gaillardia Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Anyone have children who have contracted this nasty little virus? For all the searching on the 'net this is all I can come up with that it would be... low fever; splotchy red skin that comes and goes continually and itches at times, usually affecting legs and arms, hands and feet, face, and more recently back and front; "slapped face" looking; a sick cough and sometimes slightly sore throat. When I was pg with this child (9 years ago) it was going around in the public schools and the elementary and middle schools were closed due to the outbreak. What did you use to relieve/comfort your child? I've been using aveeno oatmeal baths and ibuprofen. Our other young one seems to have it too but no skin outbreaks, slept 12 hours yesterday. If your kids have had this, how long did it for the symptoms and discomfort to disappear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Food4Thought Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 Mine both had it earlier this year. Thankfully, the symptoms were very mild, but staying out of church (don't want to get my pregnant friends sick) was the hardest part. DD had the "slapped face" and an on-again/off-again fever for almost 10 days - then she was still tired for a few days after that. I think it was about 2 weeks to run its course. DS had the rash, fever, and sore throat, but it was less than a week. I think he was back to normal within 10 days. I gave them both ibuprofen, and DS got to drink honey lemon tea to ease his throat. I didn't use anything for their skin because it didn't seem to bother them. I hope yours recover soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 We all had fifth disease last week with no symptoms except a weird rash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songbirdie Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 In my son, it resolved on its own within a week. The slapped-cheek redness lingered for another week. My doctor said that fifth disease was called that because it was fifth in a list of common childhood diseases, but the "bug" has now been identified as the human parvo virus. In adults, it can manifest itself with widespread inflammation throughout the joints, as well as fatigue and last for up to 6 months. My sister had it and that's exactly how it affected her - it lasted from March until the beginning of July. No fever or rash or any of the common childhood symptoms. She is a public school teacher and there was an outbreak of it in her classroom in March. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
songbirdie Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 In my son, it resolved on its own within a week. The slapped-cheek redness lingered for another week. My doctor said that fifth disease was called that because it was fifth in a list of common childhood diseases, but the "bug" has now been identified as the human parvo virus. In adults, it can manifest itself with widespread inflammation throughout the joints, as well as fatigue and last for up to 6 months. My sister had it and that's exactly how it affected her - it lasted from March until the beginning of July. No fever or rash or any of the common childhood symptoms. She is a public school teacher and there was an outbreak of it in her classroom in March. She was surprised to find out she had the same thing so many of her students had because their symptoms were completely different from hers, but the doctor said that is completely expected with fifth disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted July 27, 2010 Author Share Posted July 27, 2010 Hopefully they will only have it once. Older daughter went to camp and came home with a stupid cough and little welts around her ankles. :confused: Then these other four kids started coughing that cough that sounds like bronchitis. We're not sick that often but this went through our family quickly. I hope I don't get it. Last night (when I posted thread) I was sad because little one had such a big area of red, welted-up skin on her back, and redness over a large part of her body, mainly her face, arms, legs and back. Today she is fine. No fever. Cough isn't as bad or frequent. Thanks!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 my kids had it about 6 years ago, very slight rash- I thought my dd had a reaction to a blow up mattress. Didn't get it diagnosed till my baby had it, she had the lacy rash and fever. I did get it, and thought I had lupus, it was horrible. Joint aches, then woke up one night and it felt like I had shards of glass in my hands. It was not fun for me, but with the kids, we hardly noticed till the baby got it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted July 27, 2010 Share Posted July 27, 2010 About ten years ago my kids (then 5 and 1) got it and I caught it from them. They got over it pretty quickly but I had a weird rash that centered on my ankles and accompanying joint pain for almost a year. Entirely forgettable as a childhood disease; nasty to get it as an adult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandamom Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 The kids got over it pretty quickly but dh ended up with joint pain for about 1-2 months. We hardly realized the kids had it before the symptoms resolved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momling Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 We all had fifth disease last week with no symptoms except a weird rash. After reading these posts... I wonder if my fatigue and soreness this past two weeks is actually maybe from the fifth disease? I've been weirdly winded and tired and it came on very suddenly. Hmmm... I just thought it was a bizarre lacy rash on my arms and legs and a light flushed look on my cheeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 Our pediatrician knew ds had it more because of my symptoms than his. It lasted for a long time, too. I was starting to think I had Lyme or some other disease! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted July 28, 2010 Share Posted July 28, 2010 I believe my 2.5 year old has it now. She started with the rash after church on Sunday. At first I thought it was from the grass, but it kept getting worse. A few of her cousins have had it this past month. I didn't take her to the Dr. because as far as I know they do nothing for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaillardia Posted July 28, 2010 Author Share Posted July 28, 2010 Today she is fine. No fever. Cough isn't as bad or frequent.Thanks!:001_smile: Tonight it is back, and the fever, and coughing, a few speckles here and there. The coughing was ridiculous, so we do ridiculous things like rub the feet with olive oil and mullein and garlic oil, put an onion slice in the socks, massage their feet which makes them giggle, and put them to bed. I also gave them something that has in it one of the ingredients in benedryl. It is nice and quiet here now. And this will last at least a week for kids? Oh, I so hope I don't get this!:sad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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