Gallbladder Pain and Gallstones: Symptoms, Triggers, and When It's the ER
Gallbladder pain usually hits the upper right belly after a heavy meal. Here's what an attack feels like, what helps, and the signs that mean the ER.
A gallbladder attack usually causes a steady, severe pain in the upper right or upper middle belly, often 30 minutes to a few hours after a heavy or fatty meal, sometimes spreading to the right shoulder blade, with nausea or vomiting. It's most often caused by gallstones blocking the gallbladder's outflow, and the pain may ease after a few hours. Pain that lasts more than a few hours, or comes with fever or yellowing of the skin or eyes, needs the ER.
What the gallbladder does
The gallbladder is a small pouch under the liver that stores bile, which helps digest fat. Gallstones are hard pieces that form in the bile. Many people have gallstones and never know it. Problems start when a stone blocks the flow of bile.
Gallbladder attack symptoms
- Steady, severe pain in the upper right or upper middle belly
- Pain that spreads to the back or right shoulder blade
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain that starts after eating, often in the evening or overnight
- An attack that lasts from 30 minutes to a few hours, then eases
Signs of a more serious problem
- Inflamed or infected gallbladder (cholecystitis): pain that lasts more than four to six hours, fever, and tenderness when the upper right belly is pressed
- A stone stuck in the bile duct: yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), dark urine, pale stools
- Pancreatitis: severe upper belly pain spreading to the back, with vomiting
Who gets gallstones
They're more common in women, people over 40, during pregnancy, with excess weight or rapid weight loss, with diabetes, and in some families.
What helps
If you've already been diagnosed with gallstones and have a mild attack that's easing:
- Stop eating and sip clear fluids
- Use acetaminophen for pain, if it's safe for you
- Avoid heavy, fatty or fried meals, which commonly trigger attacks
- Follow up with a primary care provider; repeated attacks are usually treated with surgery to remove the gallbladder
Gallbladder pain or something else?
Upper belly pain can also be heartburn, a stomach ulcer, a heart problem, or, on the right side, a liver or kidney problem. Our posts on acid reflux and heart attack symptoms cover two of those.
What urgent care can do
For mild belly pain that's easing, a clinician can examine you, check your vital signs and urine, and help decide whether you need an ultrasound and a specialist. If the exam suggests an inflamed gallbladder, a blocked bile duct or pancreatitis, you'll be sent to the ER, which can do imaging and blood tests right away.
At an AfterOurs clinic, a standard self-pay visit is $175, and a self-pay in-clinic visit never costs more than $330. We contract with all major commercial and government plans, including Colorado Medicaid and Medicare. See our abdominal pain page and the cost and insurance page.
Go to the ER or call 911 if upper belly pain is severe or lasts more than a few hours, comes with a fever or chills, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine or pale stools, or vomiting that won't stop; or if the pain spreads to your chest, jaw or arm, or comes with shortness of breath.
Where to find us
Four clinics across metro Denver, all ages welcome, se habla español:
- Hampden (Southeast Denver): 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Littleton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Thornton: 8 AM–11 PM daily
- Highlands: Mon–Fri 5–11 PM, Sat–Sun 8 AM–11 PM
Walk in, or book online.
Medically reviewed by Peter Martinuzzi, MD
This article is general health information, not medical advice for your situation. If you are worried, come in or book a telehealth visit — and if it is an emergency, call 911.