Roseola or something else?

[tribord]

I wrote a nice, descriptive post and then accidentally closed the tab before posting, so I apologize in advance if it seems to be a bit jumbled... trying to get it out before my 2-year-old wakes up!

My 2-year old was diagnosed with roseola and my almost 5-year-old is now showing similar symptoms.  A lot of things seem to fit with the dx, but after reading about it some things don't seem to fit.  I'm curious to see other's experiences with roseola and if they match up.  Specifically I'm wondering if my kids could have picked up something from another child shedding after their MMR, or if this could just be a random viral rash (is there such a thing?).

The things that maybe don't match up:

Both DS and DD had high fevers and felt very sick (DS vomited a number of times that night), but for less than 24 hours, maybe more like 12-18 hours.  From what I'm reading, the high fevers from roseola last several days.

DS has had a rash for 4 days now (although it is getting better).  From what I've read, roseola rashes don't last that long.

DD is almost 5 and has been around other kids for years at playgroups, preschool, classes, etc.  How did she not get roseola already?  I don't remember her getting a rash like DS had (DD's rash just started this evening, so I'm not quite sure how it will look over the next day or two).  Even DS has been around other kids a ton since being born.  What I'm reading says most kids have already had it by 2 years old.

Thing that matches up really well: 1.5 - 2 days after the fever broke is when their rashes started.  DS's started on his trunk and spread all over. Right now DD's is most obvious on her face and neck, though, which is differerent than how roseola is typically described.

Although both were a bit tired and had stuffy/runny noses before their fevers hit (DH and I have cold symptoms right now, too) after their fevers they were back to themselves, although still have a bit of stuffy/runny noses.

The rash doesn't seem to be bothering them at all and they are back to themselves, I guess I'm just posting mostly out of curiousity rather than worry.  Has anyone had roseola go like this?  If your child got something from another child shedding MMR what did that look like?

[pammysue]

Since all the other symptoms are gone and the rash doesn't bother them, I would think a virual rash. Is there a reason you are concerned about MMR?

[SweetSilver]

What I remember about roseola was the fever, with no other clear symptoms, a spike in the fever--really high-- right before an *abrupt* drop, almost to normal body temperature.  Rash in 1 day or so.  The rash was brighter for dd1, who had it when she was not quite 2.  Rash was milder for dd2.  As far as the fever lasting, I don't think it was "several" days, but about 2 nights--second night was the fever spike.

We didn't have any vomiting.  In fact, their nurse laughed and said that is often how she figures out it's roseola before the rash confirms it--the frequent absence of any other symptoms (and especially that steep drop-off after the highest fever).  I'm not sure if I heard whether vomiting is typical for roseola, but dd2 these days vomits when she even has a cold--pretty much any time she is sick so I could see it for roseola, too.

The fact that the two came together, or pretty close, would make me suspect that, indeed, she managed to hold off on contracting roseola until now.

[northerngirl]

My daughter had roseola when she was around 3. She had a really high fever and then a rash. No other symptoms. 

Recently she had what I thought was strep...fever, tummy ache, malaise, and a slight sore throat. Then after the fever broke she got a rash on her front and all over her back. Then I thought roseola? She was negative for strep both quick and culture. Ped didn't think it was roseola either, but just a virus.

I asked the ped and she said that there are lots of viruses that can look like strep and roseola ect. She also said when your body is fighting the virus it puts out a bunch of antibodies and gets rid of the virus, but then the extra antibodies left over come out as a rash. 

[tribord]

Thanks all for your replies.  To answer PP's question, I was a little concerned about them catching something from an MMR shedding because they have been around some kids who have recently received the MMR. 

Good to know more about viral rashes.  I didn't really know about those before. I guess whether it is that or roseola is kind of moot, since they are both feeling OK and their rashes continue to fade.

The doctor did do a strep test and the rapid was negative, I assume the culture they sent out was negative as well or I am sure they would have let me know, so I don't think it was strep.