Prodrome: Migraine Warning Signs

By Kerrie Smyres

1 min read

As soon as I woke up yesterday morning, I was pretty sure a migraine was coming on. I couldn't put a finger on the exact symptoms, but I felt "off" and sluggish. As a chronic migraineur, I can't stay in bed whenever I feel "off" - I'd rarely be vertical if that were the case. Within five minutes of hauling myself out of bed, however, tears began streaming down my face, a sure sign a migraine is on the way. Although it doesn't happen every time I have a migraine, I'm grateful when this prodrome symptom warns me so I can take a triptan and try to abort the migraine before it happens.

What's my most reliable warning sign?

Tearing is the most reliable warning sign for me. Sometimes it is accompanied by yawning, but not always. Frequent sighing is often a predictor, though I also sigh a lot when I'm physically tired, and it can be hard to tell which is which.

What are other prodrome symptoms?

Other prodrome symptoms, according to the Migraine Association of Ireland, can include:

Neck or other muscle stiffness
Feeling hot or cold
Increased thirst
Increased urination
Food cravings
Loss of appetite
Yawning
Constipation
Diarrhea
Fluid retention
Sensitivity to light and/or sound
Depression
Euphoria
Irritability
Restlessness
Hyperactivity
Fatigue
Drowsiness
Difficulty concentrating

These aren't even all the possible vast and varied symptoms. Many people can't pinpoint anything specific but just say they feel "off" or "out of sorts."

What reliable symptoms signal a migraine is coming on for you?

