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Do you keep a headache journal?


Whooligun
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I tried when I was younger, just found I would keep forgetting to add stuff to it. Do you people keep journals? Are they helpful? What do you have in there?

If you haven't watched "Man On Wire", watch it. Great documentary! Highest all time rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes.

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As a chronic, I kept a headache diary for years and included everything I could think of that might be relevant.  I stopped several years ago when I felt I had a good grip on my disease.

It can obviously be advantageous in evaluating what is going on, and what to do next.

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I also keep a journal for every cycle. It seems like life stops for 4 month every year when the the ha's start but when they go away in october life starts again an I'm back to normal and quickly try to forget how horrible it was. When in cycle I analyse everything from my diet sleep patterns. To weather. Keeping a journal helps me remember what seemed to help and what didn't. Let's me know if things r changing or remaining the same. I have tryed so many things, medications and herbal treatment and I have read so many things that it all begins to blur together. But my journal helps me to sort it all out and keep my facts straight. Anyway, it helps me, just thought i'd chime in and say so.

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Whoo,

Sorry for the late reply.  I've kept a fairly detailed journal (more like a calendar) for 3 years now, ever since being diagnosed Chronic.  It all started with getting allergies, then severe allergies, then the headaches.  Did every medical test in the book, no answers.  I thought I could figure it out myself by finding what I was being exposed to and causing these freaking HA.  It's not a waste of time, but the results have been somewhat disappointing. 

I track:

Weather Data ..... Mostly extremes of hot/cold, windy and pressure trends.

Time of Day and Duration

Intensity of HA ...  Using the KIP Scale

Triggers

Days of work and days off

Exercise regime

Anything else that might be of value

Honestly, after crunching the data for the first two years, there were no significant  discoveries (greater than 75% correlation) between all these factors and getting a HA and how strong it was.  There's been days when I've hit 4/5 of my worst triggers and nothing happened, then days of NO triggers and getting slammed.

It's like living in a bad neighborhood and trying to figure out when you are going to get mugged.  Just keep the O2 handy and prepare for the worst.  It sux!

Wish you all the luck in the world, and PF days.....

weatherman

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I've kept journal's when my doctors have asked for them...but otherwise I don't bother. It helps other people, I'm sure. Especially if you don't know what your triggers are, or are trying to narrow down when things are going on, when high cycle happens, etc.

Mainly because I know how I'm doing, how I've been doing, and if I'm doing well or not compared to 6 months ago. I went from doing horrible all the time, to doing better with each dosage.

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I never have. Meant to, but didn't. I started last Thursday as per the new doc, but I think the only reason she wants me to keep a diary is to try to qualify me for botox injections, which is not going to happen. I don't care how much of a kick back she gets for giving them, she ain't getting any from me.  ::)

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It is a great tool if you have never done it. I kept one for years when I was new to the game. I found it useful in showing myself and doctors that nothing I was doing caused them or made them worse, and nothing really helped them either. If you are someone who feels the need to try and find something to blame your misery on, it will help get you out of that, at least it did for me.

After about 10 years it just became another ball game, no need to do the play by play. These days things that really make a difference stand out like Mt. Everest in the middle of the Sahara, the smaller helps or hindrances I perceive I just write off to the natural randomness of the syndrome coupled with my apparent psychosis.

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