In most cases, gallstones don’t cause symptoms for long periods, if ever. This is especially true if they remain in the gallbladder. It is when they obstruct the ducts that a person experiences pain, which tends to come and go. The pain may be sharp and intermittent, lasting up to several hours. Usually, the pain is in the right upper part of the abdomen, which may be tender. The pain may extend to the right shoulder blade. Nausea and vomiting are common. If infection develops with duct obstruction, fever, chills and jaundice may also occur. A persistent obstruction of the cystic duct causes the gallbladder to become inflamed, while gallstones that obstruct the pancreatic duct cause inflammation of the pancreas. Other symptoms associated with gallbladder disease include constant pain below the breastbone that shoots into the right or left shoulder area and radiates into the back, lasting from 30 minutes to several hours. Dark urine (coffee- or tea-colored), shaking, chills and jaundice are common. Gallbladder attacks are more common in the evening, and sometimes mimic a heart attack.
