Migraine Buddy: Track Headache Reviews

by FlyingHugAttack

I’ve had MigraineBuddy for a while now. The problem I’ve had with it from the beginning is the thing that finally pushed me over the edge last night.
There should be a way to override or bypass entering the end time of the last migraine event upon starting a new one. Or have a simple checkbox selection of “1-2 hours”, “2-4 hours”, etc. I don’t always remember to go back and set an exact end time. I’m usually too happy that it’s over to remember to go back and self-report. So then when a new one starts, I have to fumble around my calendars (and my already impaired brain) to try and input an end time just so that I can start recording a new one. Most of the time I just fudge the times with a made up length.
Last night my migraine came out of nowhere and I had no time to mess around. So of course this was when I discovered all the updates done to MigraineBuddy . Panicking, I just started jabbing at the screen. It was covered with text and buttons of different colors and fonts - all screaming for my attention. I had no idea how to end the last event or start a new one. I was befuddled in migraine haze and pain and half-thought... and utter confusion.
I get a migraine only about 1-3 times a month. Sometimes I go two months without any. Maybe MigraineBuddy isn’t for people who use MigraineBuddy as infrequently as that. For regular users, I’d give MigraineBuddy 4 stars. For people like me, I give it 1-2.

by Hemumford

I like MigraineBuddy a lot to help me track the frequency and intensity of my migraines as well as keep up with triggers, useful treatments, sleep schedule, etc. but the one thing that i HATE about MigraineBuddy and annoys me to NO END are the CONSTANT notifications. Its like the only way you can get MigraineBuddy to leave you alone is if you’re just constantly on MigraineBuddy at all times. The insights page can be a nice resource to learn new info and tools but MigraineBuddy will always always always say that you have a new notification even if you’ve just read everything new on there and even interacted with all the interactive posts. It’s so annoying because I’m one of those people that likes to try and keep my notifications cleared but it is IMPOSSIBLE to do that with MigraineBuddy. Too many notifications! I have my notifications on for MigraineBuddy to remind me to log my sleep and migraine times but the constant notifications are never ending and drive me nuts! I wish it wasn’t so annoying because I really like the usefulness of MigraineBuddy and I've never found anything like it but the bombardment is very irritating.

by Thulet

As someone who’s struggled with chronic debilitating migraines for over 15 years and tried so so many different things without any success... I’d also tried many different tracking methods and finally decided that tracking wasn’t going to help, but hinder, as it caused too much focus on the migraines and I needed to focus on living. But MigraineBuddy has changed all of that!!! THANK YOU Migraine Buddy for creating something that helps me do both! For helping me easily, quickly and simply input data about my migraines, keep track, and keep living my life to the best of my ability. But ALSO, the oh so helpful tools, connection with the community, reports, weather (my biggest trigger has always been barometric pressure!! - and now for the first time EVER I have the ability to plan to the hour of when I can take my meds or know when I’m going to start going downhill just to know even if I can’t take one of my meds... it’s helps to know if I need to buck up or to go lay down if I can), ability to see patterns, etc... MigraineBuddy and its tools has been the single most helpful thing in the last decade for me of communicating with my doctors, identifying my auras, and figuring out what actually helps. Thank you!! All in a way that doesn’t take over my life and keep me fixated on my migraines - they are already present enough!

If you have migraines and are thinking about MigraineBuddy - GET IT!

by IloveJeff2!

I have been using MigraineBuddy for about 5 years!
(1) It's free! (2) It is useful for you and your neurologist! (3) It is a wonderful tool for documentation for not your doctor but also for your insurance company regarding Precertification for meds or procedures appeals, and for SS disability if necessary via MigraineBuddy ’s export option! Be certain to check out that important option!
Words are inadequate to express how helpful it has been to me. (4) It provides migraine education through articles and the like.
I share this info and encourage every migraneurs about this wonderful app! I also asked my neuro to share the information!
Thank you, this app! I’m so appreciative! I used to have 4-6 migraine days weekly. Since dropping all the other drugs except Emgality, Reyvow, and using my CefalyDual, I am having about 4-6monty and duration and severity have decreased! The past 90 days, I had 70 attack free days! I have my life back! Thank you for helping me to discover triggers and helping keep my neuro well-informed! You are the best!

