What Does a Gallbladder Attack Feel Like?

A gallbladder attack is painful. However, the pain felt by individuals may vary from mild to very intense. It can be localized on the right side of the body or can be more toward the back between the shoulder blades. Learning more about the gallbladder and gallstones may help people avoid an attack all together. 

Once a gallstone gets lodged in a bile duct, a gallbladder attack happens and pain follows. However, the pain may be different for each person. Some common symptoms of a gallbladder attack include:

• Pain in the center or on the upper right side of the abdomen
• Pain that varies in intensity from dull to sharp
• Pain that moves or can be localized in the back below the right shoulder blade
• Pain that centers in the back between the shoulder blades
• Pain in the right shoulder
• Pain that lasts from one to four hours
• Nausea, vomiting and fever that happens immediately after eating
• The skin and whites of the eyes may turn yellow
• These symptoms may also happen hours later, often in the middle of the night. 

Purpose and Function

The gallbladder is a small organ located under the liver that functions as part of the digestive system. The liver produces bile which is then stored in the gallbladder for future use. When people consume fatty foods, the gallbladder releases bile that emulsifies the fat found in the digested food. This means that the bile attempts to break down these fats to help the body absorb it better. 

Gallstones

Gallstones are small, pebble-like pieces of cholesterol or bilirubin that accumulate in the gallbladder. Doctors and scientists aren’t entirely sure what causes gallstones. A few reasons that gallstones may develop: 

• Bile does not completely drain from the gallbladder
• As a complication of diabetes
• The liver produces too much bile or bilirubin 
• Other liver problems such as liver cirrhosis

Other  information that doctors know about gallstones:

• Gallstones are more likely to develop in more women than men, in people over 60, pregnant women and in certain ethnic populations, such as Native Americans and Mexican Americans.
• Diet and lifestyle also may play a role. For instance, losing weight too quickly, eating a high cholesterol, high fat, low fiber diet, and being overweight.
• Certain medications may cause gallstones, such as cholesterol and hormone replacement. 
• Approximately twenty percent of the population have gallstones and do not know about them due to lack of symptoms. They are often only found through some other type of medical procedure, such as an x-ray.

Treatment

• Avoiding foods that trigger an attack can eliminate pain, but it can also limit one’s ability to eat a variety of foods. 
• There are no medically proven ways to flush the stones from the gallbladder. Treatments like these are often homeopathic and cannot be verified by traditional medical establishments. They are best avoided.
• Medications can help dissolve gallstones, but they can take two or more years to work, if they do at all. In addition, the stones may return after completion of the treatment.
• Surgery can be done to remove the gallbladder. The body can easily function without the gallbladder as the liver will produce the necessary bile and send it through the digestive system faster. Most gallbladder surgeries are done laparoscopically. The patient can go home the same day and can return to work in a few weeks.

People who have had gallbladder attacks no longer need to ask, “What does a gall bladder attack feel like?” The painful episodes are not forgotten easily and may prompt people to seek medical attention. Someone having a gallbladder attack should follow up with a doctor since the gallstones can indicate other conditions, such as gallbladder disease, gallbladder cancer, or the gallbladder may cause other problems, such as pancreatitis.