A prodrome is an early warning sign that a migraine may be on its way. Hours, sometimes a day, before the pain starts. Common prodromes include yawning, food cravings, a stiff neck, sensitivity to light, blurred vision, feeling unusually low or unusually energetic, and trouble finding the right word.
Tracking your prodromes is one of the most powerful things you can do with MigraineMe. If you can spot a pattern, you may be able to take a medicine or rest before the migraine fully arrives.
Where to find your prodrome settings
These steps are the same on iPhone and Android.
- Open MigraineMe.
- Tap the gear icon in the top-left corner. A drawer slides in.
- Tap Manage Items.
- Tap Prodromes.
A screen called Prodromes opens.
What you can do here
- Star a prodrome as a favourite by tapping the small star on its row. A filled star means favourite. Favourites appear first when you log, so you do not have to scroll.
- Delete a prodrome by tapping the trash icon on its row. A confirmation asks if you want to remove it and reminds you that past logged entries are not affected. Tap Delete to confirm.
- Add a custom prodrome that is not in the list. Tap the + at the top of the pool card, type a name (on Android also pick a category), and tap Add. (For example, some people get a particular smell sensitivity that is not common enough to be on the standard list.)
There is no rename. If you want to change a prodrome's name, delete it and add a new one.
A simple way to use this
You do not have to set anything up before you start. Here is the easiest path:
- The next time you have a migraine, log it as usual.
- When you reach the Prodromes step in the wizard, tap any signs you noticed before the pain started.
- Over time, the ones you tap most will become familiar.
- After a few migraines, come back to Manage Items and star your top three to four. That is your set.
How MigraineMe uses prodromes
Every prodrome you log is linked to the migraine that followed, and logging one also nudges your risk gauge up. Being in a prodrome means an attack may already be on the way. This shows up in a few places:
- Your Journal. When you scroll through past migraines, you can see which prodromes came before each one.
- Your risk gauge. A logged prodrome pushes today's score up, like a trigger does.
- Insights and recalibration. Over time the app learns which warning signs are most reliable for you.
A note on patience
Prodromes are personal. What is a sign for one person is nothing for another. Give it three or four migraines of careful logging before you draw any conclusions, and trust your own gut alongside what the app tells you.
