Migraine diary: make attack records easier to discuss

Use a diary to support a conversation

The NHS describes keeping a migraine diary as a way to explore possible triggers. A personal record can give you material to discuss with your clinician, but it does not diagnose a headache or prove its cause.

Do not wait to finish an entry or collect more data when you need medical help. The NHS migraine page explains when to contact a GP, NHS 111 or emergency services; use that guidance rather than a diary score to decide whether to seek help.

Keep the first entry short

During an attack, a minimal record may be more realistic than a long questionnaire. Add details later if you want to, making clear which information was recorded from memory.

• Start and end time, or an approximate duration
• Symptoms you noticed and where discomfort occurred
• Your own description of intensity
• Medicines taken, their recorded dose and timing
• Relief or other changes you observed
• Optional context and questions for your next appointment

Keep medicine records factual

Record what you took according to the instructions you were given. Distinguish regular prescribed preventive treatment from medicines taken during an attack.

The diary cannot calculate a safe dose, recommend a new medicine or decide how often you should take one. Discuss medication questions with a pharmacist or your prescriber and use the official patient information.

Describe context without declaring a trigger

Poor sleep, a different routine or a missed meal may be context worth recording. Seeing two events close together does not establish that one caused the other.

Before an appointment, select a clear period and note any gaps. Your diary only counts the attacks you entered, so an empty day is not automatically evidence that no symptoms occurred.

Keep the record accessible and private

Our free printable migraine attack diary is available without an email address or app subscription. Keep completed copies securely; share the blank template rather than someone’s health history.

Migraine Companion offers Android attack records, medication logs and PDF summaries of your entries. It does not predict attacks, diagnose migraine or monitor emergencies. Its subscription is separate from the printable PDF.