For several years I had gallbladder attacks quite often because I had gallstones but unfortunately, I didn't have any health insurance so I couldn't afford the surgery to have my gallbladder removed. After suffering for about 5 years I was finally able to get the surgery and I've been doing well ever since. But needless to say, I became very familiar with all the signs and symptoms of a gallbladder attack. Here are some things you should know about them.

Your gallbladder is a tiny organ that sites on the right side of your midsection. It's below your ribs and helps you digest fat. It stores a chemical called bile which is secreted to help with digestion. Whenever you eat something, the gallbladder contracts and sends bile into your intestine. But unfortunately, sometimes this bile can harden into small stones which can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. If you have gallstones they might get stuck inside the duct that leads to the small intestine. This can cause a great deal of pain and discomfort. I've had to go the ER a few times because the pain was so bad.

There are two different types of gallstones you can have. One type if made up of cholesterol. They're usually yellow. On the other hand, there are also pigment gallstones which are usually black or dark brown. They form when your bile has too much of a chemical called bilirubin. Bilirubin is produced as your body breaks down red blood cells.

Different things can lead to gallstone formation. Your bile might not have enough bile salts which are chemicals that help break down fat. Your gallbladder may not be emptying properly or often enough. Many gallbladder attacks occur after eating a big, fatty meal and can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours. The longest attack I ever had was about 6 hours and I'm pretty sure it only ended because after 3 hours I went to the ER and was given pain medication.

But you may have gallstones and not even know. Not everyone has symptoms. But if you have these so-called silent gallstones it can still put you at risk of developing gallbladder cancer later on. There are only about 4,000 cases diagnosed annually, but it's usually not diagnosed in the early stages.

But if you have gallstones that are causing problems here's some common things you might experience.

An intense, stabbing or cramping like pain in the upper right abdomen or in the center of your abdomen. When pain occurs here it can make you think you might be having a heart attack. You can also experience pain in the middle of your shoulder blades. Pain can also radiate to your right shoulder. It's also common to experience nausea and vomiting (with or without pain).

If an attack continues without treatment symptoms can become more serious and may lead to jaundice (which is when the whites of your eyes turn yellow and it a very serious condition), fever, chills, and dark urine. It can also cause gallstone pancreatitis which is caused by the blockage of digestive enzymes. These enzymes can't leave the pancreas and this leads to inflammation. The symptoms of this condition include a sharp, squeezing or cramping type of pain in the upper left abdomen. It can also cause pain in your back.

Anyone can form gallstones but there are some risk factors. Being female (because estrogen can increase bile's cholesterol content and make your gallbladder contract less), being over the age of 40, rapid weight loss, Chron's disease, and diabetes (both type 1 and 2). Having a family history of gallstones, being American Indian, or Mexican are also considered to be risk factors.

If you think you're having a gallbladder attack you should see a doctor right away. They'll usually do an imaging test, blood work, and they'll probably give you medication for the pain. If you're having gallbladder attacks regularly it's very likely that they'll recommend surgery to remove it. Fortunately, you can live without a gallbladder and the surgery isn't bad at all. I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago and my pain after surgery was controlled very well with medication and I didn't need medication at all after about 2 days. But if you can't have surgery for some reason, you may be given medications to dissolves the gallstones. This isn't an ideal solution because it can take several months to work and gallstones usually form again later on after the treatment.

References:

MayoClinic.org. Gallstones. Accessed at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gallstones/symptoms-causes/syc-20354214 on March 21, 2018.