How to count headache days and medication days per month
Doctors often ask about headache days per month and medication days per month rather than the number of attacks. Picking a clear counting rule makes one month easy to compare with the next.
Counting rules
- Headache day: any day with a headache, however short, counts as 1.
- Two headaches on one day: 1 headache day, 2 headaches.
- Starts 11pm, ends 2am: both calendar days are headache days.
- Medication day: any day you took headache medicine at least once counts as 1.
Worked example
Here is one week counted with those rules.
| Day | Headache | Medicine |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 2pm to 6pm | Ibuprofen |
| Tue | None | - |
| Wed | 9am to 11am, 8pm to 10pm | - |
| Thu | 11pm to 2am next day | Painkiller |
| Fri | (continued from Thu) | - |
4 headaches, 4 headache days (Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri), 2 medication days.
Why count medication days?
How often you take pain relief is something your doctor uses when planning care. The thresholds that matter differ by medicine, so don't judge it yourself; bring the numbers and ask.
Doing it with Achedot
Achedot shows headache days this month at the top of the home screen and marks headache days and medicine days on the calendar. The report lists headache days, number of headaches and medicine days together.
Note
This guide is general information about record keeping, not medical advice. Achedot is not a medical device and does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. If your headaches change or suddenly get worse, talk to a healthcare professional.
Headache days this month, right on the home screen
Get Achedot on Google Play