What are the symptoms of a gallstone?

The classical symptoms of gallbladder pain due to gallstones (called biliary colic) occurs a few hours after a meal rich in fat (usually the evening meal) and consists of pain across the upper abdomen or lower chest, often felt like a squeezing band, that last 30 minutes to 2 hours. There is usually nausea (feeling sick) and/or vomiting. The pain usually subsides after this, and you are left wondering what the hell happened! This pain is due to the gallbladder squeezing against a stone that becomes temporarily stuck in the outflow of the gallbladder, an area called Hartmann's pouch of the gallbladder, or the cystic duct (the small tube connecting the gallbladder with the common bile duct). The pain is due to an increase in pressure inside the gallbladder which specialised nerves pick up and the brain registers this as pain. Thus, when the blockage is relieved, usually by the stone falling back into the gallbladder, or at least not completely blocking the outflow anymore, the pressure inside the gallbladder reduces and the pain settles.