What is the best way to keep a pain diary?

[KatyMac]

What information will the Dr need?

Where it is?
How long it last?

How do I judge how bad it is?

There are a lot of "Pain scales" around.

Some ask you to rate the pain on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being no pain and 10 being "worst pain imaginable".

Others will ask to rate on pain type ie stabbing,burning,dull,achey etc etc.

As a very loose rule of thumb nerve pain is usually of the sharp stabby variety and bone pain more of the dull achey variety.

Some charts have a body map on them where youcan draw in the area of pain.

I think the easiest think would be to write down the p[ain type as and when you got it,how it felt either using a numerical rating scale,and or descriptor using adjectives ie stabbing burning dull achy,duration of pain,and what you did to try and relieve it and how sucessfulk this was.

If you google pain rating scales this may help.

I just make notes in my normal diary of when the pain occurs and use a KIP scale to gauge it. 0 = nothing and 10 = wanting to drill a hole in my head and stab away with a screwdriver. e.g. Headache 2am, kip3, lasted 20 mins. Headache 5am kip7 lasted 40 mins. You could just keep a small note book with you and log it in there.
To be more detailed I have a spreadsheet that I try to update on a daily or two daily basis and on this I will fill in the gaps from my diary if needed.

Do I put in food/drink & medication?

(It's abdomen pain)

I would if it was something like that, but then it leads on to things like stress and how often you use the loo etc etc. I would contact your doctor and ask them exactly what they need. I suppose you could look at it like this... They said a pain diary so just keep a record of the pain.
I would call doctor.

Thanks

It is a bit confusing at the moment

OK I have decided to go with Pain, food & medication - it might be wrong but it makes sense to me

Think its a good place to start. You can always do it again if not what the doc wants.
Good luck with i.

I am not putting up with this for any more weeks

It bloody hurts

This is not going well

I am too busy to record it at the time (or even to really notice the times it occurs) & then I can't remember it later