How long do migraines last?

Migraine attacks can last from a few hours to a few days. In adults, an untreated migraine attack commonly lasts 4 to 72 hours. Children’s migraine attacks are often shorter than adult attacks, though they can still be very disruptive.

The timeline can be longer than the headache

Migraine is more than the pain phase. Some people have early warning symptoms hours or up to two days before head pain, such as yawning, neck stiffness, mood changes, food cravings, thirst, or fatigue. Some people have aura before or during the attack. After the pain improves, postdrome symptoms such as tiredness, fogginess, confusion, or feeling washed out can last up to a day.

Why some attacks feel endless

An attack may seem to last longer if pain returns after medication wears off, nausea prevents treatment, sleep is disrupted, or multiple migraine days cluster together. If attacks often last longer than your treatment plan expects, that is a reason to talk with a clinician.

When duration becomes a red flag

NHS guidance recommends urgent help if a migraine attack lasts longer than 72 hours or aura symptoms last longer than one hour. Seek urgent care sooner for sudden extremely severe headache, new weakness, new speech or vision changes, confusion, seizure, fever with stiff neck, head injury, or symptoms that are different from your usual migraine.

Track start and end times

Record when symptoms start, when head pain starts, when medication is taken, when relief begins, and when you feel back to baseline. That timeline helps a clinician judge whether your acute medication, nausea plan, or preventive plan needs changing.

Sources

• Mayo Clinic: Migraine symptoms and causes
• NHS: Migraine
• Mayo Clinic: Headaches in children symptoms and causes
• American Migraine Foundation: Migraine in children