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greeneyedgirl Member
Euphoria & hyperactivity are pretty consistent indicators for me. Chills and food cravings are also good indicators. I'm ALWAYS photophobic, so that's no help. My problem is I can't take triptans, and need to limit the cafergot (I also get hemiplegic migraines), so unless I am out of the house, I try and wait to see how severe a migraine it is before taking any meds. The warning IS helpful if I do happen to be out though.
1. hungrybus Member
 <inline-mention username="Cheryl Picerno" user-id="3673232"/> nope. Just survival. When an attack is strong enough, I was able to call 911 and the paramedics would administer magnesia sulfate with some pain relief drug IV, that really helped a lot (at least, put down the pain from 10/10 to 5/10). Kinda fun 😀
2. Cheryl Picerno Moderator
 <inline-mention username="hungrybus" user-id="3912281"/> There have been many times before finding medications to help control our migraine attacks that my husband and I were in that survival mode. It's a really tough place to get stuck in. I'm glad you were able to get some relief from the paramedics. I hope you don't get those 10/10 attacks too often. I know that can take quite a toll on a person. I'll be praying that you can find some lasting relief soon! Warmly, Cheryl <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>migraine.com</a> team
janenez Member
A really stiff, painful neck is almost always a sure indicator for me. But then again, I think I've gotten so used to practically everything on that list being almost daily in my life that it doesn't even occur to me to think of it as a warning sign anymore. Can a person have "chronic prodrome?" I have a really hard time gauging "when" to take my Zomig. It is such a dance. Last week I waited too long and then had to take the maximum dose for any effect at all. Other times I take it when I "think" symptoms tell me it's coming - and then I wonder, did I just waste an expensive pill? It is hard for me know.
kgreuel Member
I always have issues with speech. Other people will often notice before I do, because I'll be speaking words jumbled up or a bit slurred. Sometimes I won't be able to say the words I want to. It's very strange. I also get very cold, like I have a fever.
1. janmacy Member
 Yes - so irritating and sometimes embarrassing. This lack of finding words or saying the right word is one of my warnings. But not all the time.
ardenhansen Member
I'll get euphoric and then not be able to sleep, disrupting the regular sleep pattern that is so important. Soon the grumps start with over emotionalism and then shortly thereafter the pain begins.I remember one post suggested that as soon as the prodrome starts one should do relaxation techniques, aerobic exercise or other stress management. Doing mindful meditation on all the parts of the body that are not in crisis helps me to get the migraine in perspective rather than taking my full attention.
klenchus Member
Wow! I didn't know some of these signs were signs of a migraine coming on. I always have a lot of them so I ignore them. I tend to feel "muddy"- I see someone said sluggish so I'm guessing it's close. I'll have to pay closer attention next time. The one symptom someone said was chills- I would never think that because I get hot and then cold but too young for menopause! Thanks for your inputs.
janmacy Member
Wow. I wonder what kind of food cravings. My biggest craving is dill pickles or something sour like sauerkraut. I'll have to keep track now and see if that is followed by a migraine. My warning signs can be difficulty speaking. Saying the wrong words or not being able to think of a word; or a zagged hole in my visual field that keeps getting bigger until it goes away; or severe nausea for no reason; or just feeling a little off balance. Sometimes I have no warning. I've had migraines since the 3rd grade and the warning signs have changed over the years. I inherited them from both sides of my family - paternal and maternal.
1. jones8900 Member
 Wow!!! Reading your post reminds me of how frustrating it is when migraining.the words are in your brain but there's no way to get them processed to speak..that has to be one of the most frustrating aspects of side effects that I've experienced for 35 years...you feel like an idiot...or your speech slurs and you sound drunk or drugged....and I become so frustrated I sigh and say to whomever, never mind...the words are gone and my brain is turned off. Janet Jones
jgs350 Member
I'll get the aura's-little silver flashing lights, zig zag lines in vision, throbbing twitching in the eye, blind spot in the eye (usually LH eye), extreme fatigue, yawning, dizziness, walking of balance, difficulty w/speech & making full sentences. I'm already sensative to light, but more so in the beginning of a migraine, as well as smells-I will smell burning when nothing is, and my neck will be very sore down to my shoulder and stiff. So my big question is some of these signs are the same as stroke. How would you be able to distinguish the difference between a stoke and your regular signs of migraine?? I asked a few of my former neurologists and they could not give me a concrete answer. That was comforting to know. NOT.
1. rebeccagoorskey Member
 Teri, You're very right! I haven't seen a whole lot of people with Hemiplegic Migraines and I forgot that hemiplegia could also be associated with migraine. Thanks for reminding me! Rebecca
2. teri-robert Member
 You're welcome, Rebecca! Hemiplegic Migraine isn't very common, and it can be confusing.
rebeccagoorskey Member
I get very similar symptoms to most previous posters, I see flashes of light and start having trouble with speech and balance. My words become slurred and I have difficulty finding the right words. I've even been accused of being drunk before when in fact I was experiencing a migraine aura! I also get pain in my right cheek/gums below my eye. The trouble is that I often sleep through the aura and wake up with a migraine. I am currently taking Maxalt for my migraines, but it doesn't work if I take it after the onset of the pain. To be completely honest, relief is hit-and-miss if I take Maxalt in time!
