Although headache, nausea, and sensitivity to light are some of the most common symptoms of migraine, they’re far from the only ones. Some people experience atypical symptoms, including chills and even shivering during a migraine attack.

Getting the chills can feel very uncomfortable. You may shiver or shake, your teeth may chatter, and you may get goosebumps. Your body temperature may also seem to change quickly, and you might suddenly feel hot and start sweating.

When Do Migraine Chills Happen?

Some people experience chills in the days or hours before a migraine attack. Others experience them during the migraine attack, along with severe head pain.

People most often report chills during the aura phase or the prodrome (the early warning phase before head pain begins). Some people also experience chills along with head pain or visual disturbances.

Official migraine diagnostic sources don’t list chills as a typical symptom of the postdrome, or “migraine hangover,” phase after the worst pain has passed. However, migraine symptoms can vary from person to person, so some people may notice chills during this phase too.

How Does Temperature Regulation Affect Migraine?

Temperature hypersensitivity has been linked to neurological disorders, including chronic migraine. When your body has trouble regulating its temperature, you may feel unusually hot or cold. If you get the chills after only a small drop in temperature, changes in your body’s temperature regulation may play a role.

Many MyMigraineTeam members report that changes in the weather or temperature can trigger a migraine attack.

“I’m very affected by weather, which triggers most of my migraine episodes.”

“Dramatic weather and temperature shifts always give me migraine pain.”

“I almost always get a migraine attack when the weather changes, especially when the temperature drops or when it rains.”

Although migraine attacks don’t usually change your core body temperature, some people feel unusually hot or cold during an attack. Migraine symptoms vary widely from person to person. Migraine works in complicated ways, and researchers are still learning about the condition.

Why May Migraine Attacks Cause Chills?

Chills are probably caused by changes in the brain and nervous system that occur during a migraine attack. These same changes can also cause shivering, feeling cold, feeling hot, and other feverlike symptoms. Many researchers and doctors think these symptoms are linked to a small part of the brain called the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus acts as your body’s control center, helping keep many important functions in balance. It helps regulate body temperature, sleep, appetite, blood pressure, mood, and other autonomic functions by receiving signals from the nervous system and coordinating the body’s response. If the hypothalamus isn’t working normally during a migraine attack, it may alter temperature sensitivity and trigger chills or shivering.

Brain Processing Differences

Researchers are still learning exactly why migraine symptoms happen. However, they generally agree that migraine affects sensory processing — how the brain interprets and responds to factors like light, touch, sound, and temperature.

People living with migraine may also be more sensitive to sensory stimuli such as light, sound, smell, touch, and temperature. As a result, you may feel unusually hot or cold during a migraine attack or aura when the temperature around you hasn’t changed much.

Symptom Confusion or Coinciding Fever Symptoms

Sometimes, severe pain may affect how your brain interprets sensations, making you feel hot or cold even when your body temperature hasn’t changed.

It’s also possible to have a fever and a migraine attack at the same time. Migraine doesn’t typically raise your core body temperature, but another condition — such as an infection, inflammation, or even stress — can trigger both a fever and a migraine attack. In those cases, the chills are likely caused by the underlying illness rather than the migraine attack itself.

Hypothalamus Dysfunction

Researchers have also studied the hypothalamus during migraine attacks using real-time MRI scans. One study found that activity in the hypothalamus changes throughout a migraine attack and may affect the limbic system, a group of brain structures involved in emotions, memory, and stress.

During a migraine attack, the limbic system may go into overdrive. Researchers think these changes could help explain migraine symptoms such as:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Yawning
• Mood changes
• Fatigue
• Increased urination

Because the hypothalamus also helps regulate body temperature, this connection could help explain chills and changes in temperature perception during a migraine attack.

“I have had chronic migraine for many years. During aura, I get double vision, crossed eyes, emotional outbreaks, heart palpitations, muscle and joint pain, brain fog, yawning, chills, hot flashes, and stomach and intestinal involvement,” one MyMigraineTeam member shared.

Nonmigraine Related Causes

You might feel chilly or shivery for reasons that have nothing to do with migraine, including:

• An infection such as a urinary tract infection
• Low blood sugar
• A hangover
• Stress, anxiety, or a panic attack
• A virus such as the flu

Some MyMigraineTeam members also report feeling the chills as a side effect of medications. “I was always on Maxalt, but that gives me brain fog, and I get the chills,” one member said.

How Can You Relieve Migraine Chills?

Chills can be unsettling, but there are ways to feel more comfortable while you wait for a migraine attack to pass.

Bundling up can help. Try a warm blanket, socks, or a heating pad on your hands or feet. A warm drink, such as tea or broth, may also help you feel more comfortable.

It might seem strange, but a cold compress on your head or neck can help relieve migraine pain, even if the rest of your body feels cold. Cleveland Clinic recommends cold compresses because they may reduce inflammation and numb pain, especially when used early in an attack. If a cold compress doesn’t help, it’s fine to skip it and focus on staying warm instead.

Staying hydrated may also help. Dehydration is a common migraine trigger, and drinking water during and between attacks can help support your body’s normal functions. The recommended daily water intake is about 91 ounces for women and 125 ounces for men, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Resting in a quiet, dim room at a comfortable temperature can also help ease your symptoms while your body recovers.

When Should You See a Doctor?

Most chills during a migraine attack aren’t a cause for concern. However, chills accompanied by a fever or other unusual symptoms could be a sign of another medical condition that needs prompt treatment.

Doctors call headaches caused by another underlying condition “secondary headaches.” Neurologists estimate that 18 percent of people they see for headaches have a secondary headache disorder.

Consider seeing a doctor if your headache is accompanied by any of the following:

• Fever or other signs of illness
• Loss of consciousness
• Sudden, severe onset
• New headaches that begin after age 50
• Eye pain
• A recent head injury
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or another condition that weakens your immune system
• A history of heavy drug use

If you have a severe headache with a fever, seek emergency medical care right away. Although rare, infections such as meningitis, encephalitis, and brain abscess can cause both severe headache pain and fever. Your doctor will need to rule out these and other serious conditions, including inflammatory diseases.

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