Keeping track of your migraine symptoms and attacks will help improve your migraine management plan. Learn how a headache journal helps you record vital information to share with your doctor.
No matter what you call it — a headache journal, migraine diary or headache tracker — keeping track of your symptoms is an incredibly useful tool to help you manage migraine. You can gather information on your symptoms and the frequency and severity of your migraine attacks in multiple ways, from written journals to smartphone apps or digital spreadsheets. There is no wrong way to record your migraine symptoms — simply find the way that works best for you and stick with it.
We asked our Move Against Migraine group members to share how they record their migraine symptoms. Read on to learn more about migraine journals.
Why should you keep a headache journal?
One of the major benefits of tracking your migraine symptoms is that you will be able to share this information with your healthcare provider, which helps improve your treatment strategy. The longer you track your migraine symptoms, the more you will get out of your headache journal. Over time, patterns may begin to appear. This often helps you and your doctor better understand your triggers, track how different migraine medications affect you and more.
How to Keep a Headache Diary
Keep in mind that updating a headache journal shouldn’t feel like an overwhelming task. The goal is to record information that will be valuable to you and your doctor later, not to add another stressful task into your daily routine. If you are feeling stressed about keeping up with your headache journal, talk to your doctor about ways to simplify the process. They can tell you the specific type of information that is helpful to record so you don’t spend extra time on unnecessary details. For example, you may only update your journal on days when you have a headache or other symptoms, or you may journal more frequently in the days or weeks after changing treatments.
Different Types of Headache Journals
There are many different ways you can track your migraine symptoms. Most of our Move Against Migraine group members said they prefer to track their symptoms in a smartphone app.
Move Against Migraine member Michelle says, “I add notes and time stamps to record when pain increases and decreases or times when I needed to take another dose of medication.” When she went to the emergency room with a migraine attack, Michelle says, “the app made it easier for them to treat me appropriately. I even handed my phone [to a doctor] with the app open… to tell them what medications I took and when I took them.”
A spreadsheet is another good option for people who want to record additional details over a longer period of time. One member, Ashley, uses a spreadsheet to track the symptoms and severity of her migraine attacks. “I timestamp and record severity and symptoms in a notes app on my phone and then ‘plug and chug’ it into a spreadsheet later,” says Ashley.
You can also track your migraine symptoms through a written headache journal. These journals can be as in-depth as you wish, detailing your sleep habits, diet and symptoms across the course of each day or week — or they can be as simple as just noting when your migraine symptoms begin and end. Move Against Migraine member Steven began his migraine journal in 1998 and has recorded all of his migraine attacks since. “Since my condition became chronic in 1998, I have [kept] a diary where I try to record how I feel and how I respond to treatments as often as possible,” says Steven.
Helpful Apps for Tracking Migraine
If you prefer to use a mobile device, there are several helpful apps available to make tracking symptoms easier and more detailed. Here are a few to explore:
Migraine Buddy (Free, premium features available)
Developed with input from neurologists and data scientists, Migraine Buddy helps you record attack details such as pain location, triggers, and duration. It generates personalized reports and includes features like sleep tracking and the option to connect with loved ones who want to support you.
Migraine Monitor (Free)
Migraine Monitor tracks headache frequency, duration, and severity, and even factors in local weather conditions. It also offers daily migraine-related tips and lets you share detailed reports with your healthcare provider.
N1-Headache (Free, premium features available)
N1-Headache helps identify patterns in your day-to-day life that may trigger or protect against migraine attacks. You can track mood, sleep, activity, and medications, and generate easy-to-read reports for review with your doctor.
Join Our Move Against Migraine Community
Move Against Migraine is more than just a support group — it’s a community for people living with migraine to advocate on behalf of themselves, understand treatment options, access resources to manage migraine symptoms and connect with leading doctors and researchers. Learn more about the group here.