mwebb1963 Member
I too am an RN and I was admitted over the summer for a change in my hearing on my right side, right facial numbness, an inability to swallow and once to the ED, I couldn't find words. I didn't develop the migraine until after I had gotten to the ED. It scared me and scared my husband even more. I am finally seeing a neuologist and tryng to get my migraines under control. I wish I could convey to people how bad and debilitating these migraines are. There isn't a magic potion to take or anything I am doing right or wrong. Even the doctor I work with says well you must be feeling better today...no, I am not, it is more tolerable today.
Nancy Harris Bonk Moderator
Thanks for sharing with us. You are right, Migraines can be extremely disabling and isolating. But coming to sites like <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>Migraine.com</a> can be very therapeutic. I'm also thinking the doctor you work with is not very well educated in Migraine disease, is he?
lorih307 Member
I usually get blurry vision or the words on the page look like they're crawling around. In rare cases, I get the sparkling, flashing lights at the edges of my vision. They usually look like flashing X's. One very weird sensation is that often I smell an overpowering scent of bananas. It wouldn't be so bad, except I HATE bananas! :-/ Fortunately, my Botox is working really well, so i seldom get migraines now. *Does the happy dance.*
jones8900 Member
In answer to your question...what's a prodrome for me...numbness in my left hand and pretty much everything on the list....but as you said Kerrie, you have to get up or we'd be vertical always, watching life go by without us. Janet Jones
amf194 Member
I get a really strong chocolate craving as part of my prodrome, and often crave something very salty as well, like Cheetos. I also become irritable and depressed. This isn't a conscious mood change, but something I have come to realize is part of the migraine attack.
taralane Member
I think I get all of the prodrome's listed - some are just effects of whatever meds I am on and others may be the sign of a real migraine. Since I am still having migraines 3-5 times every week, the only thing I know for sure is that if I see even the tiniest bit of aura, I know one is coming within a short time. My prophylactic medicines don't last long so now I have to rely on the aura's and unusual thirst. My aura's are changing which is also disturbing. I have been having half circle shapes on both sides of my peripheral vision, every evening, and sometimes during the day. Now they are smaller than they first were about a month ago, but I am also getting auditory auras - I hear sound out of one ear and then the other as if I am listening to one speaker on the R, and then one on the L, but my other ear does not feel like it is hearing anything. Also I think just finding words to finish a sentence. This is starting to become a big frustration for me, but I don't know if it is in the prodrome category or not. Anyone else experience this?
shine4him Member
My biggest one is that I start having to pop my neck a lot. I don't know if it's just stiffness or a pinched nerve, but my family knows when they see me stretching my head, a migraine is on its way.
1. 5rb66c Member
 I get that too, I also get my left eye closing down but as I am almost blind in that eye I dont notice that. I also get the yawning, I didnt realise that weeping eyes was one though! I always thought that was just my contact lens, I've have to keep an eye on that (pun intended) 😀
blueangel1980 Member
People tell me they see my eyes change. I realize that I get really clumsy.
1. blueangel1980 Member
 My vision also tunnels out.
2. erinkenny Member
 Apparently my eyes change colour - usually from blue to a bright green.
kateymac Member
Sensitivity to light and sound are always listed. But I also have awful sensitivity to any movement around me. For instance, I can be with my family, wearing earplugs, in low light, and still feel increased pain & nausea just by their presence and movements. It can almost feel like everyone around me is walking right through me with every movement, in a wave like seasickness but also annoyance on my skin as if being touched; but no one is touching me. I have to leave when this happens, and go home to be completely alone no matter how much I want to stay. Does anyone else have this excessive reaction to movement in the space around them during migraine? I never see it listed among the sensitivities.
1. jpd303 Member
 I’ve often told people movement bothers me. it’s hard to describe to people I don’t mean my movements, though it is hard to move sometimes, it’s their movement. Someone walking through my field of vision or waving their hands makes my head spin and the symptoms worse. But this is during the pain phase. My pre phase is usually yawning, fatigue, neck stiffness, mild headache, and brain fog.
2. vivmac00 Member
 Yes! The yawning, brain fog, sensitivity to....everything! When I have a migraine, or one is coming, seeing movement makes everything worse. So I go lay down, but still... Every noise I hear, just people moving around in the next room, i can feel it inside my body and it just makes me more nauseous. I'm sorry to everyone else who has to deal with this, or any other, frustrating and debilitating symptom!
mcadwell Member
Seeing flashes of light, extreme hunger, feeling "off kilter", being clumsy, words not coming out right, fatigue, difficulty concentrating
fabric-softener Member
When Smells are starting to really bother me, increased sensitivity to fragrances, cologne, car-truck exhaust, Fabric Softener is huge!!! Air fresheners!!!
louisejc Member
I get a blocked nose only on the side I get the migraine. I wake up with this and then I know is likely to turn into a migraine.
surrattjm Member
Eye twitch
