Insight: 10 Warning Signs a Migraine Is Coming

What if your migraine doesn’t come out of nowhere but quietly whispers before it strikes?

In this episode of Migraine Heroes Podcast, host Diane Ducarme helps you tune into the early signals your body sends before a migraine fully unfolds. By understanding these subtle cues, you can move from feeling caught off guard to feeling prepared, grounded, and in control.

This episode blends neuroscience with practical, body-based awareness so you can respond earlier, not later.

You’ll discover:
💡 How to spot the early warning signs of a migraine attack even the ones most people overlook
💡 What’s happening in your brain during the pre-migraine phase and why it can feel so unpredictable
💡 Simple, immediate steps you can take to ease the process and potentially reduce the intensity before it escalates

This isn’t about fear or hypervigilance.
It’s about learning your body’s language so you can act with clarity, not surprise.

If you’ve ever felt like your migraine “just hits,” this episode will help you see the signs that were there all along and what you can do with them.

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References: 

• Migraine Pathophysiology (Charles, 2018): This review explains migraine as a complex nervous-system disorder rather than a simple vascular headache, covering genetic, anatomical, physiological, and pharmacological mechanisms. Read more here.
• Premonitory Symptoms of Migraine (Kelman, 2004): This study focuses on early warning symptoms that can appear before migraine pain, such as fatigue, mood change, food craving, and neck stiffness. Read more here.
• The Premonitory Phase of Migraine (Maniyar et al., 2014): This paper shows that brain activation can be detected before the headache phase, especially in regions such as the hypothalamus and brainstem, supporting the idea that migraine starts before pain begins. Read more here.
• Biological Insights from the Premonitory Symptoms of Migraine (Karsan & Goadsby, 2018): This review looks at what premonitory symptoms can reveal about migraine biology, including thirst, yawning, lethargy, and sensory sensitivity before headache onset. Read more here.
• The Migraine Generator Revisited (Schulte & May, 2016): This paper revisits the “migraine generator” idea and argues that hypothalamic changes may drive the migraine cycle through altered connectivity with the brainstem. Read more here.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for providing medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions.

For women, men, and children who suffer from migraine disease, Migraine Heroes is your go-to resource for understanding, managing, and overcoming migraine attacks.

We cover all types of migraines and related headaches, including primary and secondary migraines, chronic migraines, and cluster migraines. We dive deep into the complexities of migraine with aura and migraine without aura, as well as rarer forms like hemiplegic migraine, retinal migraine, and acephalgic migraine (silent migraine). Our discussions also extend to cervicogenic headaches, ice pick headaches, and pressure headaches, which often mimic migraine or contribute to overall migraine burden.