by Cam E La

I’ve had migraines since I was a child and this has been such an effective way for me to track them. I’ve learned more about the nature of my migraines, what my triggers are, and what my best relief methods are. I discovered for instance that my migraines typically last 11+ hours on average! :O It was shocking to realize that I never fully registered that I was in pain for that long. It may seem like a lot of tracking at first, but it becomes second nature very quickly, forces you to think about the nature of your pain, and can be an invaluable tool to help you and your doctor come up with ideas for possible migraine treatment. Minor suggestion-it would be nice if there was another option aside from ‘male’ and ‘female’ in the gender options. I understand that some physical health factors are related to one or the other..but some are also related to being intersex/trans etc (differing hormones, etc) Even if the option was just ‘other’ that would be cool. :)

by Quzy69-543

I didn’t download MigraineBuddy at first as the price is too steep for a subscription for me at this time — yet another possible form of migraine relief I am priced out of. I am beyond grateful I decided to download the free version anyway. As most sufferers know, any tool(s) is/are better than none when dealing with migraine and more often than not trying something, anything is at least worth a shot if relief may be possible.

What the developers offer in the free version is remarkably helpful. The features are so helpful and remind me I’m not alone and that migraines are not simply “not all in my head” but a truly disabling condition. Being able to track what’s happening in a user friendly interface vs. trying to remember an episode that is more often than not too disorienting to precisely recall gives me hope I can get a better grip on triggers, patterns, and ultimately better coping strategies.

I plan to subscribe as soon as my finances allow. Migraine Buddy is more than just a buddy even for those that can’t currently afford the premium version — it’s an encouraging friend that makes coping with the pain of migraine something you do not have to suffer alone. Thanks again developers for creating and offering this tool.

by Andre0599

Very detailed app. You can input when the headache started and ended, its triggers, what medications you took, how it affected you, etc. MigraineBuddy even has built-in weather so you can start determining the type of weather just in it had anything to do with your headaches. Great app. And it's free!!!

Update (Sep 26, 2020)

This is still the #1 app in MigraineBuddy Store. I honestly can’t keep up with the updates so frankly I’m behind. What I like most is that the developers haven’t been greedy like other app developers and tried to nickel and dime us by charging subscription fees yep their product keeps improving. It’s the only app I have that I can’t keep up with the updates. How’s that for a complaint!!! My only recommendation is that is would be even better if the sleep tracking could be incorporated into the Apple Watch. This would make the time I'm sleep more accurate versus the time the phone goes on and off the charger. Im still giving 5 stars though.

by Mokilee

I am a family physician with migraines x 20+ yrs (hello out there...I hear the medical profession is rife with migraine sufferers), and this has been a particularly bad year for them in my state at least. I’ve been recommending MigraineBuddy to my patients as it is very helpful for me not just in looking at triggers, frequency etc. MigraineBuddy also helps with the emotional reasoning that is very common in chronic illness (“This always happens”, “I only ever have headaches when I want to do something fun.” etc) It has been shown that people with chronic pain and chronic illness are much more likely to fall into those false beliefs, and I see my family fall into them to. It’s nice to have facts to show them and myself. (“Well, I might have missed two fun family events this summer but 80% of my headaches are during the work week which means it’s usually not related to something fun...grin.”). It’s so nice also to see how many others are share in the same situation. I often hear this as I hear patients describe it, but I know others often do not.

by Dawg76

I haven’t been back to my neurologist since starting to use MigraineBuddy, but I am looking forward to having a lot more trends to share. You know, all that info they are expecting from a time your brain is fuzziest & lack of quality sleep has temporarily consumed your short-term memory. The screens are customizable, can add to during your changing attack, or an area can be skipped and returned to later if you just don’t have enough focus time left to do it right that instant. The fact that the screens are DARK make recording possible. Somebody with migraines finally developed a useful migraine app! Love the migraine buddy option as well. It updates my husband of a new migraine without me having to do anything extra (like opening up a bright phone/text screen). I haven’t utilized the community aspect of MigraineBuddy, but it is helpful to see the # of people in your area also suffering that day (weather/allergen interaction). The reports are looking promising so far. Lots more but these are the features I’m impressed with most thus far.

by Kcieag27

I’ve only been diagnosed with migraines for a little over 2 years, but I’ve been having them regularly since late 2003. I’ve tried to track them in other apps using the mood area and just typing in the information, but I ran out of space and couldn’t give a good answer to the doctors/nurse practitioners until now. I can finally identify where they normally start, and exactly how many I have in a month or every three months. I would always underestimate how many I actually had and how long they lasted. I love the notes section I can track everything included the actual pain level I feel. (I hate the numbers, but I found a picture that I now use for identifying my number.) I like the option to select if I think it may be over, but I’m not sure. The time stamps are great. I’ve only used it since May, but it has become my favorite. I tell my friends and anyone I meet who suffers from chronic headaches about MigraineBuddy. I’m planning to introduce it to my daughter who complains of headaches because it so easy to use. Overall, I love MigraineBuddy! Great job!

