ADHD Dose Journal Template: What to Track During Titration
A printable daily and weekly dose journal template for ADHD medication titration — plus a one-page prescriber report format and how to track stimulant and non-stimulant switches.
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Disclaimer: This article provides a template for tracking ADHD medication use. It is not a medical record, a diagnostic tool, or a substitute for instructions from your licensed prescriber. Always follow your prescriber's directions regarding dose changes, timing, and urgent reporting of side effects.
A dose journal is one of the most useful things you can keep during ADHD medication titration. Whether you are starting your first stimulant, switching to a new medication, or adjusting a non-stimulant over weeks, the patterns live in the data, not in your memory.
Memory is a poor record of a busy week. A week that felt "mostly fine" may have included three days of missed doses, two nights of poor sleep, and one day of significant anxiety. Without a log, those details blur into a general impression. The NICE guideline asks for symptoms, impairment and side effects to be recorded at baseline and at each dose change during titration [1], and a daily journal is the simplest way to do that from your side.
This guide gives you a complete, printable dose journal template, explains what to track and why, and shows how to turn daily entries into a report your prescriber can use in under a minute.
What a dose journal is for
A dose journal is not a diary of feelings. It is a structured record designed to answer specific clinical questions:
- Is this dose working?
- What time of day is the effect strongest?
- What side effects appear, and when?
- Is the side-effect/benefit trade-off improving or worsening?
- What happened before the medication review appointment?
The goal is to convert your lived experience into data your prescriber can act on.
What to track: the core variables
Track only what you can sustain. A journal you abandon after three days is worse than a simpler one you keep for three weeks. The core variables are:
1. Dose and timing
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Medication name | Different medications have different curves |
| Dose (mg) | The independent variable in any titration |
| Time taken | Timing determines sleep, peak effect, and rebound |
| Taken with food? | A high-fat meal can delay the peak of some extended-release capsules, such as Adderall XR [2] |
| Missed or delayed? | Missed doses create inconsistent data |
2. Effect curve ratings
Rate at 3 set times per day. For stimulants, typical times are 9 AM, 1 PM, and 5 PM. Non-stimulants such as atomoxetine build more slowly: the label allows a first step after at least 3 days, then 2 to 4 weeks at the target dose before a further increase [3]. One rating a day is usually enough to see the trend.
| Metric | 1 = low, 5 = high |
|---|---|
| Focus / attention | 1 = can't sustain, 5 = fully engaged |
| Energy / motivation | 1 = exhausted, 5 = energized and purposeful |
| Irritability / anxiety | 1 = calm, 5 = very irritable or anxious |
3. Side effects
Use a simple checklist each day:
| Side effect | Severity (0 = none, 3 = severe) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced appetite | 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 | |
| Dry mouth | 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 | |
| Headache | 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 | When did it start? |
| Insomnia / delayed sleep | 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 | Time you fell asleep |
| Anxiety / jitteriness | 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 | When did it peak? |
| Heart racing / palpitations | 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 | Measure if you have a cuff |
| Afternoon crash / rebound | 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 | Time it started |
| Nausea / GI upset | 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 | Common on atomoxetine, for example [3] |
| Other: __________ | 0 / 1 / 2 / 3 |
4. Sleep
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Bedtime | Distinguishes insomnia from late bedtime |
| Sleep onset | The key metric for sleep delay |
| Wake-ups | Fragmentation is a different problem |
| Total hours | Sleep volume affects next-day function |
| Restorative quality | 1 = exhausted, 5 = refreshed |
5. Functional outcomes
Symptom ratings are only part of the story. Functional outcomes show whether the medication is improving real life:
| Area | 1–5 rating or notes |
|---|---|
| Work / school tasks completed | |
| Deadlines met | |
| Household responsibilities | |
| Social interactions | |
| Exercise / self-care | |
| Overall day productivity |
6. Notes
A one-sentence note per day captures context that numbers miss:
- "Took dose 2 hours late because of travel"
- "Had a stressful meeting at 11 AM — focus low despite medication"
- "Slept poorly last night — may explain low energy"
Printable daily dose journal template
Use this template as a paper log or as a model for your digital tracker.
