Keeping a Side Effect — Diary
A side effect diary is a simple daily record of how you feel during chemotherapy. It turns vague memories into a clear timeline your oncologist can act on — and it changes the quality of every appointment that follows.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla, Medical Oncologist, MBBS · MD · DM (Adyar, Chennai) · ECMO · MRCP SCE (UK) · Last reviewed September 2026
- Write it the day it happens — Memory fades during chemotherapy. The severity note you write today is more useful than what you recall in two weeks.
- Short and factual is enough — A clinical record does not need to be long. Symptoms, severity, and anything you took — that is all your team needs.
- Include everything you take — Ayurvedic, herbal, and over-the-counter medicines all interact with chemotherapy. Your team needs to know.
- Bring it every time — The diary changes the decisions your oncologist can make at each visit.
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A side effect diary is a daily record of symptoms, how severe they felt, and what you took for them. It helps your oncologist see patterns that a fortnightly appointment cannot catch — so they can adjust your dose, add supportive medicines, or decide whether a symptom needs investigation before it becomes serious.
What should I write in a chemotherapy side effect diary?
Write the date and which day of your treatment cycle it is. Chemotherapy works in cycles, and side effects follow patterns — knowing that a symptom appeared on day three of cycle two is something your team can use.
Write each symptom you notice, however small — nausea, mouth soreness, tingling in your hands or feet, loose motions, tiredness, anything. Note when it started and whether it is getting better, staying the same, or getting worse.
Add a severity note for each symptom: mild means you notice it but carry on with your day, moderate means it is interfering with normal activities, severe means you cannot do your usual activities. These are the same terms your oncology team uses to make treatment decisions.
Write anything you took for it — including Ayurvedic preparations, herbal remedies, and medicines bought from a chemist. Your team needs to know all of it, because some affect how chemotherapy works in your body.
What goes in each daily diary entry?
- Date and cycle day number
- Each symptom you noticed, however mild
- When each symptom started
- Severity for each: mild, moderate, or severe
- Whether each symptom is improving, unchanged, or worsening
- Your temperature if you felt feverish or had chills
- How much you ate and drank
- Bowel or urine changes
- Your energy level — enough for normal activity or not
- All medicines taken, including home and herbal preparations
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How does keeping a diary change your appointments?
The first question at most follow-up appointments is: how have you been since last time? Without a record, most people answer with what they remember from the past few days and miss what happened in week one.
With a diary, you can say exactly when a symptom started, how severe it got at its worst, and whether it settled before the appointment. That is a timeline your oncologist can grade and act on.
Your team will ask how a symptom changed day on day — not just whether it is present now. They will also ask what you took for it and whether it helped. Having that written down means the consultation moves faster and covers more ground.
The diary does not replace calling your team when something is serious. If you have a fever, cannot keep fluids down, or have a new and severe symptom, call the same day — do not wait for the next appointment to mention it.
Did you know?
Oncology guidelines from NCCN and ASCO classify symptoms into severity grades so that treatment decisions — whether to pause, reduce, or continue — are based on documented severity, not on a patient's summary at the end of a cycle.
A diary that uses the same terms — mild, moderate, severe — closes the gap between what happened and what your team can act on.
Source: NCCN Guidelines for Supportive Care; NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE)
Questions about keeping the diary
What if I forget to write for a few days?
Fill it in from memory as best you can, and note that you are recalling rather than writing in real time. An approximate record is far more useful than nothing at all. Going forward, keeping the diary near your bed and writing a few lines before you sleep is the habit most people find easiest to maintain. Do not abandon the diary because of a gap — just start again from today.
Can I use voice notes or photos instead of writing?
Yes. The format matters less than having a record you can refer to. Many people record a brief voice note each evening, or photograph a handwritten page. Whatever you will actually keep up with is the right method. The key is that at your next appointment you can say: on day four of this cycle, my nausea was moderate and lasted two days — not just a general impression.
Does keeping a diary mean I should wait to report things?
No. The diary and same-day reporting are two different things, and one does not replace the other. The diary is for symptoms that are present but manageable — patterns your team needs to see over time. Any symptom that is severe, new and worrying, or involves fever, bleeding, or an inability to keep fluids down should be reported the same day by phone, not saved for the next appointment. Write it in the diary as well, but do not use the diary as a reason to delay.
What if a family member keeps the diary for me?
That is absolutely fine, and for patients who feel very unwell, a family member keeping the record is often more reliable than leaving it to the patient. Ask them to note the same things — symptoms, severity, timing, and what was taken. The most useful addition a carer can make is an energy and activity note: was the patient able to get up, eat a meal, have a conversation? This gives the treating team a picture beyond the symptom list.
Should I bring the whole diary or just the recent pages?
Bring the diary itself, not a summary you prepared beforehand — summaries tend to smooth over exactly the detail your team needs. If the diary covers many cycles, bring the pages since your last visit at minimum. You do not need to read every line aloud; your oncologist or nurse will scan it and ask about what stands out. Having the original means they can look for patterns you may not have noticed yourself, such as a symptom that appears reliably on the same cycle day.
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Frequently asked questions
What should I do if a symptom in my diary is getting worse quickly?
Call your oncology team the same day — do not wait for your next appointment. A diary is for tracking symptoms over time; it is not a reason to delay reporting something that is escalating. If you cannot reach your team, or if you have a high fever, are unable to keep fluids down, or have severe pain, go to a hospital emergency department. Write what happened in the diary as well, because that record will help your team when they assess you.
Do I need to buy a special notebook or app?
Any notebook works. A plain exercise book with one page per day is enough. Some cancer centres provide printed diary sheets with prompts built in — ask at your next appointment whether one is available. If you prefer your phone, symptom-logging apps are an option, as long as you can show or share the record at appointments. The most important thing is that you will actually use it, so choose whatever method is easiest to keep up.
How long should I keep writing in the diary?
Keep writing throughout your treatment course. Some side effects — particularly nerve-related ones such as tingling or numbness — can appear or worsen weeks after a cycle ends, so recording during treatment breaks is worthwhile. After treatment finishes, ask your oncologist how long to continue. The record you have built is also useful at follow-up appointments months later, if a new symptom raises a question about what happened during treatment.
Will writing about side effects make me feel worse by focusing on them?
This is a common concern, and it is worth taking seriously. Brief factual recording — a few lines noting what you observed — is different from dwelling on symptoms. Most people find that writing gives them a sense of doing something useful rather than adding to anxiety. If you find that recording symptoms is increasing distress, tell your oncology nurse or ask about counselling support. Managing the emotional weight of treatment is part of your care, not separate from it.
Can I share my diary with a doctor giving a second opinion?
Yes, and it is one of the most useful things you can bring. A second opinion is more informative when the reviewing oncologist can see how you actually responded to treatment — which side effects appeared, how severe they got, and how they were managed. A diary of documented observations is more reliable than memory. You can share the pages since your last treatment if bringing the whole record feels too much.
What if I cannot find the right words to describe what I feel?
Use simple descriptions rather than medical terms — 'my hands feel like they are asleep', 'my mouth feels raw', 'I am too tired to stand up' are all useful. Your oncology team will ask follow-up questions at your appointment to understand exactly what you mean. A photograph is also a legitimate way to show something hard to describe — a rash, a swollen area, a mouth sore. What matters most is that you record that something changed, and roughly when.
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