Mast Cell Disorders Forum

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http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl START HERE! Tips for identifying your triggers and learning how to get better >> Tips for identifying triggers and how to get better >> How do you log your triggers & symptoms? http://mastcelldisorders.wallack.us/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1355779249 Message started by BlueSkies on 12/17/12 at 09:20:49

Title: How do you log your triggers & symptoms?
Post by BlueSkies on 12/17/12 at 09:20:49

Hi all,

I have tried to journal / log to learn my triggers & symptoms, but I have yet to succeed.

Problems I run into...Log gets too complicated - too many triggers & symptoms to keep track of consistently. I get bogged down.

On bad days (most days) I can't think clearly enough to judge my situation, plus I don't have much energy to log.

I try using 0-10 to rate symptoms - but that runs into problems. If today is better than yesterday I will rate it up. But, today may be better than yesterday, but still way worse than 1 month ago, and it's hard to objectively compare over the months how I am doing.

So - how do some of you do this?
How do you track foods, triggers, symptoms, and do it long enough to help?

Thanks so much!
BlueSkies

Title: Re: How do you log your triggers & symptoms?
Post by DeborahW, Founder on 12/17/12 at 15:03:16

When I first got ill and no one could figure out what was wrong with me, I kept a medical journal to try to figure out the problem. I dated each day, and recorded the following info:

1. Date
2. Weight (I was dropping weight by the day, and trying to keep the weight on., do it was importanty to know.)
3. Everything I ate and quantity AND how I felt afterwards
4. How I felt thoughout the day.

I will note that it was easy to record what I ate because I would record it right after I ate it, thereby preventing any forgetfullness. I also ate only twice a day and always had the same food items, because I was so sensitive to food at the time. Still, recording those things put my doctor in seventh heaven!

Title: Re: How do you log your triggers & symptoms?
Post by BlueSkies on 12/18/12 at 10:29:30

Thank you, Deborah, this is very helpful. I like your idea - I'm going to try it.

This gives me an idea - I may try keeping one log in the kitchen just for food & observations about food reactions, and then another log somewhere else about other types of triggers and reactions.