Changing migraine - for long term sufferers

My migraine headache has changed in character over decades of suffering, since my childhood. My head has been hurting in different places and the intensity varies as well, yet I know that the source of pain is still migraine.

Sometimes the nature of pain stays the same for many years, then I realise that things have changed again: the pain moves to the top of my head, or stays at the back of my scull, above my neck, or moves to the side of my head.
At the moment it feels like sinus trouble becasue it is all around the eyes and forehead, but I know that it is not sinus, I know this is still migraine.

I wonder if such changes ares typical, or is your experince of migraine different.

I've noticed changes over the years. Not drastic, but I can tell the difference. They used to be ALWAYS behind my eye or eyebrow. Now they can be at the back of my head, forehead, or if I'm very unlucky my entire head. When I was younger, I would throw up continually with them. Now, while I'm very often nauseated I don't throw up every time. And if I do, it's no more than 5 times in one day. That may sound like a lot, but compared to the old days of throwing up every 20 minutes it's not so bad. Of course, in those days they didn't give me anything for nausea.

When I first stared getting migraines I had the typical "one-sided" pain... but over the years they evolved to include one side, both sides, all over, and the ones at the base of the back of my head where it sort of wraps around my head also (I particularly dislike these, not that I am a fan of any of these dang headaches!!).

I also noticed the type of pain has evolved as well, when I was younger it always was the heavy pounding pain, and now it can also include steady, sharp, or dull pains.

Everything about my migraines have changed over the years...........the aura symptoms, my triggers, the pain level and where the pain is. I think it is fairly common for migraine symptoms to shift as we get older - part of the fun I guess!

I've noticed changes over the years, too. Often during the same migraine, it will jump from one side of the head to the other--weird.

One major change is that I haven't vomited lately, nothing like I used to, but I still experience the severe nausea.

I do know that I need to treat the migraines differently depending on what part of my head is be affected and the other symptoms involved. However, just when I think I'm figuring out what works best, they change again.

Is this just the change in hormones as perimenopause progresses and menopause comes closer?

My migraines have definately changed over the years. In my twenties I would get them across my forehead and behind my eyes mostly with intense nausea and vomiting but then they would only last 48 hours with a couple of weeks at least between each one. Over the past couple of years they have changed to one sided headaches, beginning on my right side and swapping then to the left and the back to the right before it eventually subsides, over the course of 5 days. I have much less vomiting these days though although I still feel really sick with them.

One other new symptom is a very intense pulsating pain on the left or right side of my nose (depending on what side the migraine is at at the time!) I have to press my finger very hard on that spot to relieve the pain! oh what joy these migraines are ! lol.....

p.s I'm 39 and wondering too about the perimenopause thing, since my cycle has changed recently too after years of having a 35 day cycle I'm now having a much shorter cycle 25/26 days sometimes uggh!

Mine has changed over the years too. I'm always concerned about them getting excruciating again without a break and other weird aura things that can happen.

Mine chaged a lot in the last two years. It used to be eiher on the right side of my head or the left, then it changed to the front of my head and now it's there and on the back of my head, been much more photosensitive too.

Biggest change for me has been my auras. I've had migraines for over 20 years. I've always had visual effects - blurred vision and little jets of light in the edges of my vision.

But last year I started getting scintillating scotoma for the first time ever. Starts as a tiny bright green dot right in the center of my vision - looks like the after image of looking at a light bulb. It gradually spreads out, with the edges being little jagged sparking lines in pastel colors. As it spreads, the center of the scatorma is gray with no vision.

I've had two of these in the last couple of months. The scotoma spreads out to cover my entire field of view so I am totally blind except for a little bit right in my peripheral vision. Lasts about 30 minutes.

No real headache after each one, just felt kind of washed out.

Has anybody had such a major change in aura after so many years?