Gallstone Pain? Treatment Options Available

Sudden pain in the center of your abdomen or between your shoulders are among the unwelcome symptoms of gallstones, a condition that affects roughly 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population.

For many who have gallstones but no symptoms, no treatment may be needed; for others, surgery may ultimately be needed to relieve gallstone discomfort and prevent severe complications.

Here’s what to know if you experience symptoms from gallstones.

What Is A Gallstone?

A gallstone is a hardened deposit within the gallbladder that can form if bile contains too much cholesterol, bilirubin or not enough bile salts. Gallstones form when liquid stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material. These hard, pebble-like pieces may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. You could have just one gallstone or many at the same time, and you may or may not have symptoms.

What Are Symptoms Of Gallstones?

Symptoms of gallstones can include sudden severe pain in the upper right part of your belly, under your right shoulder or in your chest. Other symptoms of gallbladder issues may include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Bloating
• Heartburn
• Gas
• Indigestion
• Pain after eating
• Jaundice or yellow-tinted skin
• Chronic diarrhea

Gallstones that block the bile ducts of your biliary tract can cause sudden pain in your upper right abdomen, often known as a gallbladder attack.

Gallstone symptoms requiring medical attention

See a doctor right away if you are having these symptoms during or after a gallbladder attack:

• Pain in the abdomen lasting several hours
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever or chills
• Jaundice (yellowish skin or whites of the eyes)
• Tea-colored urine or light-colored stools

These symptoms can indicate a serious infection or inflammation of the gallbladder, liver or pancreas. Immediate medical attention is strongly encouraged.

Can I Have Gallstones With No Symptoms?

Many people have gallstones but will not have pain from gallstones or other symptoms.

With these "silent" gallstones, you may never need treatment. The situation changes when a gallstone blocks the passage of bile between the gallbladder and small intestine.

Am I At Risk Of Gallstones?

Gallstones occur in up to 20 percent of U.S. women by age 60, according to the American College of Gastroenterology. Women are twice as likely than men to develop gallstones, and many risk factors for gallstones are specific to women. Your risk is greater, for example, if you have had multiple pregnancies.

Other risk factors for developing gallstones include:

• Obesity
• Rapid weight loss from a very low-calorie diet or from weight loss surgery
• Diabetes
• Decreased mobility
• Cholesterol-lowering drugs
• GLP-1 medications
• A family history of gallstones
• Age

How Are Gallstones Treated?

If you do experience gallstone symptoms, your doctor will likely order one or more of several tests, such as a blood test or imaging, such as an ultrasound or computed tomography (CT) scan. If you have frequent gallbladder attacks, your doctor will most likely refer you to a surgeon for gallbladder removal.

Each year 700,000 people in the U.S. have gallbladder removal surgery. Your doctor will likely recommend surgery as part of your treatment if you have painful gallstones or if you’re having difficulty with the function of your gallbladder

Gallbladder surgery is safe and effective. The surgery is performed on an outpatient basis through just a few small incisions in the abdomen. Minimally invasive surgery options allow for faster recoveries, so you can become active sooner and get back to your daily activities again in almost half the time. Most people are able to return home the same day and resume their normal activities, including returning to work in seven to 10 days. If your surgeon recommends removing your gallbladder, the good news is that you can live a perfectly normal life without a gallbladder.

If you are not a candidate for surgery for some reason, your doctor may prescribe a medication to dissolve the gallstones and relieve gallstone discomfort. The downside is that you may have to take the medication for years to completely dissolve the stones, and gallstones may come back after you stop taking the medication.