The most common symptom of gallstones is pain.
The pain may appear in the stomach or higher up under the ribs on the upper right side of the abdomen (known as the epigastric area). Gallstone pain can develop suddenly and spread into the upper back or under the shoulder blades. It is often hard to get comfortable with this pain; movement does not make the pain go away. You may have trouble breathing deeply or normally.
The pain can appear after meals or may wake you from a sound sleep. A bout of gallstone pain can last anywhere from fifteen minutes to a full twenty-four hours. Between one and five hours of discomfort is most common.
Other symptoms of gallstones include:
- Vomiting — this may relieve some of the pain and pressure in the stomach.
- Fever — this may indicate that you have an inflammation or infection of the gallbladder. A fever with chills may indicate that a gallstone is blocking the common bile duct.
- Loss of appetite — this may indicate that you have an inflammation or infection of the gallbladder.
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes) — this may indicate that a gallstone is blocking the common bile duct.
- Dark-colored urine and/or light colored stool — this may indicate that a gallstone is blocking the common bile duct.
- Nausea and or vomiting — this may indicate that a gallstone is blocking the common bile duct.
Gallstone symptoms can appear similar to symptoms from other health issues, including heartburn, heart attack, and even food poisoning. Pain in your stomach that comes and goes or is felt all over the abdomen (rather than in the more specific locations listed above) may be the stomach flu or food poisoning. Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting can also be symptoms of other problems. Talk to a health care professional for a diagnosis.