beyond Ige...and even some still use this test type for foods as diagnostic. IF it is done with a really good history, dietary intake and symptom log, THEN it is much much more reliable.That being said, yes tomatoe or naturally occurring chemicals in tomatoes or chemicals which get on tomato or are picked up from the ground while growing by the tomoato can all be a source of a SMALL INTESTINE focused reaction, which can come in several forms, which can and does result in these symptoms (besides plain old mainstream food allergy, is is not common in the general population but seems to be about 4 times more frequent in patients who show d-type IBS symptoms).I know this as tomato turned out to be one of my most severely reactive foods when I was first assayed some years ago. ESPECIALLY when they are CONCENTRATED by being cooked down into spaghetti sauce.IF you remove the tomatos for a week and have no pains, then eat tomatos and have pain the next day, tomato bad. Avoid. Finding out WHICH reaction or WHICH THING IN the tomato makes you hurt is academic. Open oral challenge in this case is all you need.Now if something elses happens write me back and we will get more sophisticated about your diet.Eat well. Think well. Be well.MNL


----------