Daily Dose Journal — ADHD Medication Titration
Date: ___________________
Medication today
| Medication | Dose (mg) | Time taken | With food? |
|---|---|---|---|
| □ Yes □ No |
| Missed or delayed? | □ No □ Yes — reason: ___________________ |
Effect curve (1 = low, 5 = high)
| Time | Focus | Energy | Irritability/Anxiety | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 AM | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 | |
| 1 PM | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 | |
| 5 PM | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 | 1 2 3 4 5 |
Side effects (0 = none, 3 = severe)
| Side effect | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reduced appetite | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
| Dry mouth | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
| Headache | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
| Insomnia | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
| Anxiety / jitteriness | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
| Heart racing | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
| Afternoon crash | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
| Nausea / GI upset | □ | □ | □ | □ | |
| Other: __________ | □ | □ | □ | □ |
Sleep
| Bedtime | Sleep onset | Wake-ups | Total hours | Quality (1–5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 2 3 4 5 |
Functional outcomes (1–5 or notes)
| Area | Rating/Notes |
|---|---|
| Work / school | |
| Home responsibilities | |
| Social | |
| Self-care | |
| Overall productivity |
One-sentence daily note
Weekly summary template
At the end of each week, spend 5 minutes summarizing the pattern. This is what your prescriber actually wants to see.
Week of ___________________
Medication and dose: ___________________
Days tracked: ___________________
Average ratings this week
| Metric | Average (1–5) | Compared to last week |
|---|---|---|
| Morning focus | □ Better □ Same □ Worse | |
| Afternoon focus | □ Better □ Same □ Worse | |
| Evening focus | □ Better □ Same □ Worse | |
| Energy / motivation | □ Better □ Same □ Worse | |
| Irritability / anxiety | □ Better □ Same □ Worse | |
| Sleep quality | □ Better □ Same □ Worse | |
| Appetite | □ Better □ Same □ Worse |
Side effect pattern this week
| Side effect | Most severe day | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Reduced appetite | □ Improving □ Same □ Worsening | |
| Dry mouth | □ Improving □ Same □ Worsening | |
| Headache | □ Improving □ Same □ Worsening | |
| Insomnia | □ Improving □ Same □ Worsening | |
| Anxiety | □ Improving □ Same □ Worsening | |
| Heart racing | □ Improving □ Same □ Worsening | |
| Afternoon crash | □ Improving □ Same □ Worsening | |
| Nausea/GI | □ Improving □ Same □ Worsening |
What worked this week
What didn't work this week
One thing I want to ask my prescriber
How to use the journal during a medication switch
A switch is a before-and-after experiment. The journal becomes even more important because you are comparing two different medications with different curves. See our stimulant switch guide and report template for a full comparison format.
For a switch, add these columns to your weekly summary:
- Old medication average focus vs. new medication average focus
- Old medication sleep vs. new medication sleep
- Old medication appetite vs. new medication appetite
- Old medication rebound vs. new medication rebound
Keep the rating times and side-effect checklist identical on both medications, and log the dose time each day, so the comparison is valid.
How to turn the journal into a prescriber report
Appointments are short, so a dense daily log is less useful than a one-page summary. After 2–4 weeks of tracking, create a summary with:
- Dose history — what dose each week, and any timing changes
- Average effect curve — focus/energy at each time point
- Side-effect trends — which side effects appeared, at what dose, and whether they improved
- Sleep summary — average onset time, total hours, quality
- Functional outcomes — what got easier in real life
- What you want to discuss — the questions you want answered at this visit
Bring the full journal as backup, but lead with the summary. Your prescriber makes the decision; the summary gives them what they need to make it.
If a dose that used to work now feels weaker, the journal is how you find out why. See ADHD medication stopped working? What to check before your next review.
