Effects of gallstones

Some gallstones cause no symptoms and are found during an examination for another reason. A stone that temporarily blocks the gallbladder outlet can trigger steady pain beneath the ribs or in the upper middle abdomen, sometimes spreading to the back or shoulder. Indigestion, nausea or vomiting may accompany an attack. Persistent blockage can lead to gallbladder inflammation; blockage farther along the system can affect bile flow or irritate the pancreas. Obesity can increase the chance of gallstones, but abdominal pain has many possible causes and does not by itself identify a gallstone.

Arrange a GP Consultation if pain recurs, follows meals, or is accompanied by digestive symptoms. A clinician may examine your abdomen and decide whether imaging or blood tests are needed. Keep a note of where the pain starts, how long it lasts, what you ate, and whether fever, yellowing of the skin, dark urine or vomiting occurs. Until assessed, choose meals that you tolerate and avoid foods that repeatedly trigger symptoms; do not take leftover prescription medicine.

Seek urgent medical help for severe or persistent abdominal pain, fever or chills, repeated vomiting, yellow skin or eyes, confusion, fainting, or pain with marked weakness. These features can signal infection, blocked bile flow or pancreatitis and need prompt assessment. Do not wait for a familiar pattern to pass if the pain is unusually intense or keeps worsening.

Ask whether your symptoms fit gallstones, whether an ultrasound or other test is appropriate, how to recognise a blocked duct, and which foods or medicines should be avoided while you wait for assessment.