Symptom Tracking Guide

Why Track Your Symptoms?

Comprehensive symptom tracking provides multiple benefits:

• Pattern Recognition: Identify triggers, cyclical patterns, and symptom clusters

• Better Diagnosis: Help your healthcare provider understand your experience

• Treatment Decisions: Provide data to guide personalized treatment plans

• Measure Progress: Track improvements and identify what's working

• Validation: Confirm your symptoms are real and deserve attention

• Empowerment: Take active control of your health journey

What to Track

Core Symptoms

Track these common perimenopause and menopause symptoms, rating severity on a scale of 0-10:

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Vasomotor Symptoms:

• Hot flushes (frequency, intensity, duration, triggers)

• Night sweats (frequency, severity, sleep disruption)

• Heart palpitations

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Sleep and Energy:

• Sleep quality (hours slept, wake-ups, feeling rested)

• Fatigue levels throughout the day

• Insomnia or difficulty falling asleep

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Mood and Cognitive:

• Mood swings or irritability

• Anxiety or panic

• Depression or low mood

• Brain fog or difficulty concentrating

• Memory issues

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Physical Symptoms:

• Joint or muscle pain

• Headaches or migraines

• Weight changes

• Bloating or digestive issues

• Breast tenderness

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Sexual and Urinary:

• Libido changes

• Vaginal dryness or discomfort

• Painful intercourse

• Urinary urgency or frequency

• Urinary incontinence

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Menstrual Changes:

• Cycle length and regularity

• Flow (light, normal, heavy, very heavy)

• Duration of period

• Spotting between periods

• Clotting

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Lifestyle Factors

Track factors that may influence symptoms:

• Diet and nutrition (meals, snacks, alcohol, caffeine)

• Exercise and physical activity

• Stress levels and stressful events

• Sleep schedule and quality

• Medications and supplements

• Weather and temperature

Tracking Methods

Paper Tracking

Create a simple daily log with columns for:

• Date and time

• Symptom type and severity (0-10 scale)

• Duration

• Potential triggers

• Medications or treatments used

• Notes

Digital Tracking

Options include:

• Smartphone apps designed for menopause tracking

• Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets)

• Note-taking apps with daily entries

• Calendar apps with symptom notes

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How to Track Effectively

Be Consistent

• Track daily, ideally at the same time

• Set phone reminders if needed

• Keep tracking tools easily accessible

• Don't wait until symptoms are severe - track good days too

Be Specific

• Rate severity numerically (0-10 scale)

• Note duration (minutes, hours)

• Describe quality (throbbing headache vs. pressure headache)

• Record frequency (3 hot flushes per hour)

Look for Patterns

• Review weekly to identify trends

• Note correlations (symptoms worse after poor sleep, certain foods, stress)

• Track menstrual cycle phase if still menstruating

• Identify time-of-day patterns

Track Treatments

• Record all medications, supplements, and therapies

• Note dosage and timing

• Track effectiveness and side effects

• Document lifestyle interventions tried

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Stay tuned for a sample tracking template!

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Preparing for Your Appointment

Before meeting with your healthcare provider, prepare a summary including:

Symptom Overview

• Top 3-5 most bothersome symptoms

• Average severity and frequency

• Impact on daily life and quality of life

• When symptoms started

• Whether symptoms are worsening, improving, or stable

Pattern Analysis

• Identified triggers

• Time-of-day patterns

• Cyclical patterns (if still menstruating)

• Factors that improve symptoms

Treatment History

• Current medications and supplements with dosages

• Previous treatments tried and results

• Side effects experienced

• Lifestyle changes implemented

Questions and Goals

• Specific questions about symptoms or treatments

• Your treatment preferences

• Health goals and priorities

• Concerns or fears

Tracking Treatment Progress

Once treatment begins:

• Continue tracking with same consistency

• Note when treatment started and any dosage changes

• Track both improvements and new symptoms

• Compare weekly averages to pre-treatment baseline

• Bring tracking data to follow-up appointments

Most treatments show improvement within 1-3 months, though some effects may be noticed sooner.

Red Flags to Report Immediately

Contact your healthcare provider right away if you experience:

• Heavy bleeding (soaking through pad/tampon every hour)

• Bleeding after 12 months without a period

• Severe chest pain or difficulty breathing

• Sudden severe headache

• Vision changes

• Leg pain, swelling, or warmth (possible blood clot)

• Suicidal thoughts

Long-Term Tracking Benefits

Maintaining symptom records over months and years helps:

• Document your complete perimenopause/menopause journey

• Identify when you've transitioned to post-menopause

• Determine optimal treatment duration

• Recognize when to adjust or discontinue treatments

• Provide valuable data for future health decisions

Get Expert Support

At Rosewood Wellness Solutions, we use your symptom tracking data to create personalized treatment plans. During your initial consultation, we'll review your symptom patterns, identify root causes, and develop a comprehensive care plan tailored to your needs.

We provide validated questionnaires and guidance on effective symptom tracking to ensure we have the complete picture of your health.

Ready to take control of your perimenopause or menopause journey? Book your initial consultation today.