Help! Fifths Disease? Allergy to Antibiotic?

[pranava]

A week and a half ago DS had a mid grade fever with some cold like symptoms. He was put on an antibiotic and the fever broke on the second day. One week after the start of the fever and the start of the antibiotic he started getting red blotches that would pop up mostly on his face. Sometimes on his cheecks, sometimes nose, or forehead. Ocassionally I have seen them on his neck and arms, but mostly on the face. These blotches are anywhere from one to two inches in diameter, not itchy, not raised, and ds seems fine. I don't think these are hives, but I could be wrong. These spots come on in minutes and dissapear in 10 to 20 minutes only to pop up somewhere else an hour later. He's been to the Dr. for the fever, but they haven't seen the rash yet. He's going to the Dr. for that today.

Just wondering, has anyone had a child with fifths disease where the rash comes and goes like that?

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Both my kids had fifths disease in the begining of the summer, and I didnt even know it until the rash was coming out.No fevers, no change in appitite, no change in sleep patterns. It was amamzing. And that is EXACTLY how their rashed worked. At first i thought roseola, which my older son had 2 years ago. but when I called the ped, they said it sounded like slap cheek. I wouldnt be concerned unless you or someone in close contact with your child is pregnant.

The timeline for the fever and then the rash sounds perfect as well. My older son broke out with the rash on a friday, and bout 3 weeks later, my younger son broke out with the rash. It couldnt have been more textbook.

Also, if he has the rash, hes no longer contagious. Just an FYI.

What concerns me is that your son was on antibiotics for a fever. Did they give you a specific diagnosis that the antibiotic was for? Did they do a strep culture? Im not super crunch, but I stear clear of antibiotics unless its confirmed they are necessary.

[mamatoablessing]

Originally Posted by Barbie64g

What concerns me is that your son was on antibiotics for a fever. Did they give you a specific diagnosis that the antibiotic was for? Did they do a strep culture? Im not super crunch, but I stear clear of antibiotics unless its confirmed they are necessary.

I was wondering the same thing. Why was your son put on antibiotics in the first place?

I would think if he was allergic to the antibiotics, symptoms would've appeared sooner than a week.

[pranava]

Dr. said the antibiotic was for a bacterial infection that was causing the fever. I believed him because DS was also waking up with eyes crusted shut along with the fever. Now I wonder if it wasn't fifths all along. Thanks for sharing your rash experience! It's good to hear it operated like that with your kids too. I would be much more concerned if this were an allergy to something so I'm hoping it turns out to be fifths.

Unfortunately, DS's main teacher at daycare is about 4 months pregnant. If DS has fifths, I am guessing he got it from another kid at daycare which means she's probably been exposed for much of her first trimester.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

I would bring it up to her. You cant be sure where he caught it from. My kids are both in daycare, and there were no other cases of fifths in there entire school, but there were cases going around the local highschool, so who knows.

Another thing, Im not sure how old your son is, or if hes been on anitbiotics before, but I know when my oldest was on amox for the first time for an ear infection, he did break out in a similar rash all over his body. It didnt come and go like the fifths one does, and his ped said sometimes they do break out in a rash if they havent had a specific anitbiotic before.

I honestly do no thing its an allergic reaction though. 1.) it wouldve happened within HOURS or even minutes of the first dose (trust me, I have first hand experience with this) and 2.) he would have been swelling as well, with numb spots and possible breathing issues. I am allerigic to Avelox, but had to find out the "hard" way. .

[pranava]

update: In case anyone looks this up for their own mysterious rash case in the future, here is what the doctor said.

A different Dr. than the one seen previously said this was NOT fifths disease, but many other viruses can manifest rashes after they run their course - just like fifths disease. So, fifths is a virus that results in a rash one week after a fever, but the fifths rash stays put. DS is likely reacting to his particular virus by having a hive like rash(but not actual hives) after the fever. Definitely not an antiobiotic allergy, but as you both posted earlier, the antibiotic was probably never needed because this was probably virus and not bacterial.

I think I will be switching pediatricians. This is not the first time DS's ped has pushed unnecesary treatments. Granted I went along with it this time, but when your babe is feeling awful you just want them to get better. Now I know the importance of finding a trusted Dr. before a major illness pops up. You need good advice when your doubting yourself and your little one is sick.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

Just an FYI, I was giving conflicting info when compared to the info you were just given. I was told SPECIFICALLY that the fifths disease rash can move around. Same thing with the roseola rash, spots pop on the cheeks, then pop up on the arms, but then move to then fade from the cheeks, and so on for about a day or two.

Wonder who is right.

Another thing i was told specifically is that the roseola rash is mainly on the face and chest/back to trunk.

The fifts is also face, but not so much chest/back to trunk, but appendages.

[neetling]

I have no idea about the rash but wanted to say that an antibiotic allergy can take time to show up. My daughter had strep for the first time this summer and her allergy to amoxicillin showed up on day 7. Head to toes hives. I was told this is normal, that it can take time for the antibiotic to build up in the system to cause this kind of reaction.

I have also heard that there is a non allergic reaction rash from amoxicillin as well. I would get it checked out.