A few pounds overnight can be fluid, not food.
Weigh every morning on the same scale, after the bathroom and before you eat.
MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) advises contacting your provider if your weight goes up by more than 2 to 3 pounds in a day or 5 pounds in a week. A daily record next to your symptoms makes a change like that easy to spot, and easy to explain when you call.
Fill it in on screen, or print it and use a pen. Bring it to your appointments.
Two minutes a morning, one page a month
Your care team, pharmacy, your dry or target weight, your weight-gain limits, salt and fluid limits, normal pulse and blood pressure, and a numbered list of your medicines.
Write your weight and the change from yesterday, add blood pressure and pulse if your care team asks, mark any symptoms, and write your zone. Check off each medicine as you take it.
Fill in the summary: highest and lowest weight, green, yellow and red days, calls to your care team, hospital visits and your questions.
Green, yellow, red: what to do
The log has a full page on the zones, with sources. Your care team may give you different numbers: write them in and follow theirs.
- Weight steady
- No new or worse shortness of breath
- No new swelling, no chest pain
- Weight up more than 2 to 3 lb in a day, or 5 lb in a week
- More short of breath, new swelling, more tired
- Pulse or blood pressure not normal for you
- Struggling to breathe, or short of breath sitting still
- New or worsening chest pain, fainting
- Confused or cannot think clearly
Sources: MedlinePlus, American Heart Association, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic. Summary only; the full lists are in the log.
Clear for you. Quick to read for your care team.
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1Weight and change, side by sidePlus blood pressure, pulse, six symptoms, your zone and a notes column.
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2A check box for every doseUp to 10 medicines, so missed doses are easy to see.
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3A monthly summaryWeight range, zone days, calls, hospital visits and your questions on one page.
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4Doctor visit pagesWhat you want to ask, what was said, and any medicine changes.
75 pages for a full year
Pages shown with example entries.
What this log is, and isn't
It is
- A clear daily record of weight, symptoms and medicines
- A year of logs in one file, fillable or printable
- Something to bring to every appointment
- Yours to keep: no app, no subscription, no login
It isn't
- Medical advice, or a replacement for your care team's action plan
- A scale or a blood pressure monitor
- A reason to change a medicine on your own
- A paper book (it's a PDF you print or fill in)
- 12 months of daily weight and symptom logs
- Blood pressure, pulse and your zone, every day
- Green, yellow and red: when to call
- Monthly medicine charts for up to 10 medicines
- 12 monthly summaries + 4 doctor-visit pages
- Fillable, US Letter + A4
Save with a bundle
Get this together with related tools, for less than buying them one by one.
Good to know
Can I fill it in on my phone?
Yes, with the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app. On a computer, open it in Chrome, Edge or Adobe Acrobat Reader. Save after each entry. Or print it and write by hand.
How much weight gain is too much with heart failure?
MedlinePlus advises contacting your provider if your weight goes up by more than 2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1.5 kg) in a day or 5 pounds (2 kg) in a week. Your care team may give you different numbers; the log has a page to write them down.
Do I have to check blood pressure and pulse?
Only if your care team asks you to. The columns are there if you need them; weight and symptoms are the daily core.
Is it dated?
No. Each month has a space for the month and year, so you can start any time.
Does it tell me what to do about my readings?
It shows the general warning signs and when to call, from MedlinePlus, the American Heart Association, Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic. It never tells you to change a medicine: do that only with your doctor, or with a written plan from your care team. In an emergency, call 911.
Can a caregiver keep it for a parent?
Yes. It works well for a family caregiver keeping track of a parent's weight, symptoms and medicines, and bringing it to appointments.
Blood Pressure & Medication Log
The same 12-month format for morning and evening blood pressure readings.
Weigh. Write it down. Know when to call.
Set it up once with your care team's numbers, then keep a clear record you can bring to every appointment.
Get the log · $12