by MoxieG

My doctor still wants me to keep track of my migraines on paper. It is difficult for me- I’ve rarely been up to the task especially on migraine days. MigraineBuddy has has enabled me to track my migraines over years and share specific info that I choose through “reports” with anyone I am working with. And MigraineBuddy has improved considerably over the years I have been using it. The team is open to suggestions and has implemented so many great upgrades! My Migraines have declined significantly in frequency, duration and intensity over the last few years; and my use of medicine has declined significantly with MigraineBuddy being a significant contributor to my success. Tracking vital information, having an informed and committed community of like people to share ideas with, and getting updates of new medicines, techniques, and tools is invaluable. I wish all apps were as user-friendly and all developers were as committed to quality, instrumental development and timely upgrades. Thank you!

by Beccaann1

This is the best migraine tracking app. It tracks your migraines and all of the symptoms. It helps to make associations between possible triggers and your migraine. It also has information on migraines in regards to things that may help. In addition, there is the ability to get on a group chat with other migraine sufferers if you want, its optional. I did just because I wanted to see when I was exploring the ap. You don't even have to write anything if you don't want to. Its helpful to see there are others suffering from migraines like yourself. I have chronic near daily migraines and have rarely met anyone who has them like I do. This ap automatically runs reports on your migraines that you can look at. It is also very helpful for your Doctor or Nurse Practitioner to tract trends and see how you are doing. Also, the prompts in the ap are friendly and encouraging. You don't even have to fill them all in at the time of an attack, and can go back and edit them later. Give it a try, I think you will really like it. Thank you developers so much for making this! Its really great!

by MommaTama

I’ve tried so many ways of tracking my migraines over the years. MigraineBuddy is the first thing that has lasted for me. A friend suggested it two years ago and I show it off to anyone who will listen. I really appreciate that putting in a new episode is simply a matter of going through a grid of pictorial icons. Best of all I can add my own if I’m having a symptom or using a treatment that isn’t listed. It automatically tracks my sleep and local weather if I turn on those options do I don’t have to write them down anymore. Additionally I can send reports to myself as emails, PDFs, spreadsheets... the creators have provided many options and platforms so that my doctor and family know how to help me. Last but not least there are groups that I can join or ignore with people who are on the same meds, who have the same types of migraines, or who live in my area. So I can ask for advice if I want to. There are even areas where I can jot myself notes to accompany a migraine episode or sleep record. For times when I’m sick with the flu or the neighbors dog barked all night. I LOVE MigraineBuddy!

by Minishrink

Not sure if it helps to prevent migraines, but helps to understand migraines and helps to understand what treatments work best for me. Also starting on a preventative and the report which can be downloaded as pdf and printed or emailed directly to your doctor can help you and your doctor decide if the preventive medication is working or not. I feel more in control of my migraines than I ever have before even though they are far more frequent than they have ever been. MigraineBuddy is helping me to learn and get ahead of them.

I’m still using the free version and will consider the paid version again. The only thing I don’t like is when you fist sign up, you are given choice of one year or one month paid. If you hit cancel, you can use the free version. You do not get access to all the features. I’m going to review the paid version again, but I definitely wanted to try it for free first before I paid anything. One week would not have been long enough for me. In fact I’ve been using it 2 weeks. I think 2 weeks is a reasonable trial period.

by PStrawn

MigraineBuddy has truly been a huge blessing for me. It is so much easier now to track migraines, triggers, and remedies as well as print reports for my doctors. I’ve been using the free version of MigraineBuddy for about 4 years now and have nothing but positive things to say about it. I also believe that Jenny and the people behind MigraineBuddy truly care about migraine sufferers. They even met with me and some other migraines in Dublin, Ireland a few years ago to discuss MigraineBuddy , what improvements could be made and to get our input. They were very professional, yet seemed genuinely concerned. I could hardly believe that they would take the time to meet with APP users and not only that, some of them had even traveled from other countries for a business conference yet they took the time out to meet with us. I can’t say thank you enough to Jenny and the team for this amazing tool. I wish I could afford the paid version but it’s not affordable for me due to low income because of my husband’s cancer and the fact that I’m his caregiver. But the free APP has still been a lifesaver and I highly recommend it to every migraine sufferer!

by TaiHOLI

MigraineBuddy is awesome and has a super easy and intuitive UI. Anyone suffering from migraines, especially if you’re in the beginning of this never ending journey of migraine relief, you need to get MigraineBuddy. In the past it’s been difficult to describe and track the attacks and all the circumstances around it. Doctors would say “well maybe it’s the weather, stress, or your diet...” the list goes on. I’ve been able to track when they occur, how long, what is happening physically, externally, meds that I took, dosages, etc.

