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Symptom tracking is essential for identifying food triggers and understanding your body’s reactions. This guide covers all aspects of symptom logging and analysis.

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Understanding Symptoms

The Ceboelha API supports tracking 11 common IBS symptoms:
  • bloating - Inchaço/Distensão abdominal
  • gas - Gases
  • cramps - Cólicas/Dor abdominal
  • nausea - Náusea
  • diarrhea - Diarreia
  • constipation - Constipação/Prisão de ventre
  • reflux - Refluxo/Azia
  • fatigue - Fadiga
  • headache - Dor de cabeça
  • brain_fog - Névoa mental
  • other - Outros sintomas

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Logging Symptoms

Record symptoms as they occur with intensity and timing.
1

Record the symptom

Send a POST request with symptom details:
curl -X POST https://api.ceboelha.com/diary/symptom \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "date": "2026-03-03",
    "symptom": {
      "type": "bloating",
      "intensity": 4,
      "time": "15:30",
      "duration": 120,
      "notes": "Começou 2 horas depois do almoço"
    }
  }'
Required fields:
  • date: Date when symptom occurred (YYYY-MM-DD)
  • symptom.type: Type of symptom
  • symptom.intensity: Severity from 1-5
  • symptom.time: When it started (HH:MM)
Optional fields:
  • duration: How long it lasted (in minutes)
  • notes: Additional context or observations
2

Understand intensity levels

Use this scale to rate symptoms:
  • 1 - Muito leve (barely noticeable)
  • 2 - Leve (mild discomfort)
  • 3 - Moderado (noticeable, affects daily activities)
  • 4 - Forte (significant discomfort)
  • 5 - Muito forte (severe, debilitating)
3

Receive confirmation

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "_id": "507f1f77bcf86cd799439012",
    "userId": "507f191e810c19729de860ea",
    "type": "symptom",
    "date": "2026-03-03",
    "symptom": {
      "type": "bloating",
      "intensity": 4,
      "time": "15:30",
      "duration": 120,
      "notes": "Começou 2 horas depois do almoço"
    },
    "createdAt": "2026-03-03T15:35:00.000Z"
  }
}

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Logging Multiple Symptoms

If you experience multiple symptoms simultaneously, log each one separately: 
# Log bloating
curl -X POST https://api.ceboelha.com/diary/symptom \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "date": "2026-03-03",
    "symptom": {
      "type": "bloating",
      "intensity": 4,
      "time": "15:30"
    }
  }'

# Log cramps
curl -X POST https://api.ceboelha.com/diary/symptom \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "date": "2026-03-03",
    "symptom": {
      "type": "cramps",
      "intensity": 3,
      "time": "15:30"
    }
  }'
Logging each symptom separately allows the API to better analyze patterns and correlations with specific foods.

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Symptoms Overview

Get comprehensive symptom statistics and trends: 
curl "https://api.ceboelha.com/diary/symptoms/overview?days=30" \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..."
Response includes:
  • Total symptoms in the period
  • Average intensity
  • Most frequent symptom types
  • Daily trends
  • Correlations with foods
{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "period": {
      "days": 30,
      "startDate": "2026-02-02",
      "endDate": "2026-03-03"
    },
    "totalSymptoms": 45,
    "averageIntensity": 2.8,
    "mostFrequent": [
      {
        "type": "bloating",
        "count": 18,
        "averageIntensity": 3.2
      },
      {
        "type": "gas",
        "count": 12,
        "averageIntensity": 2.5
      },
      {
        "type": "cramps",
        "count": 8,
        "averageIntensity": 3.8
      }
    ],
    "dailyTrends": [
      {
        "date": "2026-03-03",
        "count": 2,
        "averageIntensity": 3.5
      }
    ],
    "foodCorrelations": [
      {
        "foodId": 9012,
        "foodName": "Leite integral",
        "symptomsTriggered": 8,
        "mostCommonSymptom": "bloating"
      }
    ]
  }
}
Use the days parameter to customize the analysis period. Default is 30 days. Longer periods (60-90 days) provide more reliable pattern detection.

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Filtering Symptom Entries

Retrieve only symptom entries from your diary: 
curl "https://api.ceboelha.com/diary?type=symptom" \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..."
Filter by date range: 
curl "https://api.ceboelha.com/diary?type=symptom&startDate=2026-03-01&endDate=2026-03-07" \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..."

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Updating Symptom Entries

If you need to correct symptom details: 
curl -X PATCH https://api.ceboelha.com/diary/507f1f77bcf86cd799439012 \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "symptom": {
      "intensity": 3,
      "duration": 90,
      "notes": "Melhorou depois de 1h30"
    }
  }'

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Deleting Symptom Entries

Remove incorrect or duplicate symptom logs: 
curl -X DELETE https://api.ceboelha.com/diary/507f1f77bcf86cd799439012 \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..."

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Identifying Problematic Foods

When you log symptoms, the API automatically analyzes temporal correlation with your meals.
1

Log your meals

Record all foods consumed throughout the day.
2

Log symptoms when they occur

Note the time and intensity of each symptom.
3

Check insights

The API analyzes the timing between meals and symptoms to identify potential triggers:
curl https://api.ceboelha.com/insights/discoveries \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..."
This returns discovered patterns including:
  • Foods that frequently precede symptoms
  • Time windows when symptoms occur
  • Food combinations that correlate with symptoms
4

Mark confirmed triggers

If you identify a trigger, mark it as problematic:
curl -X POST https://api.ceboelha.com/problematic-foods \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "foodId": 9012,
    "foodName": "Leite integral",
    "status": "confirmed",
    "symptomTypes": ["bloating", "cramps"],
    "notes": "Sempre causa sintomas 2-3 horas depois"
  }'

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Best Practices

Be specific with timing: Record the exact time symptoms start. This helps correlate with meals eaten hours earlier.
Track duration: Recording how long symptoms last helps identify severity patterns and food trigger potency.
Add context in notes: Include factors like stress level, sleep quality, exercise, or medication that might influence symptoms.
Symptoms can appear 2-6 hours after eating trigger foods. The API considers this delay when analyzing correlations.

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Common Workflows

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Elimination Phase Tracking

During FODMAP elimination:
  1. Log all meals with detailed food information
  2. Record any symptoms, even mild ones
  3. Review weekly symptom trends to assess improvement
  4. Aim for consistent low-intensity symptoms before reintroduction

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Reintroduction Phase Tracking

When testing foods:
  1. Log the test food at breakfast or lunch
  2. Monitor for symptoms over the next 24 hours
  3. Log all symptoms with precise timing
  4. Compare symptom levels with baseline
  5. Use insights API to see if the food correlates with symptoms

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Day-to-Day Symptom Monitoring

For ongoing management: 
# Check today's symptom count
curl "https://api.ceboelha.com/diary/summary/day/2026-03-03" \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..."

# Review weekly trends
curl "https://api.ceboelha.com/insights/weekly-summary" \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..."

# Identify new patterns
curl "https://api.ceboelha.com/insights/discoveries" \
  --cookie "ceboelha_access_token=..."

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Symptom Intensity Guidelines

Use consistent intensity ratings:
IntensityDescriptionImpact
1Muito leveBarely noticeable, no impact on activities
2LeveNoticeable but easy to ignore, minimal impact
3ModeradoUncomfortable, affects concentration
4ForteSignificant discomfort, limits activities
5Muito forteSevere pain/discomfort, unable to function normally
Consistent intensity ratings make it easier to compare symptoms over time and identify whether your overall symptom burden is improving.

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