400lbfallingdoor Member
The day before a migraine I stumble quite a bit. It’s like my legs and feet are not connected to my brain. I also have difficulty completing a thought or task. Part way through I have no idea what I was talking about or what I was doing. I cannot reset or restart without prompting.
ctaylor Member
One of my biggest warning signs is tinnitus. I get a ringing in my ears that just gets louder and louder. It can be very difficult if it coincides with phonophobia because you can't adjust the volume.
glassmind Member
So true and so cruel! Tinnitus and phonophobia. It's maddening. I also get the cruel combination of pain being worse when I stand, walk or bend over with the pain lessening if I lie prone, but my vertigo worsens lying down. Ugh
curtiecarol Member
The day before a migraine, I often have a sense of euphoria. If I start seeing little sprinkles of light, like stars on wallpaper, a migraine is about to happen. Bloating, constipation, and popping of my ears accompany the onset of a migraine.
1. April.Sluder Moderator
 Thanks for sharing <inline-mention user-id="3711178" username="curtiecarol"/> . April - <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>Migraine.com</a> Team
ninibmr Member
I get blurry vision the day before sometimes.
1. MelanieM Community Admin
 Hi ninibmr- thanks for sharing with us. Did it take you a little while to realize that the blurry vision and the migraine were related at first? ~Melanie (Migraine.com team member)
rebeccajhb Member
I have neck and shoulder stiffness, but I always know to take my preventative when I see auras.
1. MelanieM Community Admin
 I am glad that you know when to take your preventative, RebeccaJHB. Have you found one that works well for you? ~Melanie (Migraine.com team member)
kateymac Member
Currently, it seems that my most frequent prodrome symptom is increased energy - like a frenzy of housework, artwork, talking, ideas, etc. It feels like a runaway train. Sometimes it’s the opposite - a weird level of sleepiness. Hunger can be prodrome, but it is also big during the attack. The thing about the frenzy of energy is that I like getting some stuff done that’s been piling up. Or getting into some creative project. So it crosses my mind, but I usually keep going until I’m into head pain so bad that I’m forced to stop & deal with it. ONCE - just the other day, I actually walked away from this euphoric productivity. I took an Imitrex, put ice on my head & heat on my neck, and found that I could rest. Felt like a big accomplishment. The whole thing is a migraine attack. Dealing with it sooner did help a lot. I still was knocked out for the day. The head pain was lower, but I had still been through a crazy neurological event, and had to give the day (at least) over to rest. Kate 🌷
1. Cheryl Picerno Moderator
 <inline-mention username="kateymac" user-id="3784217"/> There are so many different ways that prodrome can present itself. I have never experienced that euphoric feeling prior to one of my attacks. I'm glad you were able to identify that as prodrome so you were able to avoid a bad attack by caring for yourself early on. I hope you don't suffer from attacks too often. I know how hard it is to give up your life one day at a time due to migraine disease! Warmly, Cheryl <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>migraine.com</a> team
kateymac Member
Thanks, Cheryl 💕
CommunityMember520f8a Member
I live with it daily 
1. Cody Leach Community Admin
 So sorry to hear that you live with migraine symptoms daily, <inline-mention username="CommunityMember520f8a" user-id="6683946"/>. Is there a particular symptom that is most bothersome to you? We'd be more than happy to provide some information about it if you let us know. Wishing you well, - Cody (Team Member)
CommunityMember1958 Member
My migraines are caused alot from stress. Or anything like lifting something that I shouln't haved. That all causes the mussles in my neck or back to become tight. Then seeing a chiropractor is the only thing that helps.i have arthriris in my back and that adds to it.
1. Nancy Harris Bonk Moderator
 <inline-mention username="CommunityMember1958" user-id="3742236"/> Thank you for joining the conversation. So many things can trigger migraine attacks, good to hear you've got it boiled down a bit. Neck pain can trigger an attack and also be a symptom of one - ugh! Let me share information on this topic: <a href='https://migraine.com/migraine-symptoms/neck-pain' target='_blank'>https://migraine.com/migraine-symptoms/neck-pain</a> <a href='https://migraine.com/living-migraine/stretches-relieve-neck-pain' target='_blank'>https://migraine.com/living-migraine/stretches-relieve-neck-pain</a> I hope this information is beneficial and I'm sending you pain free wishes, Nancy Harris Bonk, Patient Leader/Moderator <a href='https://migraine.com' target='_blank'>Migraine.com</a>
dinamay Member
I used to see the aura - neon light in a chevron shape or something like that and it would grow as the pain intensified. I don’t see that anymore. Still lose the ability to speak plainly but don’t get complete aphasia. Used to get this premonition that The World Is About To Come To A Terrible End. Then the pain would start up and I’d be miserable but also soooo relieved! The world is fiiine! It’s a migraine!
1. Holly Harding Moderator & Contributor
 Hi <inline-mention username="dinamay" user-id="3907903"/> - That is fascinating- I've never heard of the impending sense of doom prodrome before. It makes sense though- the way migraine can throw us for such a loop. It's akin to PMS in that we often don't see the symptoms until after we start our cycles- then, looking back, it all makes sense. Interesting that you talk about the chevron shape- my aura looks a lot like the fumes of gas that rise off of a gas pump. Similar gas-related auras! Glad that has stopped for you. Please keep in touch- always love hearing from you. Warmly- Holly <a href='https://-migraine.com' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>-migraine.com</a> team.