Migraine Diaries

Keeping a migraine diary can help diagnosis and plan treatment. If you see a consultant you will be asked to keep one.

Here are 2 basic diaries.

The first is a basic headache / migraine diary - it is this one used by most hospitals. You are asked to record if you have a migraine or a headache and the pain level. If you have taken any medication to stop the attack (not preventatives meds) and if you are on a period.

The second is a little more detailed and as well as recording the above details you also record aura levels.

Please do feel free to add your diaries - I know some people also record the length an attack takes and food eaten.

Same here, it says I don't have permission to download.
But while on the subject, I have been keeping a diary for the past two and half years and I can highly recommend it, I take a copy to my consultant every time I see him, I do it day by day with how it affects me, my feelings as it comes on, the problems it causes and the extra medication I take with times as much as possible, and can say the consultant is impressed, and to him it is very useful.

WoW Graham - That is detailed - maybe you could upload a template or an example?

I have re attached the above 2 as PDFs - hope that helps with the opening issues

The Migraine Trust also have good on line diary.

http://diary.migrainetrust.org/

A new iPhone app allows migraine sufferers to keep a detailed diary of their symptoms and use of medication so they can have more effective conversations with their doctors.

With the "Migraine Notebook" app patients can keep track of their day-to-day level of pain, the triggers that precede a migraine and when and at what dose they take their medicines.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/13/us-app-migraines-idUSTRE75C36T20110613

Hi all

Attach file is working, great work Tee.

This is the diary I devised myself when my consultant asked me to keep one and take it along with me to each appt.

It may not suit everyone as I write everything that has happened to me with the extra medication taken on the side.

Oh hun it is not attached - did you hit the submit button next to the file?

Yep but I think there's a problem with the format, I use Open Office document and it isn't supported by forumotion, and none of the ones on forumotion are supported by Open Office.

Nope can't convert it to save as per supported files.....damm

graham

Lets see if this works.............

At the bottom of the spreadsheet I name the sheets as per months.

Graham

Not as I wanted but I do it as a spreadsheet, but you can see my idea, and add it each day onto the spreadsheet which is then saved and printed when I go to see the consultant.....

Sorry but it will not upload onto here as its the most up to date Open Office Document I use and not supported by Microsoft Works which I refuse to pay for........

Graham

sorry but just a little note about whats compatable with the site(not uploads or downloads) when i tried signing up i used my linux netbook. it wouldnt even load the first intro screen and was wanting to load another flash player.unless you ve hacked linux adding extras is impossible.dont know if its how the site is written or what or what the answer is but is something to be aware of.

Migraine.com has a web based diary called "Migraine Meter"

https://migraine.com/migraine-meter/

My diary started as a record of the occasions when I had a migraine, what might have triggered it, what medication I took etc. Now, I keep a daily journal listing the medication I have taken, whether the general headache developed into a migraine, what rescue medication I took and whether it worked. I also record what I did that day, what I had to cancel as a result of the pain/migraine and so on.

Recently, I have discovered that a trigger for some of my most severe migraines is turning my head from one side to the other frequently. For example, if I'm in a meeting, I will look at the person speaking so will have to turn my head each time a different person speaks. I can feel the migraine start during these meetings. I would think watching a tennis match would have a similar effect.

Interesting - its nice when a diary shows something.... have you had your neck scanned?

Yes, had my neck scanned a couple of times, but not since these migraine cycles fully settled in. Dr W said first scan showed something which was 'not insignificant'. No further investigation though.

I've never been able to keep an accurate migraine diary. It's no problem keeping it updated when I'm feeling good or when the migraine doesn't affect my cognitive skills. But when the brain fog descends, all accuracy goes out the window.

At such times I usually am totally unaware of what is happening to me. I've been known to insist that I'm fine when it's obvious to others that that is certainly not the case. Taking medication or updating a diary is unlikely to even be considered, much less done. Afterwards, the memory of the incident is like an almost forgotten dream from a long time ago and I have no recollection of any sensations/feelings I might have had.

I don't know whether the brain fog is directly due to the migraine or whether it's an acquired coping mechanism.

I should try a diary again but with plenty of room for others to record their observations of my confusion and irritability levels and also physical aspects such as gait, speech, clumsiness etc. Anyone know of such a template?

The hospital ones are very basic - I made my own up in the end - when my hand is better I think I will have a go at a few different ones - prehaps we could do it as a team effort?

Just come across some nice diaries from the National Migraine Centre

Monthly diary - This A4 page per month diary allows space for recording details of migraine attacks and treatments used.

Annual Diary - This single sheet diary may be used as a summary of your migraines and headaches over the course of a year. It is particularly useful to record attacks here when you can copy the frequency from another source e.g. your calendar or personal diary.

http://www.migraineclinic.org.uk/about-headaches/headache-diaries/