A sudden excruciating pain that begins at the upper part of the stomach after eating a fatty meal may be a sign of a gallbladder attack due to gallstones. According to the Mayo Clinic, gallstones are a hardened form of digestive juices. Sometimes, gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand and as large as a golf ball. Treatments for gallstones include surgically removing the gallbladder (cholycystectomy) or dissolving the gallstone with medications. Complications result when symptomatic gallstones are left untreated.
Cholecystitis
Gallstones can lead to cholecystitis, a condition in which the gallbladder becomes inflamed. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of cholecystitis include persistent pain in the upper right part of the stomach that moves to the right shoulder, nausea, vomiting, sweating, a loss of appetite and a fever.
Treatment for cholecystitis includes having the gallbladder removed. This is typically done laparoscopically. Unlike the invasive type of surgery in which the entire stomach is cut, three to four small incisions are made in the abdomen to allow for a camera and special surgical tools to remove the gallbladder.
Cholangitis
Sometimes, the gallstone can get stuck within the bile duct and lead to cholangitis, a condition in which the common bile duct is inflamed. Typically, the liver produces bile acid which is secreted into the gallbladder. After you eat, the gallbladder releases its bile via the common bile duct which secretes bile into the small intestines to help in fat digestion.
MedlinePlus says that symptoms of cholangitis include intermittent right-side stomach pain, fever, chills, yellowing of the skin, dark urine and clay-colored stool.
Treatment for cholangitis is taking antibiotics to reduce symptoms. A surgical procedure is later performed to remove the obstructing gallstone when the affected person is stable.
Pancreatitis
Sometimes, a gallstone can block the pancreatic duct and lead to pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas. The Mayo Clinic says that the pancreatic duct is a tube that connects the pancreas and common bile duct. The pancreas also releases its juices to aid in digestion.
The Mayo Clinic says that symptoms of pancreatitis include upper stomach pain that moves to the back and gets worse after eating and bending forward, nausea and vomiting. Indigestion, smelly stools and unintentional weight loss are other symptoms of pancreatitis.
Pain medications, intravenous fluids and not eating three to five days is the typical course of treatment for pancreatitis.