Thank you to the developers and the whole Migraine Buddy team for creating such a powerful and easy to use app! The premium subscription is totally worth it! Happily support the Dev team behind MigraineBuddy .

One suggestion? for folks suffering from migraines but may not have the finances for the premium subsection; it may be helpful to add a “donate” or “pay it forward” feature for other premium subscribers to feed into a pool of funds for folks who may not be able to afford to get the premium subscription. As we know - migraines are debilitating and will a greater impact those who are financially insecure.

by Reviewed4You

This is the first app review I have ever slowed down to contribute. Working in healthcare it takes a lot for a health-related app to impress me and I have been extremely impressed by Migraine Buddy. I like that I can add in my sleep time rather than rely on the overnight feature, which may be great I just have not tried it yet. I downloaded MigraineBuddy while visiting a family member who has pets and triggered ongoing migraines for me. I love that I could use the connect-to-a provider feature to locate acupuncturists nearby. There is a lot of flexibility within MigraineBuddy that makes it very easy to use on the go, during an attack, and to catch up with after an attack. I really like that I can add notes to the day because I personally like to include what I’m eating especially if it’s something unusual or new to me so that I can see if it makes a difference in the coming days. At this time, if I made a suggestion it would be to offer a food journal as a complement to MigraineBuddy that can be used along side it for tracking and reporting. I really look forward to seeing how the predictability alerts will help me gauge and treat my migraines. Life should only get better using Migraine Buddy!

by Migraine Warrior Since Age 4

Love this free app!! Easy to navigate and record migraines. I have been using MigraineBuddy since April of 2017 and it has done wonders for me! It allows my doctors to see what I actually go thru, frequency, what meds work and dosages and duration of migraine. Lots of data can be entered which means lots of different results to be seen. They offer different ways to view the data to see if there is a pattern. My pain specialist was very intrigued by the printed report. Love that we can start an attack and then just leave it and go back to enter in the meds and steps used to try to stop the migraine. Can be personalized very easily so the reports show accurately what you go thru. The biggest benefit is that all of this is FREE! In a world where migraines are not understood, MigraineBuddy being free helps me to show all my doctors that I am serious in working for a treatment plan that works for me, plus there is no more guessing as to what meds to take and you can track when you took them last so you can make sure you are taking meds as prescribed by your doctor. It is a wonderful app and so happy they created it. One more tool to help us migraine warriors in the battle against this horrible disease!

by CorysShug

I have had migraines all my life. As many who have migraines know, they have the power to devastatingly impact your life, and no one truly understands accept your doctor and other people who have migraines. I’m in my late 40s and still get people rolling their eyes when i say i have a headache (even my loving husband of 19 years, lol!).
My doctor recommended MigraineBuddy and i love it. I had intermittently used it over the past 2 or 3 years, but since i’ve been home from work during the covid pandemic for over a month, i’ve been using it consistently. Ironically, i’ve had more headaches this month than i’ve had in a while...i guess all the stress from everything going on.
But anyway, i love the sleep reports, the detailed features of recording an attack, the home page which says how many days i’ve been attack free, on the day of an attack how it says later it hopes you’re feeling better, all the invaluable tips, the migraine incident reports, the supportive migraine community, the different ways it seeks to help us see how so many things we don’t think of can cause headaches, and so much more. This has been a comforting tool to help me manage and understand my headaches.

by AprilT822

They seem to have resolved my one and only issue I had with MigraineBuddy !

