adult fifths disease

I just read these entries about fifths disease at the MedHelp website.  I have had some similar symptoms as some of you.  I had knee suregery using donor cartilage a few months ago and was healing remarkably but after a month and half  my knee started to swell and had to be drained.   In the meantime my right shoulder started to pain me whenever i raised my arms up over my shoulders.  then my left shoulder started feeling the same pain.  I also developed an odd small rash in between my eyes which i still have.  Im a 4th grade teacher and the school had a fifths disease outbreak last spring.  I brought this information to my rhuematologist and he said it was too long ago for fifths to be a culprit.  he has now diagnosed me with rhuematoid arthritis and will start a long steroid program for several months.   ruematoid arthritis normally starts in the hands and feet-my hands and feet are totally normal but my shoulders are excruciating especially in the morning. It sure sounds familiar to some of the entries here.   I take 4 ibuprofil tabs 3 times a day to take the edge off the pain.  I guess i need to press for the test for fifths but what else do i need to do?  I really dont want to take the steroids for several months.

[Enoch Choi, MD]

not likely to be 5ths

RA is diagnosed by lab tests, did you get those?

you would want to be sure of the RA diagnosis before using steroids that long

If it is RA, there are many good DMARDs and other autoimmune drugs that can help