What is an IBS diary (PDF)?
An IBS diary is a structured log of stool consistency (Bristol scale 1–7), timing, suspected triggers (foods, stress, sleep, medications) and symptom severity. The PDF format simply means it can be printed, faxed, or attached to a doctor referral — it is not a different methodology than a digital log. What matters is consistency, completeness, and a 14- to 28-day window so the gastroenterologist can classify the IBS subtype (IBS-D, IBS-C, IBS-M, IBS-U) against Rome IV criteria.
What information goes into the diary?
The minimum useful dataset per day:
- Stool entries: time, Bristol type 1–7, urgency, completeness
- Pain: 0–10 scale, location, relation to bowel movement
- Bloating: 0–10 scale, time of day
- Foods: meals with rough portions, FODMAP-suspect items flagged
- Stress & sleep: 0–10 scale, hours slept
- Medications: antibiotics, PPIs, NSAIDs, contraceptives
- Cycle (if applicable): menstrual cycle day
Without those columns the data won't support pattern detection — and the doctor visit defaults to anecdote.
How long do I need to keep the diary?
14 days is the minimum that reveals weekly patterns and is enough for an initial gastroenterology consult. 28 days is what the DGVS S3 guideline implicitly assumes for IBS-SSS scoring stability and trigger correlation. Anything under 7 days is anecdote, not data — a single bad day reads like a crisis when the trend is fine, and vice versa.
Should I use a paper PDF or an app?
Both work; the trade-offs are different.
- Paper PDF: zero learning curve, fits any phone-averse user, works offline, no privacy concern. Cost: manual transcription before the appointment, no automatic trend or trigger detection, easy to skip days, illegible at handover.
- App: 30-second log, structured columns, auto-generates the doctor PDF, surfaces trigger patterns (food, stress, sleep) without you doing the math. Cost: needs initial 5-minute setup; data lives somewhere.
We provide both: the printable 7-day template for paper users, and the app (free) for users who want the trigger detection and doctor PDF auto-generated.
How do I hand the diary over to my doctor?
German gastroenterology practices typically prefer one of three formats: printed PDF (1–2 pages summary plus daily detail), email PDF attachment, or an upload to the practice portal. What they usually do not want is 14 photos of a paper notebook — they have ten minutes per patient and need scannable data.
A useful summary contains: IBS-SSS score (severity), Bristol distribution (% type 1–2, % type 3–5, % type 6–7), pain trend, bloating trend, top three suspected triggers, red-flag symptoms (none / present), and the 14- or 28-day window dates. The body of the document holds the daily rows.
Get a Reizdarm-Tagebuch (PDF) for darmkompass
Two paths:
- Download the printable 7-day template (PDF) now — a single A4 sheet to start logging on paper today.
- Or start the free app — 30-second daily log, automatic IBS-SSS scoring, trigger detection, and a doctor-ready PDF generated at any point. No ads, EU servers, GDPR-clean, JSON export at any time.
Either way, the same rule holds: track at least 14 consecutive days before the gastroenterology appointment. The diary alone won't diagnose anything — it gives the gastroenterologist real data to classify the subtype and rule out red flags faster.