Keeping a diary can be very helpful in monitoring how the symptoms of Parkinson’s affect you and how you respond to your medications, including adjustments that are made over time. A written record can be an accurate reflection of your life with Parkinson’s over a period of weeks, months or years and can help in highlighting:
- the pattern of symptoms you experience
- the effectiveness of the medications you take and how long they last
- any side effects of medications
- any changes in your emotions or behaviour that may be related to medications.
Writing down your own individual experiences on a day-to-day basis can also help you effectively communicate any changes to your symptoms or your feelings with your doctor. This can be very useful, particularly as appointments are often too short for doctors to ask lots of questions, and your visit may be on a day when your symptoms do not follow their general pattern. Being able to review how you have been over a period of time can help your doctor:
- understand how effective medications are for you personally
- pinpoint any particular difficulties or patterns of symptoms
- decide on any necessary adjustments in medication dosage.
