Gallstones are formed within the gallbladder due to various causes. Most people with gallstones (about 80%) never have symptoms. In 1-4% of those with gallstones, a crampy pain in the right upper part of the abdomen, known as biliary colic, occurs with or without complications of gallstones include inflammation of the gallbladder, inflammation of the pancreas, and liver inflammation symptoms of these complications may include pain of more than five hours duration, fever, yellowish skin (jaundice) vomiting, or yellow urine.
Gallstones may be asymptomatic, even for years. These gallstones are called “silent stones” and do not require treatment. A characteristic symptom of gallstones is a colicky right upper quadrant pain, in which a person may experience colicky pain in the upper-right side of the abdomen, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, that steadily increases for approximately 30 minutes to several hours.
A person may also experience referred pain between the shoulder blades or below the right shoulder.