When should you worry about jaundice if you have gallstones?

Gallstones may move from the gallbladder into the bile duct. If a stone blocks bile flow, bilirubin can build up and make the whites of the eyes or skin look yellow. Dark urine, pale stools and itching can occur alongside the colour change. Gallstone-related jaundice can signal a blocked duct, and infection may develop when bile cannot drain properly.

Jaundice can have causes other than Gallstones, so an examination and tests are needed to identify the source. A clinician may check your abdomen, liver blood tests and imaging of the gallbladder and bile ducts.

Contact a healthcare professional promptly if you notice jaundice, especially with upper-right abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever or chills. Avoid alcohol until you have been assessed, and do not take extra medicines or herbal products without checking that they are suitable for your liver and bile ducts. Keep a note of when the yellowing began and any change in urine or stool colour.

Go to an emergency service now for jaundice with severe or persistent abdominal pain, fever or shaking chills, repeated vomiting, confusion, fainting, unusual sleepiness, or difficulty staying awake. These symptoms can accompany serious bile-duct blockage or infection. Seek urgent help as well if you cannot keep fluids down or feel rapidly worse.

Ask whether a bile duct is blocked, which tests are needed, whether treatment should be arranged urgently, and which symptoms mean you should return immediately. Ask how to manage pain and eating while waiting for assessment.