The patient may have a fever and experience nausea or vomiting. Biliary colic typically disappears after one to five hours. The pain begins abruptly. Severe pain and tenderness in the upper right abdomen are the most common complaints. The discomfort is intense and steady and can last for up to days.
Infection is usually present, and about a third of patients have fever.
Nausea and vomiting are more likely to occur with acute cholecystitis than with biliary colic. Patients with acute cholecystitis frequently complain of pain when drawing a breath. The pain can radiate from the abdomen to the back. Acute cholecystitis is usually caused by gallstones, but, in some cases, can occur without stones. Scarring causes the gallbladder to become stiff and thick.