Migraine trigger diary

Why should I keep a migraine diary?

Most migraines seem to come right out of the blue, but for some people there are certain things that can set them off - we call these triggers. These can be all different types of things like food, your environment or mood, medicines and hormones. If you want to learn more about migraines and what can trigger them, read the migraine leaflet for more detail.

If you are trying to work out what is causing your migraines, it may help to keep a migraine diary. A pattern may emerge, and it may be possible to avoid one or more things that may trigger your migraines. But too much effort trying to identify triggers can make you very anxious. In some people it may do more harm than good, especially if no trigger is found - which is common.

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Most of us suffer from a headache from time to time. But imagine having several debilitating migraines per week, often accompanied by nausea or vomiting. Janet Falcondale, 46, from North Yorkshire, has suffered from headaches and migraines since childhood. "My migraines often start with an aura - a visual problem that causes blind spots. I've had to take time off work, and have been laid up in bed for days at a time," she explains. Migraines are often debilitating, meaning sufferers of frequent attacks can experience a great deal of disruption to their daily lives. From lost opportunities at work, poor performance due to presenteeism and even hospital admission, having regular migraines can be a real pain.

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Migraine causes attacks of headaches, often making you feel sick or causing you to be sick. Treatment options include avoiding possible triggers, painkillers, anti-inflammatory painkillers, anti-sickness medicines, and triptan medicines. A medicine to prevent migraine attacks is an option if the attacks are frequent or severe.

by Dr Doug McKechnie, MRCGP

What should I write in the diary?

Have a look at the example of a migraine diary below.

1) Fill in the calendar part. This gives an overall picture of when the migraines occur.

• Fill in the days of the week.

• Mark when you have an attack. Note: people with migraine can also have common tension-type headaches. So, in the attack column, indicate when you have a migraine, or a tension-type headache, or if you are not sure.

• If you are a woman and have periods, put a B in the period column on the days you are bleeding.

2) Fill in a notes section for each attack. This gives details of:

• How bad the attacks (episodes) are.

• How well medication helps.

• Possible factors that may have triggered the attack.

It may help to fill it in over 3-4 months so that you develop a better understanding of your migraines. You can share this with your doctor.

Migraine/Headache Diary

migraine diary one

migraine diary two

Fill in the details of each migraine/headache attack using the following:

migraine notes

migraine notes