How I use Folia to see if my menstrual cycle is causing flare-ups
Whether you track your period or simply know it’s on the way from symptoms, it’s something we typically experience in a very cyclical pattern. You may have a few days of discomfort leading up to it’s impending arrival, only to have resolve in a week’s time and start the cycle over again. However, if you also live with an autoimmune condition, you might experience more than the typical PMS symptoms.
If you’re someone like me who gets flare-ups timed with your period, you’re not alone. This is a very real thing that happens. If doctors have told you in the past that it’s “normal” or “nothing to worry about,” bring them the data. Show them what’s happening right around your period month after month. Here’s how I do it. (By the way, I’m Jordan, and I’m on my own diagnostic odyssey for a potential autoimmune disease, and a member of the Folia team.)
1. Add the “Menstruation” observation in your journal
If you add it as a Yes/No observation, you can simply track the days you’re having menstrual bleeding. If you want to track how heavy your bleeding is, you can use a Severity Scale (0-5). I personally use a Yes/No observation because that works better for me, but everyone is different.
2. Track your symptoms as usual, including the days of your period
I track my “Menstruation” observation as a “Yes” on the days I have a full bleed.
3. Graph your observations to see any patterns
My main symptom that flares up is my lower back pain (and this is not related to typical lower back pain/cramps you would expect with PMS - it can make me immobile at times). This is the symptom I notice most right before my period, and I wanted actual data to show my doctor. I graph “Lower back pain” and “Menstruation” so I can see the correlation.
While it can take a while (at least a month or two!) to see the fruits of your tracking labor, I felt so validated to know that I wasn’t losing my mind, and I hope tracking can help you do the same.
If you have any questions on how to track your menstrual cycle flare-ups, please feel free to reach out anytime!
To start tracking today, download the free Folia app and use invite code “FLOW.”
