Symp TracTracking fibromyalgia flares
Fibromyalgia resists single-number tracking: pain, fatigue and cognitive fog move on their own schedules, and a "good pain day" can still be lost to exhaustion. The diary has to reflect that — or it will keep telling you half-truths.
Track the trio, separately
Three 0–10 scales — pain, fatigue, brain fog — logged once a day. Separately, because they diverge: many people find fatigue rises a day or two before a pain flare, which turns the diary into an early-warning system rather than a rear-view mirror.
Respect the push-crash cycle
Add a simple activity measure — steps from Apple Health, or a subjective "how much did I push today" 0–10. Over a month, many diaries show the classic boom-and-bust: a high-push day, then two days of elevated everything. Seeing that shape in your own data is more persuasive than any pacing lecture.
Flares are weeks, not days
Define a flare threshold for yourself (say, pain ≥ 6) and look at runs, not spikes: how many days did it last, and what preceded day one? The trigger guide covers the shifted-day comparison; sleep quality is the most common lead indicator people find.
For the rheumatologist
Bring monthly counts of flare days for each of the trio plus your activity pattern — one page. It answers the questions that drive fibro consults: how often, how severe, and is pacing working. See how to present a diary at an appointment.
Track it in Symp Trac — a private symptom diary for iPhone & Apple Watch. Two-tap logging, a month on one screen, doctor-ready reports. No account, no ads; the core diary is free.
Frequently asked
What counts as a fibromyalgia flare?
There is no universal cutoff — pick a personal threshold (for example pain 6+ or fatigue 7+) and apply it consistently so 'flare days per month' means the same thing every month.
Why track fatigue and brain fog separately from pain?
Because they often move on different days. Fatigue frequently leads a pain flare, which makes it the earliest actionable signal in the diary.
Can activity tracking help with pacing?
Yes — pairing steps or a subjective exertion score with next-day symptoms tends to expose the push-crash cycle, which is the case for pacing in your own data.