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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffMost children recover fully from roseola within a week of the onset of the fever. With your doctor's advice, you can give your child over-the-counter medications to reduce fever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). However, don't give aspirin to a child who has a viral illness because aspirin has been associated with the development of Reye's syndrome, which can be serious.
There's no specific treatment for roseola, although some doctors may prescribe the antiviral medication ganciclovir (Cytovene) to treat the infection in people with weakened immunity. Antibiotics aren't effective in treating viral illnesses, such as roseola.
- Leach CT. Roseola (human herpesviruses 6 and 7). In: Kliegman RM, et al. Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178982054-11/941383690/1608/665.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50255-3_5489. Accessed Jan. 21, 2010.
- Roseola infantum (human herpesvirus 6 and 7 infection). In: Habif TP. Habif: Clinical Dermatology. 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00023-7--s0290&uniq=178982054&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=941383690. Accessed Jan. 21, 2010.
- Fort GG, et al. Roseola. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178982054-11/941383690/2088/578.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00027-7--sc0135_11835. Accessed Jan. 21, 2010.
- Hall CB. Human herpesviruses 6 and 7 (roseola, exanthem subitum). In: Long SS, et al., eds. Long: Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178982054-11/941383690/1679/212.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06687-0..50211-3_3868. Accessed Jan. 21, 2010.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 26, 2010.
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