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Gallstones and gallbladder attacks: the signs, when to get care, and surgery

For adults with pain in the upper right belly after a meal or at night, a scan that found gallstones, or a surgeon who says the gallbladder should come out. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says gallstones are very common, that most cause no symptoms, and that when one blocks a bile duct it can cause sudden pain that needs care right away. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs of an attack and the ones that cannot wait, what causes gallstones and who gets them more, the tests, surgery and what comes after, and food, weight and moving. It builds the words to say to a clinic or a surgeon’s office, and prints a card to note each attack.

An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.

This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor or nurse has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 15, 2026 on NIDDK’s Gallstones pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Dieting, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition (last reviewed November 2017). Ours: calling 911 for chest pain, or belly pain with trouble breathing, sweating or fainting; going to an emergency room for severe belly pain that lasts hours, or with a fever or yellow skin or eyes; calling a clinic the same day for the rest of the signs NIDDK says need a doctor right away; calling the surgeon’s office after an operation; asking about the cost before surgery; telling the provider who looks after a pregnancy; the notes for people for whom food and weight are hard, and for shelters; and the order of the steps. What we left out: the names of the medicines and brands NIDDK names (ask a pharmacist), doses, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.