FibroTrack? New way to document and analyse symptoms and treatments?

Hi everyone,

I really want to be able to figure out things that trigger my FMS symptoms and things that help me feel better. I found a thing online called "FibroTrack" - which looks really good until you see the price.

What happens is you enter the details of your symptoms, life changes and treatments into the system, and it can identify links and patterns and show you reports on what makes your symptoms worse and what makes your symptoms better - and which treatments just aren't worth spending the money on. Now, I could analyse this kind of thing myself but it would take lots of time and brain power (which I have in short supply), and risk the human errors from my brain fog; or I can let a computer program do it for me.

It normally costs $100 per year but it's currently on sale for $70 per year.

There is a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.

Is it worth it? Is it a scam?

The monthly membership costs $10 and that also has a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee. I'm thinking maybe I'll try that and, if it's worth it, then I can get the yearly membership, but by that time the yearly membership will probably cost $100 again. (Ha ha, yes, I know that is why they have sales - to push us into quick decisions that we might otherwise not make.)

Any tips on how I can track my own symptoms, triggers and treatments in the easiest, simplest, least time-consuming way possible?

Thanks Karen, I did eventually find it through 101 and searching the website.

It seems to offer a lot of the same stuff (documenting symptoms easily, computer creates reports), but for free and perhaps not quite as sophisticated, but quite possibly good enough to be helpful. So I'm trying this one first, because why pay for a service that I might be able to get for free elsewhere?

So that other people who are interested in doing a symptom/trigger log don't have to go through all of that searching, here is the direct link to the page you need: http://www.theacpa.org/fibroLog/default.aspx

And here is the link to the page with the numbering system you can use to log your pain: http://www.wemsi.org/painscale.html

Jasmine

I'm afraid that I forget to record some symptoms unless I'm prompted that a particular thing actually is a symptom. I've kind of had a lot of the symptoms of this my whole life so a lot of it seems normal to me, so I need the program to remind me what isn't normal. Sometimes I'll just plain forget things too because my memory's bad, so that's another reason I want a program to remind me. And it's a lot quicker than writing it out, it only took me about 5 mins to use the fibro log tonight, as opposed to spending 20mins+ trying to remember my symptoms and think of all the possible triggers...

Anyway, if writing it out works for you, then that's good, you're not dependent on a computer

There are just way too many free versions and ways to help keep track of our symptoms and meds that I would never spend a dime on something like this personally.

We had a member here recently who was trying to promote/sell this same thing...(Not saying that YOU are trying to sell this...just making a general statement)

I have a very inexpensive (from Walmart) 7 day, 4 times a day, pill container.

And then it's just easy to jot down in a journal/notepad some things that I want to discuss with the Dr. whenever I need.

As mentioned, it's really about finding a great Dr. and then doing things each day to help ourselves live the best life we can with our health issues.

To me, it's almost counterproductive to focus so much time daily on all the negative of every single ache and pain, every single symptom, or strange bodily event! LOL...Our bodies are going to do have things happen from time to time that don't mean anything...

As a quick example...last year I all of a sudden had this huge amount of swelling on one side of my neck and this really bad rash. I didn't have a fever...so I just snapped a few pics and monitored it for a few days and knew that if it didn't go away or got worse I would contact my Dr. but otherwise I just let my body "do it's thing" and get rid of it! HAHA...

I also get strange twinges of pain or have a day where I just feel "yucky"....But try to just go forward and chalk it up to a bad day and tomorrow will be better:)

Now, it's one thing if someone has been asked by their Dr. to track things daily if they are trying to diagnose you....but otherwise...spending too much time thinking about our health problems can be a negative.

I just organize my meds so that I am always safe knowing when I take them and how much, and I put any Dr. appt.s right in my phone/calendar the day they are made so that I don't have to remember it later, and that's about all I need to do...

Our Dr. appts., meds, or any tests already cost a lot of money so for me, I certainly don't have any extra to spend on something like this...

Post Edited (Snowbunny21) : 6/21/2013 1:07:08 PM (GMT-6)

Hi guys, I normally haven't been monitoring my illness... for the same reason, too negative to think about. I just randomly thought yesterday that it might be helpful for getting better - but maybe not so much. I don't know. Maybe I'll buy a pill box and leave it at that for now (maybe then I'll always remember to take every one of my tablets!).

I think I will use the free one for the next fortnight though, because my doctor has told me to monitor this new medication to see if it helps or if I get any side effects from it.

And, of course, I'm not selling this product - in fact, in light of what you guys have said, I encourage others to NOT waste their money on this product.

Thanks for the help, everyone!

Personally, I have a notebook just to write down anything unusual on my fibro journey. It's easy to have the info in one place, and when it's time to go to the doctor, everything is there, all together (unless I forget to bring it along to the doctor's office--LOL!).

Jasmine, it's good to rate your pain starting about a week or less before a doctor's appointment so it will help them. But once you get on things that help you control the pain, you won't have to do that...unless things change. But I sure wouldn't rate it every single day.

Sherrine