Why It's a Good Idea to Keep a Daily Health Log

About a year ago, I blogged about my daily health chart.  The short version: I use a Google Docs spreadsheet with my own custom categories (example).  Since then, I've often questioned whether it is worth the effort.  Remembering to log in daily and input data into a dozen fields is not easy.  I often lose my motivation and find myself playing catch up after a four or five day lapse.

Then I'm reminded why I do it.

For about 80% of my crashes, the cause is easy to determine.  Often my family is sick and I have the same symptoms.  Or I pushed too hard the day prior and I'm paying the price with PEM. 

It's those other 20% of crashes where the chart really helps.     

Starting yesterday, I hit an unexplained crash.  There were no symptoms of a cold or other infection. I hadn't exerted myself the day prior.  The only clues I had were the two main symptoms of this crash (every crash is a little different).  This crash had a particular type of severe brain fog (I can distinguish among types of brain fog) and actual leg pain, not just numbness, which is rare for me.  I knew this combination was familiar, but I couldn't remember what triggered it before.

I used the search function on the health chart to pull up other instances.  I discovered these symptoms happened twice before, although not since 2012.  In both prior instances, I had been experimenting with "Fredd's" methylation protocol, which calls for very high doses of active forms of vitamin B12.  A side of effect of this, as I learned at the time, is over-methylation which robs the body of potassium.  In both prior instances, I increased my potassium dosage and the crash dissipated.  I then remembered that I stopped taking potassium supplements about two weeks ago, thinking that perhaps I didn't need them anymore since I'm now taking a much lower dose of vitamin B12.

Following this hunch, I immediately went out and bought potassium tablets.  I took about 400mg in the parking lot of the supplement store.  It's now about 5 hours later and the brain fog is slowly lifting, while the leg pain eases away.  So it seems that even though I'm no longer taking high doses of B12, I still need to supplement potassium.

I think I'll keep charting....

[Update 3/24/14:  A week later I was proven right.  I received the results of a Urine Essential Elements test that I submitted to Dr. Yasko.  Basically, "low potassium" was written all over it.]