I've just passed the 1 year mark. The pains in my shin bones, knees, joints in legs has improved. To take it's place, I have pain in my shoulders & arms, & something is happening to 2 of my fingers. When I wake up in the morning, my ring finger & index finger's first joint, (the one closest to the nail) is bent. I can unbend it but it's like a stuck flap/hinge - it flips up into normal finger position, it doesn't move smoothly.

It gets better as the day goes on, but it's most disconcerting. I lay in bed & "flip" those two fingers until they start to move more fluidly. It's very  weird. The large stomach ulcer that developed 2 months after FQ, (the leg pains, especially the knees, were the first symptom, 5 days after taking 500mgs of Levaquin, once a day for 5 days) has flared up again seriously, I can't eat again, just brown rice, oatmeal, toast & Mylanta, (& Previcid), have serious diarrhea, with constant cramping, & I've agreed to have a colonoscopy & another endoscopy. I've never had a colon exam & I'm 62yo, so it would be appropriate even if I weren't symptomatic. The insomnia, nightmares, screaming in my sleep, (husband tells me, I don't hear it) & anxiety that causes gasping for breath, (which is particularly severe tonight), seems to be worsening. I never had a stomach problem or a diarrhea problem before FQ. So I guess I didn't make the 1 year mark.

But I'm willing to go for the15 months mark, (I just made that up, it doesn't really seem to be a significant benchmark). I'm seeing a shrink who thinks the Levaquin was the "Trigger" & the naturally ensuing depression keeps it going. That's OK with me, as long as he gives me something for this anxiety. Previously, he had insisted on trying new antidepressants, (I'm already on 20mgs Prozac for IC), but I had instantaneous ADRs & refused to take any more after doing only 1/2. Now he has me on Klonopin & it's making me a zombie. I've slept about 16 hours since taking a 1/2 & now I'm awake, gasping & afraid to take more than a small quarter. The tiredness & weakness I experienced from a half was scary, I don't want that to happen again. I'm hoping I can determine a proper (tiny) dose that will work for me & control this anxiety & gasping yet not knock me out. So I seem to be getting worse, unfortunately, but I'm still very optimistic. If I could beat IC to a constant pain level of 0 to1, except for occasional flare-ups which are rare & short lived, after what it was 14 years ago, which was a pain level from 9 to 11, then I can "beat" this. Someone gave me a website of a dietician named Kripsin that really resonated with me & I've contacted her. She sent me a health questionnaire that is stunning! in it's detail.

She is my next move after the colon tests. The questionnaire is so long, it'll take me that long to complete it! I'm scheduled for the colonoscopy in 2 weeks. It saddens me in a poignant way that every new person who finds this forum always asks the question - "how long will this take to go away?" "WILL it go away?" Dear God in heaven, I wish I knew that answer.