Digital vs. paper tracking
Paper works if you are consistent and prefer not to use an app. The downside is that paper journals are harder to summarize and easier to lose.
A digital tracker has three advantages:
- Structured data — it forces consistent fields and ratings
- Automatic summaries — it averages your ratings and flags trends
- Shareable reports — it generates a one-page summary your prescriber can read instantly
The best tracker is the one you will actually use. Start with whichever is easiest, and switch to a digital tool if you find yourself missing days or struggling to summarize.
Track your dose journal with Titrate
Titrate is built around this exact template. The daily check-in takes under two minutes and captures the variables that matter most during titration: dose, timing, effect curve, side effects, sleep, and functional outcomes.
After a few weeks, Titrate turns your entries into a structured report — the same one-page summary format described above — that you can share with your prescriber before your appointment. No manual averaging, no copying spreadsheets, no trying to remember what happened three Tuesdays ago.
→ Start a free dose journal in Titrate ← → See how prescribers view Titrate reports ←
Also see our guides on stimulant titration timelines, Concerta titration, and medication review prep.
FAQ
Q: How long should I keep a dose journal before a prescriber appointment? Two weeks is a useful minimum, and four weeks shows more of how things change across dose adjustments. For non-stimulants such as atomoxetine, the label allows 2 to 4 weeks at the target dose before a further increase, so a longer log is more useful.
Q: Do I need to track every single day? No. Consistency is more important than perfection. Missing a day or two does not ruin the data. Aim for at least 5 out of 7 days each week, and note any missed days so they don't look like missing data.
Q: What if I forget to log? That happens to almost everyone, and ADHD can make routines like this harder to keep. The best solution is to reduce friction: set a phone reminder, keep the journal next to your medication, or use an app with notifications. If you remember after the fact, log what you can rather than skipping it entirely.
Q: Should I use the same rating scale every day? Yes. The value of a journal comes from comparing days and weeks. If your 3/5 focus on Monday is different from your 3/5 focus on Friday, the data is meaningless. Pick anchors and stick to them.
Q: What is the most important thing to track? For stimulants, the effect curve (focus/energy at set times) and the afternoon rebound. For non-stimulants, sleep and side effects matter more than same-day effect because the benefit is gradual. Your specific medication determines the priority.
Q: Can my prescriber use a journal from an app? Usually, yes. A structured report that shows dose, timing and side effects over time is quick to read. Ask your prescriber how they prefer to see it, and bring a printed summary if they like paper.
Q: Should I track my heart rate and blood pressure? If you have a home blood pressure cuff, ask your prescriber whether home readings would help. NICE asks for heart rate and blood pressure to be checked before and after each dose change, and it treats a sustained resting heart rate above 120 beats per minute, an irregular rhythm, or a clinically significant rise in blood pressure measured on two occasions as a reason for the prescriber to act. If you see readings like that, contact your prescriber. Chest pain, fainting or a racing heart that won't settle need urgent care.
Key takeaways
- A dose journal converts your lived experience into data your prescriber can use.
- The core variables are dose, timing, effect curve, side effects, sleep, and functional outcomes.
- Track at the same times every day so the data is comparable.
- A weekly summary is more useful than a dense daily log for prescriber appointments.
- Medication switches need a before-and-after comparison using the same metrics on both medications.
- Digital tools reduce friction and generate shareable reports automatically.
- Titrate is built around this exact dose-journal workflow and produces a prescriber-ready report.
References
- NICE guideline NG87 — Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management, recommendations 1.7.26, 1.8.9 and 1.8.11. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng87
- Adderall XR (mixed amphetamine salts) prescribing information, section 12.3. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=aff45863-ffe1-4d4f-8acf-c7081512a6c0
- Strattera (atomoxetine) prescribing information, sections 2.3 and 6.1. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=309de576-c318-404a-bc15-660c2b1876fb
This article is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your licensed healthcare provider about medication decisions.