Hey folks...first, thanks for being here for all us newbies to the forum...you are awesome.

One question I've been meaning to ask...does anyone have a good model for a headache diary out there?  Been telling myself that even though I can't spot my own trend, there must be some common factor I'm missing if I just tracked it all.  I guess I could just buy a notebook, but then I'm an Excel junkie and figured I could jazz up a good spreadsheet just as easily.  If you haven't seen a good one, I'd be happy to create one based on everyone's inputs about what should be included/tracked/monitored and post it to the board...

Mike

date, time, duration of attack, kip scale of attack, meds used or not to abort, meds used as preventative, type and dosages of meds, triggers that may have caused attack, etc

Here's one from the OUCH website.

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Skyhawk5, I was going to post that from OUCH, but I think MikeO wants to create something more detailed, a revised version.

Here are a few more things I thought might be added...

1-actual start/stop times-(different than duration of time),
2-side of head afflicted-(left or right),
3-specific head areas-(eye, nose, neck, temple, etc)

Wouldn't hurt to update it, but it's a fair basic form. Happy Easter..

I'll try to work something up and post in a few days...

Try this one:
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Doug

something else you may want to document is the foods you eat. nitrates, MSGs, citric acids ect

I journal just about everything while in a cycle, beginning with how it started (creeping shadows, sudden onset).  Daily entries whether there were attacks or not, tracking med doses, including any supplements taken or diet changes to handle side effects (helps figure out what works).  Of course the basic start/end time of attacks, KIP, abortive treatment and results, circumstances, etc.  Also log how much sleep you're getting, and when you sleep & wake.  Details of doctor visits, insurance hassles.  Include moods as well, especially when they are noticeable (prednisone high, sleep-deprived crankiness, depression, relief & joy).

I considered a template and keeping a computer file journal, but I've found a 3 ring binder with blank sheets of paper works best.  Easy to jot into the journal throughout the day, without sitting at a computer.  Open format, but with some consistency in notation.  Also easy to insert other pages, chapters, e.g. printed Rx info, O2 User's Guide, directions to HA clinic, pharmacy numbers, etc.

Journal as much as you can.  You never know what will show trends, suddenly make sense, or provide useful clues until you gather the data.

For my HA specialist, I keep a simpler log (grid) of attack times and intensity, and daily med doses.

If you should create a nifty template, please share.

Fox

Fox, I admire what you're doing to document.  Especially like the insurance hassles concept and how much sleep you are getting.  Great advice!

MikeO, if you take the time to create a repeatable template, I think it would be an INVALUABLE tool.  We tracked Gary for quite some time, and I did it manually, entered all of it into a spreadsheet - but it was quite unwieldy - I ended up pulling data from one page into a consolidated page, and it was a total PIA. 

I just popped over to the Clusterbuster site, because they have (had) a very straightforward formula suggestion for tracking pain levels (a multiplier for length of time) which was VERY useful when going through one med at a time and tracking only the response to that - but it produced daily pain totals, which we've found helpful at numerous points.  Unfortunately the site appears to be receiving makeover.   

...I'd have it here for you, but the problem is that I experienced a computer crash and that was the ONLY file I had on the desktop and like an idiot I told the people fixing my computer to recover everything except the desktop...  I'd forgotten that was its location.  :(