MedicineNet.com

I had an interesting experience. I became sick (I thought it was the flu) with a severe headache for days. I had malaise and achiness. Also, I began to swell up. (I gained about 10 pounds.) When I went to the doctor, I was checked for everything. My blood work came back severely anemic, b-12 deficient, and a high BNP number (my heart was in overdrive). Anyway, I was sick in bed for almost two weeks. While talking to another teacher one day (who had fifth's disease), she told me that it sounded a lot like her symptoms. I then realized that fifth's had been going around my classroom for a good two months. I went back to the doctor and tested positive. I've been getting better every day, but I'm still not 100%. Interestingly, I did not have itchiness or redness of any type.

I was sore for about 3 days. I thought I had over done it working out. Which is strange because I work out every day. One morning I woke up and every joint in my body was swollen. I had been experiencing fatigue and general malaise for about a month prior to this and my PCP had no idea why. I went to my PCP again and the only thing they could find was that I was slightly anemic. The GYN that I work for wanted to run the parvo, my PCP said it was a waste of time. Guess what, it was positive. It has been about 5-6 months and anti-inflammatories do not touch the pain and the swelling. The fatigue is awful! I have a full-time job, 4 children and a husband! If anybody has any suggestions I would love to hear them, because I am not improving!

I am 47 years. old. One week ago my 7 year old son and I developed fever and cold symptoms for a few days. My sons' fever disappeared quickly and he developed a sunburn looking rash on his face and arms, but said he felt fine. I saw him scratching at his arm, but he denied feeling itchy. The school nurse and the pediatrician said it was fifths' disease. I had started taking antibiotics for bronchitis with green phlegm. I soon developed a pink rash all over my whole body. I called my doctor and he said it would be reasonable to assume I had fifths' disease too. I finished the antibiotics and the bronchitis is improving, but now my hands knees and feet are a little swollen looking and I am having joint pain and stiffness in my fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, toes and worst of all in my knees. Now I am taking Advil for the pain (might I mention I just had back surgery less than one month ago). I hope these joint pains don't last too long.

My 17 year old daughter had a rash on her low back, knees and feet accompanied by joint pain. She had no fever. A few days later her 11 year old sister got red, swollen, burning hands that we assumed was some kind of allergic reaction. We went to the doctor a couple of days later when the burning had not subsided and she had also developed a low-grade fever. Diagnosis was contact dermatitis with a coincidental unknown virus. The next day, she started with a rash on arms, knees and one spot on back which spread down her sides by evening. By the next morning, it was an all over petechial rash, which just means the rash doesn't lighten in color when you press on it. Her hands were still burning and itching intensely, and did blanch when we pressed on them. I took her back to the doctor who sent her immediately for blood tests. They admitted her for possible parvovirus or Rocky Mt. Spotted Fever. They said with RMSF she would be very sick, as well, and would probably have bad headaches. Blood tests came out positive for parvovirus (Fifths Disease).

I woke up one morning, with a swollen face and neck and a weird rash on my body, thinking I was having a reaction to something. I went into hospital. Once in the exam room the doctor began to question me, all the while she was glancing at my cheeks. Finally, she said that she was certain that I had ‘slap face'. I looked around for the cameras sure that it was some hoax, but she assured me that it was a slang term for fifths disease, a virus. Sure enough, when I looked into the mirror there were my cheeks gleaming bright red just as if I had been slapped repeatedly. I had terrible body and joint aches for weeks as well as just a feeling of weakness. I am in my 50's so this was a surprise, but I do recall seeing children at the church group who did have apple cheeks. So maybe they had it too. I think the worst for me was the aching and weakness, glad it is gone.