The Headache Diary
The single most useful thing you can bring to a headache consultation. A clear pattern is worth more than a dozen MRIs.
Try the Diary NowWhy a Diary Changes the Consultation
Headache is largely invisible to anyone except the person experiencing it. Memory of headaches over weeks is notoriously inaccurate — patients underestimate or overestimate frequency, fail to remember which medications worked, and confuse trigger patterns. A simple structured diary kept over weeks transforms this. It is the single thing a patient can do that most improves the quality of their headache consultation.
Diagnosis
The pattern tells the story. Is this episodic migraine? Chronic migraine? Cluster headache with cyclical pattern? Medication overuse? The diary makes it visible.
Trigger identification
Triggers are individual. The diary surfaces what's actually relevant for you — particular foods, sleep patterns, hormonal cycle, stress timing, weather changes — versus generic lists.
Medication day count
Critical for detecting medication overuse headache. You may be surprised how often acute medications are being used when actually counted.
Treatment response
Has the new preventative actually helped? "Maybe a bit" is hard to interpret. "From 14 to 7 headache days per month" is unambiguous.
PBS Botox & CGRP eligibility
PBS authority applications for Botox and CGRP medications require documented baseline frequency. No diary = no authority application.
Disability quantification
Useful for work modifications, leave applications, and (where relevant) medicolegal assessment of headache impact.
Try Our Digital Headache Diary
📊 Free Digital Headache Diary
Take 30 seconds a day. Track headache days, severity, type, and medications used. Bring the data to your next appointment — or share it with your GP.
Open the Headache Diary →The digital diary lives on our hub site, eastneurology.com.au. Paper alternatives — including a printable monthly diary — are available on request.
What to Track
Each day, briefly:
- Headache or not? A simple yes/no per day is the minimum useful entry.
- Severity — mild / moderate / severe (or 1–10)
- Type — migraine / tension-type / other (use whatever labels make sense to you)
- Duration — hours or "all day"
- Aura — if present
- Acute medications taken — name and dose (essential for tracking medication overuse)
- Triggers noted — sleep deprivation, missed meal, particular food, alcohol, stress, weather, hormonal cycle day
- Effect of treatment — did the medication work, partially, or not at all?
Aim for at least 4 weeks of consistent tracking before your next consultation. For Botox or CGRP eligibility, longer baselines are stronger — 8+ weeks if possible.
Bringing the Diary to Your Appointment
Print the diary or bring the digital version to your appointment. Most consultations begin with reviewing the diary. Patterns that emerge directly drive treatment decisions — confirmation of chronic migraine criteria, identification of medication-overuse, response assessment of any current preventative, and selection of next-line treatment.
Start Your Diary Today
Whether or not you've booked a consultation yet, the diary itself is a useful tool.
Open the DiaryBook Your Appointment Today
Stop waiting years for answers. Fill out the form below and we'll contact you to schedule your appointment.
Thank you for getting in touch!
One of our colleagues will get back to you shortly.
Have a great day!