Up until recently, MigraineBuddy was great. It has many great features for tracking migraines and makes it easy to do so and see how many you’ve had in a month, and allows you to track many specific details about your migraines. However, recently, after I’m logging a migraine that is still in progress, EVERY TIME, I get a pop window for “Migraine Reminders.” This window says that in order to help prevent you from forgetting to close your entry, MigraineBuddy can send you reminders. It says you can turn them off at anytime. The only option to select is “Understood.” After selecting this, EVERY TIME it takes me to my notification settings for MigraineBuddy on my phone. If I wanted to set reminders, I would have done so the first 40+ times I’ve gotten this message. It’s terribly annoying that the only thing you can do from here is allow MigraineBuddy to open up your phone settings. Let’s say you fail to tap “understood” and just close MigraineBuddy instead. When you open MigraineBuddy again, the window will still be there waiting for you to tap on “understood.” I don’t want reminders!!

by Read It Daily

Love so many things about MigraineBuddy- easy to record start/stops, potential triggers, time stamp notes, weather info, etc. Before using it, I’d have no idea how often I had migraines & would completely forget what things helped me during a previous attack. (I do not think clearly or remember stuff during a migraine.)

However, and this is a pretty big however, the insight notifications/badges drive me crazy. See, I’d completely forget to record the end of a migraine without the badges; I def need those to close up my record-keeping for each event. But when there are near-constant notifications/badges for “insights” I get so accustomed to badges on MigraineBuddy I ignore them...which means the “insight” notifications have “trained” me to ignore the badges on MigraineBuddy, including those reminding me to record the ending of an attack! In other words, the reminder to record the end of a migraine is useless due to all the insight notifications.

Please, please give the option to opt-out of “insight” notifications & keep migraine-in-progress notifications only!

by Elianastar

Awesome resource! You can be as detailed - or not - recording migraine experience by skipping over or setting things that not an issue or you choose to bypass so they just don’t show up. EX: menstrual periods are no longer a factor. I don’t have to see the window asking about related info at all.

Have learned I can treat “migraine headache” & related symptoms as “one attack” then treat lingering postdrome “migraine hangover” issues as a *separate* attack. I can often get head pain under control in “short order” (30 mins to a day), but nausea, equilibrium issues, continued sensitivity to light/noise, difficulties THINKING, etc, can persist for days after my head no longer hurts & create more issues than head pain - for me. Never occurred to treat them as “Part A”/“Part B” individual attacks.

Have learned from MigraineBuddy that even though I’ve never had any aura “preview of things to come,” there are OTHER forewarnings I never correlated to possible oncoming migraine. Who knew yawning *could* be predrome precursor?

by Cogywoo

MigraineBuddy is absolutely wonderful! It allows incredibly in-depth and detailed migraine tracking, yet the interface is so user friendly, it isn’t overwhelming or difficult to use at all. I have had migraines since a very young age, and have been told several times to “keep a migraine log”, but I never knew what exactly to record or where to start. MigraineBuddy allows me to just push a few of the appropriate buttons and leave it at that! Personally, I am using it because I have started a new injection treatment for my severe chronic migraines (I get upwards of 20 a month), and I want to know how effective it is in reducing the severity and/or frequency of my attacks, and if I should continue with it. Migraines are very individualized in how they start and how they manifest, and I know how hard it can be to manage them, so I would definitely recommend MigraineBuddy to anyone who has chronic migraines/headaches of any kind in order to perhaps work towards improving quality of life!

by Brookeejohnson

I recently was diagnosed with cluster headaches and was told to start keeping a headache diary. After some trial and error i realized there must be an app for this. I downloaded Migraine Buddy because it was the first one to pop up. It deserves that spot.

The interface is incredibly intuitive and simple. It walks you through every question any medical professional may have about your headache, even ones you may not have thought to track yourself. You can also customize many screens to be even better and more relevant to your pain and relief systems, which is also an incredibly easy process to do (seriously I didn’t do that at first because I thought it would be a longer process but no, takes a few seconds). I cannot recommend MigraineBuddy highly enough. I haven’t even experimented with all it can do.

MigraineBuddy has seriously made the world of chronic headaches a little easier.

by CT987654321

Want to start by saying — the addition of the forums, so that migraine sufferers can connect with one another, brings MigraineBuddy full circle. I’ve been using MigraineBuddy for awhile now, waiting for this addition- and it’s been well worth it!! It’s great to be able to support each other, and share knowledge in this way. Especially being able to interact with people in my home state forum. TY for putting the forums together!! :)
Ok — that said —- it’s a fantastic migraine tracker app+++!! All on a dark background which is extremely helpful when having an attack. It includes everything you can think of to easily chart anything that may be causing your migraine. Or any head pain for that matter. Including up to date weather information. Additionally, charting for where you are when the pain strikes, medication and other relief strategies, and so much more. I’ve heard there is a print out feature so you can bring the information to your doctor’s, but I have yet to try that. Overall, I’m totally satisfied with MigraineBuddy . *More so with the addition of the forums!! Now it’s absolute perfection!!! :)